Lao Animist Woven Textiles – (article #2) / Yarns

Silk or cotton yarns is an article which Lao Animist take serious about.  The yarns is used in different ceremonies; the yarns is to tie the spirit to one body, or to cut them apart to separate the connection of spirit of a couple who live in different world,  which one is deceased and the others is still alive. The picture below is taken from the ceremony called “Tum Ming, Tum Naen”, means “Correcting the Spirit”. This ceremony is conducted when one person has his or her spirit left their body and they fall sick. The silk yarns is tied onto the banana tree, people believes a banana tree is a house of one of spirit. Therefore the Shaman will invite the spirit of sick person to come and stay at the tree, after the spirit get into the tree, the Shaman will tie the yarns around to protect the spirit not to escape anymore. 

Several Motifs - Similar Belief

The entire life of Lao women has been associated with making textiles, the women of Laos not only produce textiles to serve the traditions and the social circumstances, but her personality and attitude also have a great impact through her fabrics. The women weave little lovely birds and colourful flowers when she is in love, she weaves Naga, Elephants and Lion when she needs to be more secure, and for fertility, she weaves Frog, Crab, and Butterflies…

Lao Motifs

Many motifs of Lao textiles are named after nature, plants, animals, objects, mathematics, and imagination. 

Sample of motifs named after plants:

Rattan Flower

 Water Lily Flower

Kaap Flower (Dok Kapp)

Shaman's Clothes

There are 2 different types of Shamans one is for healing and the other for sending spirit of the dead people to the sky. 

The Shaman wears different colours to go with the conditions, when the Shaman talks to the ancestor spirit he wears the cool colour clothes or white headband, but when he fights with the bad evil he wears the red attire or red headband.

Healing Shaman

  

Shaman for sending the spirit to the Sky

Lao Motif - Sleeping Naga

“Sleeping Naga” is the name of the motif on this woven cloth. The Naga has one eye completely shut, representing the most contented time of this symbolic and powerful super-natural mythical creature. The Sleeping Naga is a symbol of relaxation and happiness and well being.

Lao Animist Woven Textiles – (article #1)

White fabric

White fabric, either silk or cotton, is very important for many Animist. It is a main article or icon for establishing the ceremony. When a member in the family falls ill and cannot be cured with usual herbal medicine, the Shaman will be invited to the house to heal the illness. The Shaman will find out what type of evil takes the sick person’s spirit and the cause of the bad health. The Shaman will offer the white fabric to the evil spirit in exchange of the spirit of the sick person. In the most serious of cases the Shaman has to offer more than 10 rolls of white fabric until he is able to make the evil spirit contented and happy and then agree to return the good health to the victim.

One Motif - Several Belief

Sinh Mii Khor (Tupe skirt with Dot Ikat motif), from Phuan Ethnic, a skirt of simple design that holds special meaning for the woman who wears it. It is said that ones body consists of hundreds of different Spirits counting from the hair down to the toes. The Spirit occasionally remains on the body whilst others rest on the clothes. Whenever one of the Spirits gets lost the body will become sick.  Therefore to keep the Woman and the Spirit healthy and safe, women weave the Mii Khor to wear themselves. Each Khor (dot) of the design represents a resting place for each Spirit. Below is a description of some of the spirits residing in people:

30 spirits on the front of the body

50 spirits on the back of the body

Spirits of all the toes and fingers, including spirits of the fourth and fifth digits side by side

The main spirit of the body at the crown of the head, and spirits of back of the head and forehead

The spirit of vigorously growing things

The spirit of longevity

The spirit of the lips that know what to take in

The spirit of mouth that knows what to eat

The spirit that blows on ears and eyes so they can hear and see

The spirit of broad vision and farseeing

The red dots on the main piece