Black Kong & Magic Duel (黑降與斗法)

The above photo is a set of Lan Na ritual items used to cure Kong Tao.

Many of the Lan Na (Northern Thai) hill tribe shamans are notorious of their black magic. Sometimes people call them “the black shirt arjans”. In Singapore and Malaysia Thai magic also known as “Kong Tao”. Let us explore some of the well known Northern Thai magic; in addition of the ones that we have discussed before. Details of rituals omitted intentionally for simplicity … For I don’t intend to compile an encyclopedia as yet J:

1.      Love Kong(愛情降)

a.       Make two wax figures: one for male and one for female.

b.      Prepare a piece of red string, some incense, a pair of candles. Also not forgetting the couple’s photo and hairs.

c.       Let the wax figures face each other and tie them together.

d.      Recite soul catching mantra to the wax figures.

e.       Perform the ritual for 7~49 days.

2.      Separation Kong (分離降)

a.       This is normally done in conjunction to the love kong.

b.      Once the love kong has taken effect after the 7~49 days, the third party must be separated using this separation kong.

c.       Again, two wax figures must be made.

d.      Prepare a piece of white string, some incense, a pair of candles. The third party’s photo or hair with the husband/wife’s personal items.

e.       Now, tie the two figures back to back and start chanting for 7~49 days.

f.       After that the wax figures are thrown into the river.

3.      Sanitary Pad Kong (月經布降)

a.       This is normally used by a she onto a man.

b.      The method is to let the sanity pad exposed to midnight dew for 49 days.

c.       After 49 days, burn and keep the ash.

d.      Recite soul catching mantra to a portion of the ash then let the man consume.

4.      Pubic Hair Kong (陰毛降)

a.       This can only be performed by a she.

b.      Prepare some pubic hair, incense and candles.

c.       Expose the pubic hair to midnight dew for 49 days while reciting soul catching mantra.

d.      After 49 days, let the target drink.

e.       The downside is that the target will be experiencing very bad luck thereafter.

5.      Needle Kong (針降)

a.       The needles must be exposed to midnight dew for 49 days before hand.

b.      First prepare a wax figure of your target.

c.       Smudge the figure with smoke while reciting soul catching mantras.

d.      Prick onto the parts of the figure that you want to cause harm.

6.      Crazy Dead Kong (瘋死降)

a.       Prepare one wax figure or two, a small coffin, a coffin nail, incense, a pair of white candles, a large bowl of animal blood, a piece of white string.

b.      Prepare the wax figure as before.

c.       Now, burn a incense stick; let the flame burning. Prick the still burning incense into the heart of the wax figure.

d.      Then, put the figure into the small coffin, followed by the coffin nail on top of the figure.

e.       Close the coffin cover.

f.       Throw the coffin into the bowl of animal blood.

g.      In this way, not even a cat that has nine lives can survive!

7.      Bad Luck Kong (衰降)

a.       Prepare a target’s photo, some white flowers, needles, candles and incense.

b.      At midnight, recite the soul catching mantra and prick onto one of the white flowers.

c.       Within 49 days, your target will be experiencing extremely bad luck.

8.      Deathly Cow Hide Kong (牛皮飛蠱死降)

a.       Prepare a piece of complete cow hide, some incense, candles.

b.      Let the cow hide be exposed under the midnight dew for 49 days.

c.       Sit on the cow hide and recite mantra until the cow hide slowly shrink in size until become as small as a dust particle.

d.      To utilize:

                                                              i.      Prepare a piece of raw cow hide and a wax figure.

                                                            ii.      Dip the cow hide into a bowl of water, and then wrap the wax figure with the cow hide.

                                                          iii.      Continue to recite mantra while dry the package with fire.

                                                          iv.      The cow hide will shrink as it is drying, so the target will indirectly feel something is squeezing him/her body until suffocation.

e.       This is a non-curable death curse. Sufficient to know, do not practice it!

9.      Killer Eggs

a.       Prepare an egg; write your enemy’s name and date of birth on the egg shell.

b.      At night put the egg on a tree branch it at night and collect it at dawn, do this for 49 days.

c.       During this time, cut a paper figure then inscribe on the paper figure your target’s name and birthrate.

d.      Burn some incense and smudge the figure while imagining the person’s face; you may recite some soul catching mantra of your choice, if you like. But whatever you do, you must have full concentration.

e.       Fix the human figure on to your altar and burn joss sticks three times a day for 49 days; as if you are worshipping an idol.

f.       After 49 days period, bring the egg onto your altar at mid-night.

g.      Attach the human figure onto the egg, take a needle and poke through the paper figure into the egg.

h.      You may never see the person again.

