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72
The myth of Phraya Khan-khak
- the myth
of the Toad Pr ince - is folk l iterature that is
popular among the people in the northeastern
and northern regions of Thailand. It is commonly
known as Tamnan Phraya Khan-khak. In some regions,
the myth is variously called: “Tamnan Phraya
Khang-khak”, “Tham Phraya Khang-khak” or “Phraya
Khan-khak Chadok”. In northern Thailand, it is known
as “Khantha-kha-daka” or “Suwanna-chakka-wattirat”,
for example.
Noticeably, themyth of the Toad Prince is commonly
known in the northeastern region; it is inscribed in the
palm-leaf manuscripts found in almost every province
in the region.
The myth was later written in the form of folk
Jataka and sometimes it is categorized as Buddhist
literature in the region. Thailand’s northeastern
people believe that this story is a Jataka tale because
the story says that Phraya Khan-khak is a Bodhisattva
in his rebirth as a toad and a prince. He is called
Phraya Khan-khak because, when he was born, his
skin and physique looked like those of a toad or
Khan-khak in the northeastern dialect of Thai language.
Al though he i s ugly in phys ical appearance,
Phraya Khan-khak has great merit
and is supported by Indra, the
King of Heaven. He is also highly
respected by the townsfolk, so
much as that they once neglected
thei r sacr ificial r i te to Phraya
Thaen, the Sky God. The latter
became angry and held all the
rain water from pouring down
on ear th . Phraya Khan- khak
volunteered to lead an army of
various animals - termites, bees,
wasps, hornets, snakes, elephants,
horses, bulls and buffaloes - to
fight against Phraya Thaen in his
The Myth of Phraya Khan-khak
heavenly abode. Phraya Thaen was defeated and
therefore released the rain water to earth.
Themyth of the Toad Prince is interesting particularly
because of the image of Phraya Khan-khak as a
Bodhisattva, which reflects incorporation of the old
belief in supernaturalism- as exemplified by Phi Thaen
- into the Buddhist belief. This reveals the relationship
between Buddhism and the fertility rite of the rice
growers, whose livelihood depends on the seasonal
rainfall. In this sense, Tamnan Phraya Khan-khak can
be said to be a repository of cultural information that
reveals the folk way of life and the Thai agrarian culture.
The myth of the Toad Prince plays an important
role in the folk way of life in the northeastern region.
It has been used in the sermon by the Buddhist monks
during Phiti Kho Fon (praying for rainfall rite) and in
the firing rocket ritual in the sixth month of the lunar
calendar. The northeastern people regard the myth of
the Toad Prince as a sacred story since it explains the
origin of the firing rocket ritual, an important ritual in
Heet Sipsong or the calendrical rites to be performed
in each month of the year. The customs described in
Heet Sipsong are still persisted and observed to this
day.