Days of the week (Thailand)
Each day of the week in Thailand is assigned a certain patron god according to an astrological rule (which is influenced by Hindu mythology ).
General
Just as in Hindu mythology every god has a mount, so is a certain planet and a certain color assigned to him. The patron god of Sunday, for example, is Surya , whose traditional color is red. These day colors are the traditional birthday colors in Thailand. For example, every year on December 5th, the whole country is decorated with objects in yellow color, people wore yellow clothes because King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born on a Monday.
| weekday | Thai | colour | Celestial body | Deity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | วัน อาทิตย์ - Wan Athit | red | Sun | Surya (Thai: พระอาทิตย์ , Phra Athit ) |
| Monday | วัน จันทร์ - Wan Chan | yellow | moon | Chandra (Thai: พระจันทร์ , Phra Chan ) |
| Tuesday | วัน อังคาร - Wan Angkhan | pink | Mars | Mangala (Thai: พระอังคาร , Phra Angkhan ) |
| Wednesday | วัน พุธ - Wan Phut | green | Mercury | Budha (Thai: พระ พุธ , Phra Phut ) |
| Thursday | วัน พฤหัส ฯ - Wan Phruehat | orange | Jupiter | Brihaspati (Thai: พระ พฤหัสบดี , Phra Phruehatsabodi ) |
| Friday | วัน ศุกร์ - Wan Suk | Light Blue | Venus | Shukra (Thai: พระ ศุกร์ , Phra Suk ) |
| Saturday | วัน เสาร์ - Wan Sao | violet | Saturn | Shani ( พระ เสาร์ , Phra Sao ) |
- Sunday: Surya ( Devanagari : सूर्य , sūrya ) is the main sun deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas , son of Kashyapa and one of his wives Aditi . In Thailand, Surya is called "Phra Athit" (short for: "Phra Suriyathit", พระ สุริยา ทิต ย์ ). He usually travels in a chariot pulled by lions, his charioteer is called "Arun" ("rising sun"). Its element is fire, which is why it is associated with the color red.
- Monday: In Hinduism, Chandra (Devanagari: चंद्र ) is a moon deity . In Thailand he is called Phra Chan [ pʰrá ʤan ], every night he drives his chariot (the moon), which is pulled by ten jasmine-colored horses, across the sky. There is often a rabbit in the back of the chariot. Its element is the earth.
- Tuesday: In Indian astrology , Mangala (Devanagari: मंगल ) is the name for Mars . It is called "Phra Angkhan" in Thailand. He is a warrior god with great strength. His mount is the water buffalo. His skin is pink like the color of the planet Mars, his clothes are red and he often wears red flowers behind his ear. Phra Angkarn has four arms in which he carries “divine weapons”: a spear, a lance and a baton. Its element is the wind.
- Wednesday: In Hindu mythology, Budha (Devanagari: बुध , not to be confused with Buddha ) is the name of the planet Mercury . The Hindu god Budha is the son of Chandra, the moon god. It is called Phra Phut in Thailand, its element is water and the protector of the traders. He has emerald green skin and the elephant is his mount. Phra Phut is often depicted as a hermit.
- Thursday: Brihaspati (Bṛhaspati; Devanagari: बृहस्पति ) is the name of a deity from the Rigveda . He is the personification of piety and religion. In Thailand it is Phra Phruehatsabodi: (Thai พระ พฤหัสบดี , [ PRA pʰrʉhàtsàbɔːdiː , or shortly Phra Phruehat []) PRA pʰrʉhàt called], he's the chaplain of the deities and teachers of Indra . His element is the earth, he rides a golden stag.
- Friday: The name of the Hindu deity Shukra (Devanagari: शुक्र ) is the Sanskrit word for "purity", "clarity", "brightness". In Thailand she is called "Phra Suk" [ párá sùk ], a hermit, god of love. He is the symbol of peace. His element is water, the color of his body is reminiscent of the sunrise and he lives in a golden dwelling. His mount is the mythological bull Asupharat ( โค อสุภ ราช ), which Shiva created for him from 21 cattle.
- Saturday: The Hindu deity Shani (also: Śani; Devanagari: शनि / शनैश्वर ) is one of the Navagraha , the nine personified planets , in Hindu astrology . Shani manifests in the planet Saturn . Called "Phra Sao" [ pʰrá sǎo ] in Thailand , he is the god of agriculture, of civilization, but also of misfortune. His element is fire, he has black skin and glowing eyes. He rides a tiger with a lance and a bow in his hands. He takes care of the first rainy season in spring.
Further assignments
Each weekday is also assigned a Buddha statue with a certain hand position ( mudra ) , since in ancient times it was assumed that some events in the life of the Buddha took place on certain days of the week. In Thai temples ( wat ) one often sees a series of eight different Buddha statues, to which the believers make small offerings.
For certain Brahmanic ceremonies it is necessary to establish a connection between the eight cardinal points and the individual days of the week. Important celebrations, such as a wedding or the ordination of a monk, need an orientation according to the compass in order not to end in disaster. There is a common belief in an unlucky as well as a lucky direction for each day. But since the compass now shows eight cardinal points, but the week only has seven days, Wednesday is often shown in two parts - as Wednesday morning / morning and Wednesday evening / afternoon.
literature
- Pishnu Supanimit (Ed.), Preecha Thaothong: Himmaphan Forest According to the Royal Command of Her Majesty the Queen ( ป่า หิมพานต์ ตาม พระ ราช เสาวนีย์ ). Amarin Printing, Bangkok, 2005 (Part 2 of the catalog for the exhibition of the same name from May 24 to July 10, 2005 at Queen's Gallery Bangkok)
- Charles Coleman: The Mythology of the Hindus . Asian Educational Service, New Delhi 1995, ISBN 81-206-0971-9
- Heinrich Zimmer: Indian Myths and Symbols . Diederich's Yellow Series, Düsseldorf 1981, ISBN 3-424-00693-9
Web links
- Phakinee Dokmaingam: Days and Months in Thai (German)
- Directions in ancient times (English)