Willuconquer: Famous cat procession of Thailand and Cambodia
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = Hae Nang Maew
| native_name = แห่นางแมว (Thai)
</br> ពិធីហែនាងម៉ែវ (Khmer)
| native_name_lang = th
| image =
| caption =
| status = Active
| genre = Cat procession
| frequency = Annually
| location =
| country = [[Cambodia]] and [[Thailand]]
| first =
| last =
| next =
| participants =
| website =
}}
The ceremony of '''Hae Nang Maew''' is a traditional folklore [[Rainmaking (ritual)|rainmaking ritual]] cat procession which can be seen in [[Cambodia]] as well as Central and [[Isan|Northeast Thailand]] in times of drought, from May until August.
== Description ==
=== Traditional procession of the Siamese cats ===
[[Siamese cat|Sisawat Siamese cats]] are selected and put in a bamboo or rattan basket which has a cover to avoid them from escaping. Cloud-colored cats or black cats are preferable, believed to provide fortune. The basket is hung to a a wooden or bamboo pole carried by two porters. Five pairs of candles and five paired flowers. The eldest among the ritual performers kicks off the procession by asking the cat to provide rain for the land after which the procession along with the musical band walk through the streets of the village asking the bystanders to pour water on the cat.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Thanwadee |first=Sookprasert |date=2016-09-12 |title=Hae Nang Meaw |url=https://rituals.sac.or.th/en/detail.php?id=9 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=[[Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre]] |series=Rituals, Ceremonies and Local Festivals in Thailand Database}}</ref>
The procession usually takes place when the drought becomes a matter of concern for the peasants. Normally villagers begin planting as soon as rains arrived after [[Royal Ploughing Ceremony]] in early May. Without rainfall after this ceremony, villagers usually decide to hold the cat parade.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2010-06-14 |title=Catcalls for cloudbursts |url=https://thethaiger.com/news/national/catcalls-cloudbursts |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Thaiger |language=en}}</ref>
=== Music and song ===
The cat procession is lively and animated by a musical band consisting of drums, gongs, cymbals and claves. and singing which varies in various locations but lyrics are often close to this ancient tune:<blockquote>''“Rain, rain, come pouring down. We barely had any this year. Without rain, our rice will die.”''<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-07-09 |title=Thai farmers ask spirits for rain to end crippling drought |url=https://nypost.com/2015/07/09/thai-farmers-ask-spirits-for-rain-to-end-crippling-drought/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=New York Post |language=en-US}}</ref></blockquote>
=== Politically correct update ===
While this procession is still done as such in Cambodia, in Thailand, the "curious tradition"<ref>{{Cite web |last=McIntosh |first=Matthew |date=2017-03-21 |title=Cross-Cultural Ancient Rainmaking Rituals |url=https://brewminate.com/cross-cultural-ancient-rainmaking-rituals/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Brewminate: A Bold Blend of News and Ideas |language=en-US}}</ref> has been updated to avoid what could be interpreted as animal toruture, cats being notoriously afraid of water. Out of [[political correctness]] and in order to avoid [[Cruelty to animals|animal-torture criticism]], in Isan, the cat has sometimes been replaced by a stuffed [[teddy bear]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-03 |title=Parched Isaan village opts for politically correct ‘cat parade’ |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30353614 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=The Nation (Thailand) |language=en}}</ref> Even more, in [[Uttaradit]], children as well as their parents replace the cats by dressing up as tomcats and putting make-up to impersonate the felines.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-07 |title=‘Cat people’ parade in Uttaradit in prayer for rains |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30368970 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=The Nation (Thailand) |language=en}}</ref> [[Doraemon]] dummies have also been used as replacements.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sitthipoj |first=Kebui |date=2018-06-21 |title=Doraemon joins rain-asking ritual in Phichit |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1489654/doraemon-joins-rain-asking-ritual-in-phichit |access-date=2024-04-30 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}}</ref>
== Purpose ==
According to Thai anthropologist [[Phraya Anuman Rajadhon]], cats dislike being wet and have since olden days been associated with causing droughts. And to lift the curse, they are therefore drenched with water. The procession was often linked to royal rituals and its name itself refers to the cat as ''Neang Maew'' or "Princess Cat", showing the place of honor given to the animal carried around in a form of [[palanquin]].<ref name=":0" />
Similar to medieval European propitiatory rites such as ''[[Kattenstoet]]'', the hope that it would once again "[[Raining cats and dogs|rain cats and dogs]]".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Geyer |first=Georgie Anne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w...=frontcover&pg=PA107&dq=cat+rain+ritual&hl=km |title=When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats |date=2004 |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |isbn=978-0-7407-4697-0 |pages=107 |language=en}}</ref> If a cat cries out during the ceremony, it means that rain is imminent.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Daovisith |first=Douangbouppha |date=2023-10-15 |title=Preserving Rain Traditions in Southeast Asia |url=https://theaseanmagazine.asean.org/article/preserving-rain-traditions-in-southeast-asia/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=The ASEAN Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> Khmer and Thai people hope that rain will come from 3 to 7 days after the ceremony. This ''hae nang maew'' not only boosts their morale about the rainfall, it also helps to reinforce the unity of the village folks, because practicing this old ritual custom requires communal participation and efforts.<ref name=":0" />
== Geography ==
The rainmaking ritual of ''Hae Nang Maew'' is mostly practiced by Thai farmers in both the central and northeast region of the country. <ref name=":1" /> It is also celebrated in Cambodia, though it is unclear where the rite originated.
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Animal cruelty incidents]]
[[Category:Cats in popular culture]]
[[Category
arades in Thailand]]
[[Category:Khmer folklore]]
[[Category:Thai folklore]]
[[Category:Cat folklore]]
Okumaya devam et...
