The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXXI, Part 1-2, 1983 - Khamkoo

tAHU NYI (RED LAHti) RITES FOR EStABLISHiNG A NEW VILLAGE 169
Directly to the right and left of the throne are various ~itual objects made by
the villagers·andpresented to the haw- yehv with requests .that G'uiv sha grant them
boons of vari~us kinds, particularly recovery from sickness and freedom from poverty.
These offerings include ha- pui: stones; .miv co: conical objects fashioned from red
mud,. and _kaw mov taweh _ _of two designs: unearved lengths of stripped wood as well
as small replicas of the carved wooden posts outside the temple. The sun-baked mud
miv co, literally"earth life", symbolize the donor's wish that he and his household
members may enjoy unending and undecaying life, like that of the earth from which the
offerings are made. The ha- pui, ordinary stones, symbolize the desire for life as
strong and enduring as stone. The wooden kaw mov taweh_ are said to have the same
significance as those.Iarger ones in the temple courtyard. Two other ritual offerings,
inade from bamboo, are ·called htov hi- and kuv ti,. (fig. 9a,"b ). Nobody was able to
explain"tomethemeaningofthe htov hi- (htov "flag", hi- from awv hr- "custom").32
The kuv ti,. (etymology unknown) was said to represent a flower, like those offered by
devotees at Buddhist temples.
Fig. 9 Ritual offerings
. a) htov tz;- (length ~pproit. 30 em.) .
b) kuv ti,. (height approx. 30 em.)
32. Awv hi- is an alternative word for "custom';; The more usual terni "is awv liv."'. ·