Naang Montoe

นางมนโฑ - Naang Montoe

Her name is as familiar to the ears of Thai people as the Name of naang Siidaa, Naang Benjagaay or Naang Suwannamajchaa, if not more so than the last 2. In her life she would have up to four husbands!
Naang Montoe is an important figure in the Ramayana and, and also had some important roles to play in previous lifetimes to that of her incarnation as Naang Montoe. For example,the events that led to her becoming Naang Montoe - Naang Montoe is the Royal Consort of Totsagan in the Ramakian, and also Naang Siidaa's Mother (although this is never really stressed in the story and both Naang Montoe and Siidaa are unaware of the fact at least until the closing scenes or possibly not at all);

The story goes like this; On the foot of Mount Himapant, there lived four Ruesi Sages, practising Yoga and self abstinence. They were extremely adept in thewir practise and were admired by one and all for their acheivments. every morning, 500 Cows would come to their ashram, and allow milk from themselves to drop into a large crystalbowl to give the Ruesi their breakfast, which the Ruesi would then give some of to the female frog who lived in the area of their ashram.
One day, one of the four Ruesi was wandering in the forest, and came across a Naga snake partaking of sexual intercourse with an earthly snake. the Ruesi thought the Naga (being of high stature) was too superior to be thinking of having such relations with an earthly animal snake, and took his walking staff and tapped the Naga lady on the tail with it;
The Naga was in ecstatic state and didn't notice, so the Ruesi tapped again repeatedly. The naga coiled his tail out of the way and turned to face the Ruesi Sage. Onr ealizing her exp[osure, she was overcome with shame, and fled to Mueang Badan (the underworld)As the naga came to thinking about if the Ruesi would talk about this to her father "Prayaa Gaala" the king of the Nagas would get to find out, aa wellas the fact that her own reputation would be destroyed forever, and probably be executed as a punishment. So she returned to the ashram of the four Ruesi Sages, and placed some poison in the crystal bowl of milk that the Ruesi cam to partake of every morning.

The lady frog saw the Naga snake come and put deadly poison in the milkbowl.The frog couldn't speak, so didnt know how to warn the Ruesi. Finally,so full of compassion for the kind Ruesi sages who had fed her for so long,that the frog threw herself in the pool of milk, it and dying so that the Ruesi would notice and abstain from drinking, and thus be saved.The Ruesi saw the frog in the milk, and thought she had died trying to drink it all out of greed. But they still had the compassion to decide to revive her.After coming back to life, the Ruesi asked her why she was so greedy after they had fed her well for so many years?Naang Gop explained about the Naga putting poison in the milk to kill the Ruesi, which led the Ruesi to see the self sacrifice and goodness of the lady frog.
So they made a ceremony of "Gor Akkii" (raise fire) and put the frog in the flames chanting Katas and Spells. Naang Gop (the frog) was revived, and transformed into a lady more beautiful than any Princess or Angel in the 6 heavens or on the Earth!
They named her "Naang Montoe" - the word montoe meaning "frog".

Below is the "Phra Ratchanipont" (Royal Poem) about this (in Thai)

เดชะพระเวทสิทธิศักดิ์ พระวิษณุรักษ์รังสรรค์
เกิดเป็นกัลยาวิลาวัณย์ งามวิจิตรพิศพรรณขวัญตา
งามพักตร์ยิ่งชั้นมหาราช งามวิลาสล้ำนางในดึงสา
งามเนตรยิ่งเนตรในยามา งามนาสิกล้ำในดุษฎี
งามโอษฐ์งามกรรณงามปราง ยิ่งนางในนิมาราศี
งามเกศยิ่งเกศกัลยาณี อันมีในชั้นนิรมิต
ทั้งหกห้องฟ้าหาไม่ได้ ด้วยทรงลักษณ์วิไลไพจิตร
ใครเห็นเป็นที่เพ่งพิศ ทั้งไตรภพจบทิศไม่เทียมทัน



Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma (Paperback - Jul 15, 2004)
This book is well detailed including all the most important events and stories. It is also easy reading and does not require any extra effort to get through. Enjoyable, relaxing but still extremely informative content on the Ramayana

Totsagan - ทศกันฑ์ (Ravana)

