The homage to `thewada' (`Bucha Thewada')
On the morning of the third day, at 2.30 a.m., when the village fair was
in full swing, a ceremony was staged in which respects were paid to
the thewada (divine angels). It was village dogma that before the Phraawes
story could be recited (or as a matter of fact any merit ceremony begun),
thewada must be invited to come and be witnesses to the act. What is of
significance here is that in no other ritual are the thewada propitiated in
a special rite and made the sole recipients of offerings. It was said that
if the
thewada were invited and worshipped they in turn would make
the villagers `live well and in health' (
ju dee mee haeng), that rain would
fall as usual and much rainfall might be expected (
fon fah cha dee).
A procession consisting primarily of old men and women (except the
drummers, who were young men) formed at the sala with candles and
flowers in their hands, and bowls containing balls of glutinous rice (which
in theory should number 1,000 to represent the number of gatha of the
Phraawes story). It is in fact called the `procession of 1,000 lumps of rice'.
No monks took part in the procession. It went round the sala three times
in a clockwise direction, and whenever it passed one of the four posts
with a flag at the top and basket at the bottom, rice balls, candles and
flowers were dropped into the baskets. These posts were called han (ran)
bucha, and were said to be khong (things) thewada. The offerings, informants
said, were intended for both thewada and Phraawes, but they were unable
to say why the processions and offerings had to be carried out in this
particular fashion.
The han bucha can perhaps be related to Buddhist symbolism unknown
to the villagers. They appear to resemble the `trees that gratify the desires
of men' (Kalpavriksha). These trees have no likeness to any tree at all,
but are hollow wicker baskets on the ends of long poles. In popular
Buddhism they are said to represent the four trees that will blossom
at the four corners of the city in which the next Buddha, Maitreya, will
be born. They will then produce all kinds of delicious fruits in fabulous
quantities (see Young 1907, p. 243). The money trees that appear in
merit-making rites may also be seen as associated with this symbolism.
