Animism and the Bai Sii Su Khwan

Offerings to Buddha and Animist Spirits In a Remote Lao Cave

Phi are everywhere and diverse. Some are connected with universal elements - earth, air, fire and water. Many Lao Loum (Lowland Lao) believe that they are protected by thirty-two spirits called khwan, that live within us. Illness can occur when one or more of these spirits wanders from the body; this condition may be reversed by the su khwan ceremony - more commonly called the bai sii or baci - a ceremony that calls all thirty-two khwan to bestow health, prosperity, and well-being on the participants. Cotton strings are tied around the wrists of the participants to bind the spirits in place. The ceremony is often performed to welcome guests, before and after long trips, as a curing ritual or after recovery from illness; it is also the central ritual in the Lao Loum wedding and naming ceremony for children.

Spirit Offerings Deep in the Jungle

Many Lao believe that the khwan of persons who die by accident, violence, or in childbirth are not reincarnated, becoming instead phi phetu (malevolent spirits). Animist believers also fear wild spirits of the forest. Other spirits are associated with the household, caves, mountains, rivers, or groves of trees and are neither inherently benevolent nor evil. Regular or occasional offerings however ensure their favor and assistance in human affairs. Similar rituals to ensure the favor of the spirit of the rice are performed before the beginning of the planting season. This practice had mostly died out in the extended area around modernized Vientiane, the capital.

Phi oriented ceremonies commonly involve an offering of a chicken, rice and rice liquor. Once the phi have taken the spiritual essence of the offering, people may consume the earthly remains. The head of a household, a shaman and the village elders usually perform the ritual. Often, a person, usually an older man believed to have special knowledge of phi, is asked to choose an auspicious day for weddings, household rites or other important events. Lowland villages believe themselves protected by the phi ban (village spirits) that require an annual offering to ensure the prosperity of the village. The village spirit specialist presides over this important ritual, which sometimes involve the sacrifice of a water buffalo and is an occasion for closing the village to outsiders for a day. This also serves an important social function by reaffirming the village boundaries and the shared interests of all villagers.

Draped with Cotton Threads to Bind the Spirit to the Body The Centerpiece of the Bai Sii Ceremony is Called the Pahn Sii Khwan

A typical bai sii ceremony is performed around a low table, the participants sitting in a circle around it. An ornate flower and banana leaf offering draped with cotton threads is the centerpiece of the table. On it also are a boiled chicken or eggs, a basket of sticky rice and a bottle of distilled white lightning. Each participant is given a ball of rice, a piece of chicken and a small glass of alcohol to hold in his or her right hand. The left hand is rested on the table edge while the elder performing the ceremony chants a formula to recall all the spirits to the body. While this is going on, other villagers will touch those around the table with one hand, making a connection between all – the human and the spirit world.

Having completed the chanting ritual, first the shaman, and then the rest of the villagers tie the white cotton threads around the wrists of those for whom the ceremony is performed. The food and alcohol are then consumed, ensuring the blessings protect both the interior and exterior of the body and all the 32 spirits propitiated.

It is a very touching experience. It is not uncommon for foreigners who partake in this ritual to find tears in their eyes from the upwelling of good feeling conveyed by the villagers upon them. This is part of the true essence of Laos and one of the loveliest rituals in the world.

The Bai Sii Ceremony Represents a Tradition of Oneness With the Spirit of Life; Its Origins are Hidden in the Mists of Time

In this material age we live in, our spirit and the spirits around us are often forgotten in our preoccupation with the physical aspects of life. Both the inner and outer aspects of life are inextricably intertwined and we ignore either at our peril. As our New Year's wish, we hope that you will find peace and health and prosperity and that your spirits never stray your from body and soul. Happy New Year from all of us at North by North-East Tours!!!