Ngueak
Encyclopedia
Ngueak are mythical animals resembling mermaids once widely believed by the Thai people to inhabit rivers. They range in length from 30 to 50 ft (9.1 to 15.2 m) and have a poisonous bite. They have the power to suck all the blood out of a human or animal when they drag their victim to their underwater caverns. If a body disappeared in the river and does not float, the Thai used to say that a ngueak has got it.
The culturally similar Lao people worshipped similar snake gods known as ngeuk. They believed that ngeuk had the power to overturn boats. Fa Ngum
, founder of the Lan Xang
state, considered to be the first Lao state, performed sacrifices to the phii (traditional spirits) of the kingdom and the ngeuk of the Mekong
. Later, a scheming queen, known only as Mahathevi ("great queen") is said to have killed off a succession of youthful kings before ruling herself. She was later overthrown by the nobility and sacrificed to the nguek by being chained to a rock and drowned in the Mekong. Most Lao peasants still believe that ngeuk exist.
These creatures are also believed to be responsible for creating naga fireballs
once a year in the Mekong River to celebrate the end of Buddhist rains retreat in October.
The culturally similar Lao people worshipped similar snake gods known as ngeuk. They believed that ngeuk had the power to overturn boats. Fa Ngum
Fa Ngum
Somdetch Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja Brhat Rajadharana Sri Chudhana Negara better known as Fa Ngum established the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang in 1354....
, founder of the Lan Xang
Lan Xang
The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Kao was established in 1354 by Fa Ngum.Exiled as an infant to Cambodia, Prince Fa Ngum of Xieng Dong Xieng Thong married a daughter of the Khmer king. In 1349 he set out from Angkor at the head of a 10,000-man army to establish his own country...
state, considered to be the first Lao state, performed sacrifices to the phii (traditional spirits) of the kingdom and the ngeuk of the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
. Later, a scheming queen, known only as Mahathevi ("great queen") is said to have killed off a succession of youthful kings before ruling herself. She was later overthrown by the nobility and sacrificed to the nguek by being chained to a rock and drowned in the Mekong. Most Lao peasants still believe that ngeuk exist.
These creatures are also believed to be responsible for creating naga fireballs
Naga fireballs
The Naga fireballs , also referred to as Mekong lights, are a phenomenon seen in the Mekong river—in Thailand and in Laos —in which glowing balls rise from the water high into the air...
once a year in the Mekong River to celebrate the end of Buddhist rains retreat in October.