I had a neighbor who lived just down the road from me. This man was sick. He had wrapped sai seen (white string) around his house. He didn’t get better. So some friends sought out a medium to find out what was wrong with him.
After they explained to the medium their friend’s dilemma, he decided to go and visit the man via a spirit entering his body. The medium never left his house but through a spirit’s power he was able to travel and see the sick man. Once he got there he said, “I can’t visit your sick friend. The sai seen is preventing me from entering the house.”
So a couple of people raced back to the sick man’s house and took off the sai seen. Then they went back to the medium. Once the string was off the medium was then able to enter the house and help him. He also explained what things were stored underneath and around the house even though he had never physically been there.
The Lue frequently use white string in their ceremonies. During one of my culture sessions one of my helpers shared this story when I asked about the use of the string. “At first I didn’t believe this story,” my helper said, “But I now I think it really happened. The string has power.”
Not only can it keep mediums from barging in, but also ghosts and other spirits from harassing people during any given rite.
May 3rd, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Things are different in Thailand than they are here. II I know much less than I knew formerly.
Emil Styffe