Marong (Large Snake)

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 Large Snake Jupiter is the mouth: it speaks with sagacity, the real knowledge of the scholar. Saturn is the heart: quick to anger, but soon recovering; a good-hearted person. Mars is the loins: strong sensuous desires, and given to secret vice. Venus and Sun are the hands: they lack skill and so do coarse work. Moon and Mercury are the feet: would like travel.

The person will have reliable sons, the second one particularly worthy, and also many relatives, much money and many servants, both male and female. From 15 to 19 likely to have to live away from home. At 30 will be very fortunate, but will suffer misfortunes at 37 and 50.

5th, 6th or 7th month: a serpent king, element the starry firmament. Will do government work well and have many slaves; no enemy can harm.

8th, 9th or 10th month: a large shining Snake, element stained gold. Apt to be poor when young, but will do well later.

11th, 12th or 1st month: a forest cobra, element white gold. Good-hearted and benevolent.

2nd, 3rd or 4th month: a shining reed Snake, element pure gold. A reliable person, who will do good government work and become a high official.

Sunday: a noble Snake. Many attendants; very good.

Monday: a common Snake; the outlook is poor.

Tuesday: a poisonous Snake, apt to be evil.

Wednesday: a sad Snake; will have much trouble.

Thursday: a magic (?) Snake. Not good; will go to prison.

Friday: a killer Snake. A miserable portent.

Saturday: a guardian Snake; very good.

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 2 (so printed): likely to get angry and not recover for a long time, but will do good government work.

Month 6 or 12, or day 2: a noble seated on a dais. Will be great and enjoy continuing good fortune.

Month 7 or 1, or day 3: a prisoner in chains. Much sorrow, and worry from an enemy who meditates evil; but able to protect oneself.

Month 8 or 2, or day 4: a mahout riding an elephant. A poor person, finding it hard to make a living.

Month 9 or 3, or day 5: a noble riding a horse. Will be a wealthy noble; must often travel far afield.

Month 10 or 4, or day 6: a noble riding a nāga. Will do well, but though physically strong will have mental anxieties and little happiness.

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 Large Snake shares its predictions with the Pig.

Death: will die on the patron’s behalf. Patron: will look for a patron who will love one as a relative. Fate: has demerit from a former life, and so will suffer because of others. Wealth: will obtain wealth from a woman. Travel: a slow walker, who should take great care. Employment: would do well for a patron; as an official, would become celebrated.

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): boat hirer
• Chalu (Ox): noble
• Khan (Tiger): junk officer
• Tho (Hare): farmer
• Marong (Large Snake): devatā
• Maseng (Small Snake): rich man
• Mamia (Horse): low official
• Mamae (Goat): official
• Wok (Monkey): Indra
• Raka (Rooster): rice merchant
• Cho (Dog): good companion
• Kun (Pig): good companion

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: Mamae (Goat), Mamia (Horse)
• A man and a female devatā, excellent though liable to temporary separation: Mamae (Goat)
• A woman and a devatā, best, with children, though liable to quarrel and part: Tho (Hare)
• A woman and a devatā, moderately favourable: Kun (Pig)

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.