Phaya Naga

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Phaya Naga
Laonaga.jpg
A Phaya Naga guarding the Temple of Wat Si Saket in Vientiane, Laos.
Grouping Mythology
Sub grouping Buddhist mythology
Similar creatures Dragon, Pakhangba
Mythology Laos, Thailand and Cambodia
Habitat Rivers, sacred ponds, lakes, caves.

The Phaya Naga (Thai: พญานาค; rtgsphaya nak) are nāga, mythical serpent-like creatures, believed by locals to live in the Mekong river or estuaries. Some have tried to explain sightings as oarfish, elongate fish with red crests; however these are exclusively marine and usually live at great depths. People in both Laos and Thailand attribute the naga fireballs to these creatures.

History

Lao mythology maintains that the Naga are the protectors of Vientiane, and by extension, the Lao state. The Naga association was most clearly articulated during and immediately after the reign of Anouvong. An important poem from this period San Lup Bo Sun (or San Leupphasun Lao: ສານລຶພສູນ) discusses relations between Laos and Siam in a veiled manner, using the Naga and the Garuda, to represent Laos and Siam, respectively.[1] The Naga is incorporated extensively into Lao iconography, and features prominently in Lao culture throughout the length of the country, not only in Vientiane.

See also

References

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External links

  • Mekong River Commission paper on eels (pdf)
  • Dr. Kanoksilpa, a pediatrician at Nong Khai hospital, studied this phenomenon for four years and concludes the most likely explanation to be seasonal accumulations of methane gas. (Panida, 2538 B.E. : 78-79)Thai folk : The knowledge of Thai life-style [1]

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