I’ve just returned from the rooftop of my condominium where, for the last hour or so, I’ve been watching the total lunar eclipse. Here in Bangkok, the sky is clear and apart from the lights of airplanes, all’s still in the sky. As we’ve already entered the “Thai winter,” a nice wind is keeping the night cool.
Earlier in the day, people in my neighbourhood began a campaign of noise making which included lighting firecrackers and blowing whistles to ward off evil omens which the eclipse is believed to bring.
An older Thai lady and her daughter came on the rooftop with a basket full of food offerings for God Rahu (พระราหู, in Thai) which the Thais believe to be responsible for any eclipse. Because God Rahu is the God of Darkness, the food in the basket was made up of all sorts of dark-colored ingredients and liquids. All in all, there were eight cups and saucers in the basket. Number 8 is Rahu’s number and, obviously, black is his colour.
The meanings of the eight kinds of black foodstuffs are as follows: black grapes mean good business; black liquor means it is auspicious to take risks or make an investment; black coffee means that your wishes will be granted; black jelly (shoa guay) stands for patience and decisions carefully taken; black beans mean progress; black sticky rice means wealth and the love of your family; black Thai sweets represent rewards, success and good luck; and black fermented eggs bring success in your endeavors.
God Rahu’s two brothers are the moon and the sun and, every once in a while (i.e. when the planets are in the right position), he swallows them up only to spit them out again. So, the purpose of the noises made before and during an eclipse is to scare Rahu away. A nice animist twist to what astronomers call an eclipse.
The biggest statue of Phra Rahu in Thailand is the one at Wat Srisa Thong in Nakhon Pathom. It is here where the Thai people go to pray in case of big problems (such as the 1997 economic crash), when the gods are upset…
While waiting for the total lunar eclipse, the two Thai women lit a fistful of incense and placed the smoking sticks next to their offerings in the basket.
The next total lunar eclipse will occur in April 2014, while in 2012 we will get the chance to see two partial lunar eclipses.
