Garuda is believed to be able to ward off Phi Pop, especially the Snake Phi Pop. Dipicting in the picture is a statue of Garuda holding a Naga between its beaks.
Up to very recently, Phi
Pop or Gu(蠱) is classified as a collective term describing black magic in
Indochina. Phi Pop in modern Thai magic has a very different meaning and form
however.
It is believed that the
origin of Phi Pop has a very long history. Once you got it, it is extremely
difficult to be gotten rid of. Worse still, Phi Pop must be inherited within
the family, generation after generation. “Phi Pop” is actually a term called by
the Dai ethnic group. Other ethnics with similar practices are: Miao, Han, Yao,
Hani, Zhuang, Jingpo, Bi, Nasi, Bai etc. So the practice of Phi Pop is pretty
common in this part of the world.
Generally speaking, people
in Indochina believe that Phi Pop can shapeshift itself. Such as money can
transform into a snake, and snake can transform into a shoelace etc.
The common practice of
making Phi Pop is as below:
On the noon of 5th
day of 5th month of Chinese calendar, whoever wanted to have Phi
Pop; must go into a hill or jungle where he must collect 72 types of animals
and insects: snake, frog, hornet, scorpion, centipede, lizards etc. Fill all
the specimens into a big ceramic urn and seal it. The creatures will devour
each other until left with a sole survivor. This survivor is known as ‘Gu’ or “Phi
Pop”. If a snake is left, then it is a Snake Gu, or if it is a hornet, then it
is called Hornet Gu.
At this time the
practitioner will open up the cover and take a deep breath to inhale whatever
gases was produced during the process. This action will suck the Phi Pop into
its host and Phi Pop must be released at certain interval to kill. Or the host
will be consumed by Phi Pop inside out. Whatever debris left inside the urn,
will be collected for use during the time when Phi Pop must be released out
from its host.
The method is to put some
of the debris into the practitioner’s finger nails and transfer it into food
for people to consume. If anyone ate this food by accident, then he/she will
die. The poor soul will become the slave of the Phi Pop master. The more
victims this person has, the more powerful and rich he/she becomes.
In this sense, there is a similarity
with the Malay Santau Angin. Both need to find victims after certain timing. People
believe that most of the Phi Pop or Santau practitioners are restaurant owners in
isolated locations as there are places where their operation are the easiest. May
be it is interesting to do further research into this.
Below is a list of some of
the common Phi Pop in Indochina:
1. The Snake Phi Pop(蛇蠱)
a. This is the most common Phi Pop.
b. The victim will feel his/her stomach full of gases,
and producing white foams from his/her mouth.
c. There are two types:
i.
Passive
1. Will kill in 30 days time.
2. Initial symptoms: vomit, diarrhea, loss of
appetite, rolling sounds coming from stomach.
ii.
Active:
1. Appearance of movable bumps on the surface of skin.
2. The sensation as if snakes are entering body from
all directions.
2. Water Phi Pop(蜮/水蠱)
a. Able to attack victim with spitting sands from its
mouth.
b. Victim will feel body stiffness, headache and high
fever.
c. This type of Phi Pop will injure body and soul
alike.
3. The Flying Phi Pop(飛蠱)
a. This type of Phi Pop has no form, only sounds such
as that of bees or birds.
b. The victim will be passing out blood and cannot be
cured.
c. By first look, it is similar to Hantu Raya and
Santau in Malay Magic.
4. The Tree Phi Pop(樹蠱)
a. This type of Phi Pop already posted in previous
posting: “Hello Phi Pop”.
b. The victim will feel his/her skin as if of a tree
trunk, or the growth of tree like structure from his/her body.
5. The Bee Phi Pop(疳/蜂蠱)
a. This is also called “releasing egg” or “releasing
bees”.
b. The process is: on the date described above, grind
snakes with some human hair into fine dust. Evoking other Phi Pop or Hantu Raya
to empower it for 49 days.
c. Apply the empowered dust into the food, drinks or
put it on roadside. Whoever steps over or consume this dust will suffer the
consequences of stomach ache, yearning, the feeling of wanting to pass motion
etc. The powder will stay in the person’s intestine.
6. Gold Silk Phi Pop(金蠶蠱)
a. This type of Phi Pop was popular on the South West
part of China.
b. This is believed to be the most powerful Phi Pop of
all, as it can kill, perform soul catching, steal people’s property etc.
c. The place of keeping this type of Phi Pop must be
very clean as it dislikes dirty places.
d. The symptoms of this Phi Pop are: pain in chest and
stomach, stomach swelling and blood oozing from body.
The only way to release Phi
Pop is to put the Phi Pop attached urn or object, together with some money and
wraps them in a package. Then this package is put on roadside and whoever picks
it up will be the new owner of this Phi Pop.
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