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = Hae Nang Maew
| native_name = แห่นางแมว (Thai)
</br> ពិធីហែនាងម៉ែវ (Khmer)
| native_name_lang = th
| image =
| caption =
| status = Active
| genre = Cat procession
| frequency = Annually
| location =
| country = [[Cambodia]] and [[Thailand]]
| first =
| last =
| next =
| participants =
| website =
}}
The ceremony of '''Hae Nang Maew''' is a traditional folklore [[Rainmaking (ritual)|rainmaking ritual]] cat procession which can be seen in [[Cambodia]] as well as Central and [[Isan|Northeast Thailand]] in times of drought, from May until August.
== Description ==
=== Traditional procession of the Siamese cats ===
[[Siamese cat|Sisawat Siamese cats]] are selected and put in a bamboo or rattan basket which has a cover to avoid them from escaping. Cloud-colored cats or black cats are preferable, believed to provide fortune. The basket is hung to a a wooden or bamboo pole carried by two porters. Five pairs of candles and five paired flowers. The eldest among the ritual performers kicks off the procession by asking the cat to provide rain for the land after which the procession along with the musical band walk through the streets of the village asking the bystanders to pour water on the cat.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Thanwadee |first=Sookprasert |date=2016-09-12 |title=Hae Nang Meaw |url=https://rituals.sac.or.th/en/detail.php?id=9 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=[[Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre]] |series=Rituals, Ceremonies and Local Festivals in Thailand Database}}</ref>
The procession usually takes place when the drought becomes a matter of concern for the peasants. Normally villagers begin planting as soon as rains arrived after [[Royal Ploughing Ceremony]] in early May. Without rainfall after this ceremony, villagers usually decide to hold the cat parade.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2010-06-14 |title=Catcalls for cloudbursts |url=https://thethaiger.com/news/national/catcalls-cloudbursts |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Thaiger |language=en}}</ref>
=== Music and song ===
The cat procession is lively and animated by a musical band consisting of drums, gongs, cymbals and claves. and singing which varies in various locations but lyrics are often close to this ancient tune:<blockquote>''“Rain, rain, come pouring down. We barely had any this year. Without rain, our rice will die.”''<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-07-09 |title=Thai farmers ask spirits for rain to end crippling drought |url=https://nypost.com/2015/07/09/thai-farmers-ask-spirits-for-rain-to-end-crippling-drought/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=New York Post |language=en-US}}</ref></blockquote>
=== Politically correct update ===
While this procession is still done as such in Cambodia, in Thailand, the "curious tradition"<ref>{{Cite web |last=McIntosh |first=Matthew |date=2017-03-21 |title=Cross-Cultural Ancient Rainmaking Rituals |url=https://brewminate.com/cross-cultural-ancient-rainmaking-rituals/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Brewminate: A Bold Blend of News and Ideas |language=en-US}}</ref> has been updated to avoid what could be interpreted as animal toruture, cats being notoriously afraid of water. Out of [[political correctness]] and in order to avoid [[Cruelty to animals|animal-torture criticism]], in Isan, the cat has sometimes been replaced by a stuffed [[teddy bear]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-03 |title=Parched Isaan village opts for politically correct ‘cat parade’ |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30353614 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=The Nation (Thailand) |language=en}}</ref> Even more, in [[Uttaradit]], children as well as their parents replace the cats by dressing up as tomcats and putting make-up to impersonate the felines.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-07 |title=‘Cat people’ parade in Uttaradit in prayer for rains |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30368970 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=The Nation (Thailand) |language=en}}</ref> [[Doraemon]] dummies have also been used as replacements.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sitthipoj |first=Kebui |date=2018-06-21 |title=Doraemon joins rain-asking ritual in Phichit |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1489654/doraemon-joins-rain-asking-ritual-in-phichit |access-date=2024-04-30 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}}</ref>
== Purpose ==
According to Thai anthropologist [[Phraya Anuman Rajadhon]], cats dislike being wet and have since olden days been associated with causing droughts. And to lift the curse, they are therefore drenched with water. The procession was often linked to royal rituals and its name itself refers to the cat as ''Neang Maew'' or "Princess Cat", showing the place of honor given to the animal carried around in a form of [[palanquin]].<ref name=":0" />
Similar to medieval European propitiatory rites such as ''[[Kattenstoet]]'', the hope that it would once again "[[Raining cats and dogs|rain cats and dogs]]".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Geyer |first=Georgie Anne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w...=frontcover&pg=PA107&dq=cat+rain+ritual&hl=km |title=When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats |date=2004 |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |isbn=978-0-7407-4697-0 |pages=107 |language=en}}</ref> If a cat cries out during the ceremony, it means that rain is imminent.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Daovisith |first=Douangbouppha |date=2023-10-15 |title=Preserving Rain Traditions in Southeast Asia |url=https://theaseanmagazine.asean.org/article/preserving-rain-traditions-in-southeast-asia/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=The ASEAN Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> Khmer and Thai people hope that rain will come from 3 to 7 days after the ceremony. This ''hae nang maew'' not only boosts their morale about the rainfall, it also helps to reinforce the unity of the village folks, because practicing this old ritual custom requires communal participation and efforts.<ref name=":0" />
== Geography ==
The rainmaking ritual of ''Hae Nang Maew'' is mostly practiced by Thai farmers in both the central and northeast region of the country. <ref name=":1" /> It is also celebrated in Cambodia, though it is unclear where the rite originated.
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Animal cruelty incidents]]
[[Category:Cats in popular culture]]
[[Category
arades in Thailand]][[Category:Khmer folklore]]
[[Category:Thai folklore]]
[[Category:Cat folklore]]
Okumaya devam et...