Totsagan
Pic Left - Sand sculpture of Totsagan
Totsagan* is the reincarnation of the Yank Nontuk*, who was overpowered by Phra Naarayn on the orders of Phra Isworn, after Nontuk lost his temper with the devas (Taewada) and proceeded to run amok with the diamond finger weapon which Phra Isworn (Shiva) had bestowed upon him for faithful service, akilling the Taewada.
Phra Naaraayn predicted to Nontuk * that both would be incarnated on earth , Nontuk* as Totsagan, wiel;ding ten heads and twenty arms holding weapons, and Phra Naaraayn would be reborn as a simple human with only 2 arms. Phra Naaraayn added to the prediciton that he would still conquer and slay Nontuk* as Totsagan, despite the unfair advantage of 20 arms and 10 heads!
Totsagan was born the son of Taaw ladtsadtian and Naang Ratchada. He has 6 brothers and sisters with the same mother;
Gumpagan (กุมภกรรณ์) Pipek (พิเภก), Khaara/Khorn (ขร), Tust (ทูษฐ์), Dyrii Siarn (ตรีเศียร), and Naang Samanagkhaa (นาง สำมนักขา). Totsagan is the Royal Ruler of Langka City, posessing an extremely vengeful and Malefic disposition, as well as an extreme tendency to womanizing. In fact, Totsagan had a great number of wives and concubines, such as;
Naang Gal-Akkii, Naang Montoe (wives) and a harem of over 1000 mistresses! He even had some affairs with part animal beings, such as elephants and fish were had, where Totsagan changed his shape into an animal. He also desired the daughters and wives of others, as was the case with Naang Siidaa (who was in fact also Totsagan's daughter, although he was unaware of this).This of course is the main cause of the development of the initial plot of the Ramakian story, where Phra Ram goes on the quest to recover Naang Sidaa, and kill Totsagan and the Yak Family tree.
Traditionally depicted as green in color.He wears the "Mongkut Chay" - Mongkut means "crown", and "Chay"" means "Victory"; therefore he is wearing the "Crown of Victory". Thai depiction of Mythological beings uses "Mongkut" to display various aspects and "Giriyaa" (activity).
There are a great number of different Mongkut with different tops on each crown, to suggest what the character is currently in the process of doing.Some of the most common Mongkut are; Chay (victory) Nam Thao (Gourd shaped), Jiiib (frolicking), Dern Hon (travel on walkabout), and Saam Gliib (three petalled).
Totsagan's true form has 10 heads, 10 faces and twenty arms. His full name is "Totsgan Gumara". Totsagan can change his shape at will in any time he wishes to. He prefers to appear with a single head, face and 2 arms, for example in the scene where he bathes before going to woo Naang Siidaa in the garden;
"ห้อยพวงสุวรรณบุปผา พระหัตถ์ขวานั้นจับพระแสงศร" ("He held a garland of flowers, with his arrows in his right hand" quote from the Thai literary epic poem version of Ramakian written by Phra Bat Somdej Praputta Yord Fa Julaa Loke - King Rama 1) - the quote shows that Totsagan only had 2 arms in this scene.
But when Totsagan is Angry, he reverts to his normal aspect and form of twenty heads and ten arms, as in the case when he returned from a wander ion the forest and did not find his brother in law Chiwahaa (who had been ordered to watch guard over the city of Langka) to greet him.Totsagan was extremely angry thinking that Chiwaha had been conquered (due to the big red sheet that appeared to be covering the city, which was actually chiwaha's tongue, but Totsagan thought it was some strange phenomena befalling the city), and changed into his fearsome aspect and threw deadly chakra weapons, cutting off poor old Chiwahaa's tongue and killing him instantly on the spot.

ทศกันฑ์

ชื่อทศกัณฐกุมารา สิบเศียรสิบหน้าสิบกร แม้ยามนอนหลับ ก็มีสิบหัวยี่สิบมือ
* Nontuk is also sometimes called "Nontok", or Nontokyak
*Totsagan is known as "Ravana" in the Indian Ramayana, but for some reason has been changed to Totsagan in the Thai Ramakien. I find this strange because the other characters all have relatively similar names to the Indian Ramayana.Only Totsagan has been changed radically.


Totsagan's main Relatives that appear in Ramakian are:
Pipek, Naang Montoe, Chiwahaa, Gumpagan...