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SPIRIT CURING BY `CHAM' AND `TIAM'

We are now in a position to pick up the thread and follow the procedure
of spirit healing.

In most cases, if the mau song diagnoses that one or the other of the
guardian spirits is responsible for the disease, the patient then automatically
goes to the cham. The procedures he must follow are in two sequences,
which manifest important category distinctions.

The first sequence, kuad khaw phii, is concerned with the `invitation'[6]
to the phii to leave the patient (choen phii org). For kuad, the patient or
his representative has to take to the cham certain standard offerings (kaj):
two lumps of rice, flower, candle, betel nut and tobacco. These objects
are called khong jang mun nee, meaning `things given to make it (phii)
go away'. The cham uses these objects at the spirit shrine to invite the
spirit to leave the patient; the invitation has a strong element of bribe
and bargain, for further offerings are promised if the spirit consents to
leave.

On recovery the second transaction takes place, which is the payment
of the fee and a thanks-offering (liang phii) to the spirit which has removed
itself. The offering is pa wan (rice mixed with sugar) if the spirit concerned
is Chao Phau Phraa Khao, and chicken, rice and liquor if it is Tapubaan.
As stated earlier, this payment of the fee must take place on a Wednesday.

In the usual minor procedures of spirit healing the tiam has no part to
play, for the cham is sufficient to make the necessary offerings at the
shrine on behalf of the patient. Minor illnesses get cured in a relatively
short time.

But some illnesses become critical in the course of time or are major
illnesses from the start. In the first case, if cure is not forthcoming, doubt
may arise as to whether the mau song's diagnosis of affliction by guardian
spirit is correct, or if it is, whether he has been able to determine exactly
what offering is required before the spirit will leave the patient. Thus in
persisting illness, if the mau song and cham have failed to effect a cure, the
tiam (medium) is called in to make a fresh diagnosis through possession.

The medium, the cham, and the cham's assistant are invited to the
patient's house. As in the case of the procedure above for approaching
a cham, the patient's household must prepare kaj for the guardian spirit,
but in the present instance it is more elaborate than before. Either five
pairs of flowers and five pairs of candles or eight pairs of each (kan ha

kan paed) must be provided. Other required articles are one or two pieces
of cloth, an upper garment of the patient, an egg and a bottle of liquor.

The tiam now undergoes possession. Sitting down with eyes closed and
holding the kaj, he invites Chao Phau to enter him (phii ma soon). This
sequence is called tiam kaj. When the Chao Phau enters him he feels
tremors and waves his hands (nang ram). He is said to lose consciousness,
and while he is in this condition the cham and his deputy question him
to find out whether it is Chao Phau who is afflicting the patient. Sometimes
the tiam refutes the previous diagnosis by saying that it is not Chao Phau
but some other spirit that is at work, or that the disease is not spirit-caused
but an organic one which has to be treated by the physician (mau ya).
If Chao Phau admits his responsibility, then further questions are asked
to find out what he wants in the way of offerings. The action which had
aroused his anger (pid phii) may be any of those listed in Table 6.

While chicken and liquor are the usual offering demanded, in cases of
major illness, when the patient is feared to be dying, Chao Phau requires
a more expensive offering on recovery. Chicken is replaced by one or two
pigs' heads which are called muu dam muu daeng (black pig, red pig).
This offering is expensive because normally two pigs will have to be
killed.

It is said that the kuad (invitation to leave and promise of offering
made after the diagnosis) is performed by the cham and his assistant
with four elders as witnesses. Of course the promised offering is made
only if the patient recovers.

To sum up this section on ritual specialists involved in spirit healing:
the mau song (diviner) is not recruited by possession—he learns his craft.
He plays a critical role because he is vital for the diagnosis and for the
channelling of patients to the relevant experts involved in curing. The
successful mau song is also likely to be a respected leader in the village,
and may be a pious Buddhist lay leader. But the craft of mau song is an
open and competitive one, and many specialists with widely differing
techniques may exist in the same village. Baan Phraan Muan had one
pre-eminent mau song.

The cham and tiam are recruited through possession; the former does
not experience subsequent possession, the latter does. In regard to the
guardian spirit cult, there can be only one cham and one chief tiam (and
other subsidiary mediums) for the village, and their final recognition
depends on public acceptance and validation. The cham and tiam of
Baan Phraan Muan are not leaders in the village nor are they as literate
as other ritual experts, especially the mau khwan or paahm, who are the
respected elders of the village and often ex-monks. The cham and tiam

showed little interest in Buddhist worship at the wat, and were not involved
with the administration of wat affairs and the organization of Buddhist
calendrical rites.