S.P. Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 11/1 Soi 3 Bamrungburi Rd., T. Prasingh, A. Muang., Chiang Mai 50200 Tel. 053 - 814 455-6 Fax. 053 - 814 457 E-mail: guidelin@loxinfo.co.th

	---> MORE Thai Legends: _________________________________ How the Insulted Rice-Plant Got Its Revenge The Legend of the Crow The Menacing Tiger How the Insulted Rice-Plant Got Its Revenge A Northern Thai Folk Tale The ‘Dead’ Man’s Betel Mom… we need more rain!!! How the Moon Got Its Face THE WEAVER AND THE COWHERD The Myth of Mae Posop, the Goddess of Grain The Legend(s) of Queen Chamadevi Mamia The Origin of Thunder and Lightning The Legend of Wang Bua Ban Waterfalls Tera Jan and the Tunnels of Wat Umong Why Chiang Mai is big but Lamphun small The Lord of all Lanna Ghosts Legends of The Evil Woman/Tigress THE WHITE CHEDI OF SACRIFICE Two good pals Keeping the Pret Happy THE WEAVER AND THE COWHERD A Northern Thai Folk Tale How cats and dogs became enemies Sri Thanonchai Tricks His King The Wonderful Mine of Laplae The Legend of Phra Pathom Chedi GRATITUDE OF THE LITTLE COW WHY MONKEYS AND CROCODILES ARE ENNEMIES

The Lord of all Lanna Ghosts

In a region where animism and Buddhism intertwine, belief in ghosts and protective spirits is still common. In Chiang Mai, it is believed that sacred spirits, called phi, watch over the city and protect its residents from misfortune.

One of the oldest and most important of the protective spirits in Chiang Mai is a being known as ‘Phor Luang Kam Daeng'. It is widely believed that he dwells in the Chiang Dao Mountain, along with his spirit-wife, Nang In Lao. Largely by virtue of the marriage to his indigenous partner, Lanna people believe him to be Lord of the Spirits of the region, his name always invoked first in local ceremonies.

Stories about his human existence, when he was a prince of Payao, are to be found in the famous local chronicles, the dumnarn and pongsawadan. According to these written, as well as the oral, sources the young ruler made the pledge to capture an elusive deer, but was exiled because he failed to do so. However, having continued to follow the deer, he eventually reached Chiang Dao, where it turned into a bewitching beauty whom he fell in love with. Not realising how he had been beguiled, however, he later continued on the trail of the deer down to where Chiang Mai now stands, following the advice of a reusi (hermit) there that this was a particularly auspicious location for settlement. Having married into the Lua aristocracy of the locality, and fathered a large family, Suwanna Khamdaeng - as he is also known - returned to Chiang Dao cave and is still believed to be living there and protecting those who honour him appropriately, with his eternally bewitching shape-shifting (now deer, now human being) wife, Nang In Lao.

A pavilion honouring this spirit is to be seen close to the cave entrance.