10.   Maggot KT (蛆降)

a.       This type of KT will cause maggots to populate inside the body of the victim. If untreated, will result in the internal organs of the person to be devoured by maggots.

b.          This Maggot KT is intake through actual mouth consumption only.

11.  Ghost KT (鬼降)

a.       This KT is utilizing the power of powerful ghost to affect the well being of its target.

b.       No actual consumption needed, but personal belonging of the person such as nails and hairs or the birth date is required.

12.   Snake KT(蛇降)

a.        Snake KT is obtained by collecting various poisonous snakes and store them all into an urn covered as before. The subsequent sole survivor is the king of the snake. It is subsequently pulverized and the powder is put into target’s food or drink.

b.       The person will be haunted by the spirits of snakes until become insane or death by snake bite.

13.   Niddle KT(針降)

a.        There are two types of niddle KT. One is through the normal needle cursing method; the other is using about 40 types of material to produce the required potion. This potion if applied onto the skin of the victim, the victim will suffer from unbearable itchiness and pin holes can be observed on the victim’s skin.

14.   Hair KT (頭發降)

a.       This type of KT utilizes a corpse as the prime media. First corpse oil is obtained, then some corpse hair, some herbs and the practitioner’s blood drawn from his/her ring finger. After incantation, the mixture is kept in a dark area. If the hair inside the corpse oil is observed growing, then this is an indication that the magic has worked. This corpse must be stored at a secret location for later use.

b.      The victim’s stomach will be stuffed with hair blobs for no apparent reasons. If untreated, he/she may die from suffocation.

15.   Flying Dead Head KT (飛頭尸降)

a.        This KT is normally practiced in conjunction with the Hair KT. This is normally the last draw for the practitioner as this requires the chopping off of the corpse’s head. This head is said to be able to fly off to attack his/her enemy.

16.  Blood Sucker KT (吸血蟲降)

a.       Blood sucker KT is obtained through putting a group of various blood sucking insects into a container. The container is sealed and buried beside a cross roads for 49 days. The subsequence material is believed to be the “egg” of the KT.

b.      If consumed, the person’s stomach will be stuffed with blood sucking insects until death.

Phew! Those were some awful Lan Na black magic, won’t you think so?

The curing of Kong Tau victim varies according to schools of teachings. The general structure is as below. I would avoid the details for simplicity and don't wanna worry people around ;-)

Kong Tau Soul Retrieval (收魂)

1.      Determine if the patient is indeed suffered from Kong Tau or just plain physical sickness. This can be done through mantra recitation, 6^th sense, through servitor spirits such as a kid spirits or through astrological reading.

2.      If it is the work of Kong Tau, then the patient’s soul must be retrieved and any magical implants must be removed.

3.      Before the soul retrieval ritual offerings such as chicken, meat, fruits especially banana, liquor, betel leaves, tobacco, incense and candles must be prepared.

4.      The patient must present during the ritual as well.

5.      The ritual begins with a Wai Kru (Teacher’s) ritual for seeking the lineage guru’s blessing.

6.      Food offering are made to the lineage gurus, local spirits and so called karmic related spirits that is attached to the patient.

7.      After that the elemental spirits: earth, wind, fire and water are invoked to call back the patient’s soul.

8.      If this process is smooth, then once the soul is back into the patient; the four elements of the body are balanced through visualization and elemental mantra recitation.

9.      Any foreign objects such needles are then removed through the egg ritual or other rituals to send the needles back to their owner.

10.  After that the patient’s body is sealed with drawing or tattooing a protective or blessing Yent.

11.  So the initial treatment is over? Well, that is if the other party is conceding defeated. Otherwise, there will be a sequel.

Kong Tau Duel: You Die Or I Die (斗法)

The above shown are two yants used for Kong Tow duel. I don't know how many people still follow this practice now. Include here for our reading purposes.

1.      If the other black shirt arjan is not satisfied and refuse to let go the patient’s soul, then a Kong Tau Duel is inevitable.

2.      The magic duel normally occurs after 9pm, it can be either direct or indirect. Directly means both parties will draw Yants on the floor, sit in the Yantra and start chanting mantras until one party is defeated. The defeated party may die of magic backfire. If the attacking parties won the fight, then the life of the patient also flies.

3.      I have seen snakes, knives, bloody spirits being sent to and fro during the fight. But luckily now a day, many arjans do not want to endanger his or her own lives and would want the duel to end in peace. Well, after all, it is not worth the money to risk the arjan’s life J.

4.      In fact, not many arjans have such spiritual power to send things to and fro … many resolve to use kid spirits instead. Hmm … I wonder if this is a good thing or bad. But we will never know, somewhere in the hill region of Thai and Cambodia; we may still find powerful ones. So we must be on our guards if we want to stay in this line.