Guman Thong

The figure comes from a complete altar of a spiritual healer, Mrs Mo Toi Phun-Khasem in Banphet village, Bumnetnarong district, Chaiyaphum province in north-east Thailand. She called the altar the "Tamnag" (palace of the spirits).  The figure of Guman Thong (กุมารทอง) is a motif from the "Khun Chang Khun Phaen" ( ขุนช้างขุนแผน), a Thai heroic epic that has its origins in ancient folk traditions and is considered one of the most important works of Thai literature today. It is both a heroic epic and a love tragedy, whereby the central motifs of the epic can be traced back to events in the time of King Ramathibodi II (1491-1529). In the older versions, Khun Phaen went to a cemetery to find a spirit that would give him magical powers. There he met two spirits named I-Ma and I-Phet-kong, spirits of two women who died during their pregnancy. They asked Khun Phaen for one of the children from their wombs to raise as "kuman thong". Guman Thong is therefore the spirit of an unborn child who is said to have strong magical powers.