The Pouring Sky @ivycrownedwitch

A long time ago, it is said that the Lord of the City had a disagreement with Phaya Thaen, the King of the Sky. The disagreement turned into an argument which left Phaya Thaen deeply offended. Feeling insulted, Phaya Thaen refused to send rain down onto the city. The land became arid, and crops withered away. Citizens of the city who were but mere humble farmers begged and prayed for forgiveness to no avail.

Only a brave and cunning man was smart enough to find a way to earn Phaya Thaen’s pity. From then on, should the city wish for rain, they must launch Bang Fai into the sky- rockets that would act as a signal to Phaya Thaen, informing him that it is now the time for rain. Upon the rockets being launched, only then, will there be rain.

This is the general framework of the folk tale behind the rocket festival (ประเพณีบุญบั้งไฟ) celebrated in Northeast Thailand and parts of Laos to herald the rain season. The story is one that is told orally, so there is next to no written evidence of it. Even so, as I learnt from words of mouth, it appears that the story has changed throughout the ages. Before Buddhism has spread to Siam, the culture was an animistic one with Phaya Thaen (พญาแถน) being a clear example of that. Another name for Phaya Thaen is Phi-Fa-Phi-Thaen (ผีฟ้าผีแถน): Phi meaning ghost or spirit, while Fa means sky. He is somewhere between a nature spirit, a genius loci, and a local deity. He is proof that the people are dependent upon the land and the land likewise relies upon the sky.

Other versions of this folk tale are clearly influenced by Buddhism, with Phaya Thaen’s ire being caused by how Lord Buddha’s sermon had led to him losing worshippers. Some say that the individual who negotiated that deal to send the rockets into the sky was none other than a monk who is a student of Lord Buddha.

Personally, I do not venerate Phraya Thaen because he is a very localized figure in Northeastern Thailand and I currently do not live there. However, he is a very good example of the old faith that existed before Buddhism. I stopped believing in Theravada Buddhism some time in my teenage years. I don’t remember exactly when, but I do remember having made the conscious decision to stop praying every night before bed. It was only recently that I began to reconsider my relationship towards the state religion, and realized that my heart belongs to the old faith - a faith that has survived and has been integrated into modern day beliefs - to the gods that are the personification of the natural world: the earth, the river and the skies.

This is a lesson to those who wish to become pagans or animists: look further. Dig deeper. If you are unhappy with the mainstream religion, then look at what came before. Chances are, many pagan beliefs still survive to this day in some syncretic form.