Beating the Rice Stalks (Thailand)

Beating the Rice Stalks

Performed by: Karen Ban Kongmongtha Troupe, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand

Background
Rice is the one of the most important aspects of Karen spiritual culture: “If we still have Rice, we must pay respect to and keep faith in the Rice Goddess.” The beating of the rice stalks is one of last rituals in the rice cycle, a practice inherited from the past. Generally, the Karen in Kongmongtha Village will beat the rice stalks after harvesting. This should be done in December, as an offering to the Rice Goddess. “Beating the Rice Stalks” is practised in the forest.

Synopsis / Description
1. The owner prepares the space in his/her rice field in the forest (Karen language: chong mung).
2. A message to the Rice Goddess (Phi-bue-yo) is shot up to the sky (using gunfire, for example). Then, a basket is filled with steamed rice, steamed glutinous rice, bananas and sugar cane, and is then placed alongside a banana tree trunk, sugar cane stalk and cockscomb flowers at the foot of a spiritual pole dedicated to the Rice Mother Goddess (Bue-mu).
3. In an anticlockwise motion, the yard is swept with a broom to which five candles, seven flowers and selected varieties of local leaves are attached to remove all the bad luck from the yard. Then, the yard is swept in a clockwise motion with a broom to which a variety of local leaves are attached.
4. The owner then starts beating his/her rice stalks, starting with the last stalks from the harvest, saying words of blessing to the rice and beating the stalks three times.
5. After that, all the villagers beat the rice stalks until the entire harvest has been beaten. While beating the rice stalks, villagers sing traditional Karen songs.

CREDITS:
Troupe Coordinator
▪ Mr Aphichart Setapan

Ritual Master
▪ Long-kheung-pho Saisangkhlachawanlin
Dancers
▪ Mr Ong-art Teera-ngarmthong
▪ Mr Sai Saisangkhlachawanlin
▪ Mr Amnart Klittayakwamdee
▪ Mr Phirapat Klittayakwamdee
▪ Ms Somjai Klittayakwamdee
▪ Ms Masonay Kiatkongkoon
▪ Ms Ma-u-soo
▪ Ms Saijai Setapan
▪ Ms Yanisa Setapan
▪ Ms Kotchaporn Setapan
▪ Ms Daliwan Saisangkhakorndamrong
▪ Ms Sansanmi
▪ Ms Wallaya Sangkhawatanyu
▪ Ms Thidawan Klittayakhunnatham
▪ Ms Sangchan Thakeungwitsapaporn
▪ Ms Sirinthorn Sarnsart
▪ Ms Anchalee

Musicians
▪ Drum: Mr Jeewee
▪ Karen Xylophone: Mr Long

*This performance was showcased on Day 4 of SEAMEO SPAFA's 'Spiritual Dimensions of Rice Culture in Southeast Asia - Performances and Seminar' held from 11-14 May 2015 at Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand. http://www.seameo-spafa.org/spiritual...