Mamae (Goat)

The Brahmajati, the Thai book of destiny, reads a child’s future from the year of birth. Its method is the Chinese “fate calculation”, which the Thai may well have known since at least the thirteenth century, when they adopted the twelve-animal cycle; Indian learning added the planets of the week and the picture of the body as a small universe. Quaritch Wales, who called for a representative selection of the manuscripts in the National Library in Bangkok to satisfy himself of the general authenticity of the printed editions, notes that the text reflects old Siam: a freeman served a feudal patron, Brahmans were greatly respected, and slavery was finally abolished only about 1900. The portent for the month of birth can often be virtually the opposite of that for the day, and that is just what appeals to the Thai reader: one can be set off against the other, leaving, of course, a favourable balance.

According to the Brahmajati, for one born in the year of the Goat the Sun is the mouth: it speaks agreeably to the lords. Mars is the heart: it likes to obtain enough knowledge for self-satisfaction; does not treat the family well and is interested only in wealth. Venus is the loins: strong carnal desires. Moon and Mercury are the hands: though lacking skill, they work diligently. Jupiter and Saturn are the feet: will travel much.

Will lack relatives when young, and at one year old be hard to rear, suffering misfortunes at 11 and 12. At 15 will go away to seek a living and will be lucky, though there will be more misfortunes at 16 and 31. In government employment will do well, and get on well with the Brahmans. Will have the support of two sons.

5th, 6th or 7th month: a Goat whose element is sky-gold, finding food with difficulty. Likes learning as an aid to oneself, but can never become rich.

8th, 9th or 10th month: a domestic Goat, element stained gold. Likely to experience sorrow and trouble.

11th, 12th or 1st month: a lame Goat, likely to suffer in the hands and feet; but of a military bent, very intelligent, and will do well.

2nd, 3rd or 4th month: a Goat reared by a lord, whose element is fine gold. Of a good and kindly disposition; will become great and rich.

Sunday: a market-place Goat; not successful.

Monday: a Goat kept by a noble. Will be rich; very good.

Tuesday: a Goat kept by a blind person; will lack the necessities of life.

Wednesday: a Goat brought up by a great teacher. Very intelligent; very good.

Thursday: a Goat kept by an august personage. Will be successful.

Friday: a poor Goat, unable to find food or support.

Saturday: a blind Goat; much trouble.

A simpler system, very popular in the illustrated manuscripts, uses the year only as a calendar and trusts in numbers. The months are taken in pairs, beginning with months 5 and 11, each with a day of the week, or two days in the first case, to accommodate the odd seventh day (the days are numbered from Sunday, day 1). One looks up both the month and the day of birth: if both are good, very good; if one is good and one bad, take the mean; only if both are bad is the outlook truly depressing.

Month 5 or 11, or day 1 or 7: a good person, never angry, who likes to follow the right path; industrious and well-off.

Month 6 or 12, or day 2: drunkards paddling a boat. Poor and tired, with difficulty in making a living.

Month 7 or 1, or day 3: a devatā riding a fine horse. Will be prosperous and have a tiring life, for to do well one must travel afar.

Month 8 or 2, or day 4: a noble seated on a dais. Fortunate, rising higher than one’s relatives. Much happiness.

Month 9 or 3, or day 5: a mahout riding an elephant. Will be exhausted trying to attain rank; will never be happy.

Month 10 or 4, or day 6: a man riding a nāga. A rash speaker, inviting litigation, who acts according to his own conscience; but will attain rank.

The Treatise of the Seven Numbers trusts only the power of seven numbers. For the year of birth its seven classes are death, patron, fate, wealth, travel, and private and state employment. The years go in pairs: the Goat shares its predictions with the Rat.

Death: courageous but sad. Patron: will speak agreeably, so will be well received anywhere. Fate: has demerit from a former birth, and likes to talk about others. Wealth: likely to be rich. Travel: will probably travel and make many friends. Employment: would succeed in government work, with the help of friends.

The Thai treatises judge a marriage in several ways. One compares the birth elements, with metal always counted as iron: most pairs are favourable, and only the unfavourable ones are listed. Another treatise looks at the animals of the two birth years: from it a girl could learn what her suitor would become if he married her. Quaritch Wales prints it in full because it gives an illuminating picture of the range of social positions theoretically open to anyone of the freeman class, and concludes that what a man makes of his life work depends in part on his wife.

According to one well-known system, marriages between men and women are favourable only for a few pairs of years, because for many people mixed marriages are contemplated between humans and partners who are actually devatā or demons (yakṣa or yakṣī) in disguise: a thought that is second nature to a Thai reader raised on the Ramakien.

• A man of a metal (iron) year, with a woman of: fire
• A woman of a metal (iron) year, with a man of: wood

Birth elements: most combinations are favourable, and only the unfavourable ones are listed. Metal always counts as iron.

• Chuat (Rat): devatā
• Chalu (Ox): rich man
• Khan (Tiger): boat hirer
• Tho (Hare): cripple
• Marong (Large Snake): official
• Maseng (Small Snake): noble
• Mamia (Horse): noble
• Mamae (Goat): village headman
• Wok (Monkey): cattle grazier
• Raka (Rooster): fish dealer
• Cho (Dog): robber chief
• Kun (Pig): junk captain

Birth animals: what the husband is likely to be. From this table a girl could learn her suitor’s future position, if he married her.

• A male and a female devatā, very happy, with many children: Chuat (Rat), Marong (Large Snake)
• A man and a female devatā, excellent though liable to temporary separation: Chalu (Ox), Marong (Large Snake)
• A yakṣa and a female devatā, some children but apt to quarrel, getting on only moderately; the only pairs at all favourable: Raka (Rooster)

Mixed marriages: for many people, a partner may actually be a devatā or a demon (yakṣa, yakṣī) in disguise; and since none of them is immortal, they too follow the fortunes of their year of birth.