Raka (Rooster)

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 Rooster Mars is the mouth: liking to tell risky stories about women. Jupiter is the heart: not very prudent nor with a good memory, but good-hearted and law-abiding. The Sun is the loins: strong carnal desires. Mercury and Venus are the hands: skilful and able craftsmanship. Saturn and Moon are the feet: will like travel.

Of poor parentage, but later fortunate, though not able to be of much help to others. From the age of 20 will concentrate on establishing one’s own independence.

5th, 6th or 7th month: a village Rooster, element soft iron. Poor when young, mild-natured and kindly. If a woman, will probably remain a spinster.

8th, 9th or 10th month: a wild Rooster, element alluvial iron. Good and intelligent, but sharp-tempered.

11th, 12th or 1st month: an aimlessly wandering Rooster, element good iron. Cannot acquire reason and is likely to get into trouble; nevertheless good at heart.

2nd, 3rd or 4th month: an excellent Rooster, element purified iron. Wealthy and intelligent, liking to acquire knowledge. A very good portent.

Sunday: a Rooster brought up in comfort by a noble. Very good.

Monday: this Rooster cannot find food. Poverty and trouble to be expected.

Tuesday: a game cock. Likely to be a ne’er-do-well or a gamester.

Wednesday: a Rooster kept by a chief Brahman. Clever and learned; very good.

Thursday: a Rooster kept by a fine person. Good fortune.

Friday: a bad Rooster. Trouble indicated; not good.

Saturday: a Rooster reared by a Brahman. Wealthy; 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 (so printed): angry and quarrelsome.

Month 6 or 12, or day 2: a man riding a horse. Must travel much to make a living; would do government work well and gain rank.

Month 7 or 1, or day 3: a noble reclining on a couch; very fortunate.

Month 8 or 2, or day 4: a young man riding a cow. Will have rank and position, but cannot find happiness; likely to have to travel afar.

Month 9 or 3, or day 5: a woman carrying baskets. Trouble and little reward; tired.

Month 10 or 4, or day 6: a devatā riding a nāga. Daring and powerful, feared by all; wealthy enough.

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 Rooster shares its predictions with the Tiger.

Death: when the time comes, will die because work is unsatisfactory. Patron: will find a patron who will not treat well. Fate: will suffer from rather bad demerit in a former life; will speak agreeably to one’s face, but then backbite. Wealth: will obtain gold. Travel: if one must travel, likely to fall ill or become footsore. Employment: would serve a patron well and do good official work, in the latter case thanks to the help of a fair person.

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): mahout
• Chalu (Ox): army officer
• Khan (Tiger): common person
• Tho (Hare): army officer
• Marong (Large Snake): rice merchant
• Maseng (Small Snake): devatā
• Mamia (Horse): high official
• Mamae (Goat): fish dealer
• Wok (Monkey): kindly person
• Raka (Rooster): attap dealer (not good, should forbid)
• Cho (Dog): horse keeper
• Kun (Pig): pig keeper

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 yakṣa and a yakṣī, happy though apt to quarrel at times: Khan (Tiger), Wok (Monkey)
• A yakṣa and a yakṣī, only moderately satisfactory: Cho (Dog)
• A yakṣa and a female devatā, some children but apt to quarrel, getting on only moderately; the only pairs at all favourable: Mamia (Horse), Mamae (Goat)
• A woman and a yakṣa, most favourable, but bad if they part: Tho (Hare)

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.