A beautiful ghost story about a ghost wife who waits for husband even after death of a childbirth.
The legend tell the story of a pregnant woman by the name of Nak. She was deeply in love with her husband, Mak even after death.
Nak is heavily pregnant when Mak was conscripted and was send to fight a war. During the war he was seriously wounded and was nursed back to health in a local monastery. while he was nursing back to health, Nak was having a difficult birth and ended both her child and her died.
After sometimes, Mak returned and found both his wife and child waiting for him. After a while, rumours have been spreading that he had been living with the ghost of his wife and child. People who tried to warn him and prevent him to be together with his family was killed off by Nak.
One day, Nak was preparing nam phrik (some kind of Thai hot sauce) when she accidentally dropped a lime off the porch. In her haste to retrieved it she stretch her arm to pick it up from the ground below. unaware that her husband was beneath it. Upon seeing it, he was so scared and terrified by the fact that his wife and child was indeed ghost. He tried to his home without alarming her.
That night, Mak said he is going to relieved himself by going downstairs and he fled for the night. In the meantime, Nak who discovered her husband have fled. She chased after him, he then concealed him in the Sambong bush (A herbal plant in Asia) and according to folklore, ghost is afraid of the sambong leaves. Mak then run to the Wat Mahabut temple where ghost cannot enter due to it is a holy ground.
In her grief, Nak starts terrorizing people of Phra Khanong. She was furious of them as she think it is their fault causing Mak to leave her and the baby. You know what they said, hell hath no fury than a woman scorned.
Soon after the incident, the remaining people called for a high priest/ powerful exorcist to exorcise Nak's spirit. She was eventually captured by the priest and was confided in an earthen jar. He then threw it into the canal.
There are two version on the rest of the story. In one of the story, an old couple who was new moved to Phra Khanong found the jar while fishing. The other part are two fishermen dredged up the jar. Nak's spirit was freed when they opened the jar.
Nak goes to find the high priest/exorcist who confined her in the jar and killed him in the process. She was some powerful that the great venerable monk (Somdet Phra Phutthachan (To Phrommarangsi) have to capture her and confined her ones again. The learned monk confined her spirit in the bone from her forehead and binded it in his waistband.
It is said that the waistband is in current possession to the royal family in Thailand. Admiral Aphakonkiattiwong (The prince of Chumphon) claimed to have the relic..
There is alternate version of the story. The monk assured Nak that in her future life, she will be reunited with her beloved husband and thus she volunteered to depart for her afterlife. I like this version better.
THE SHRINE OF MAE NAK
There is a shrine/temple dedicated to Mae Nak at the Wat Maha But.
For those who are interested in going there, here is the location:
Wat Maha But, Sukhumvit soi 77.
You can take the BTS to On Nut Station, the temple is located about 900 meters down Sukhumvit Soi 77 and the temple is at the end of Soi 7
When making offering to her:
There is a statue of Mae Nak and her child at the center of the shrine. Devotees can make offerings and requests for help usually by women seeking for easy childbirth and that their husbanf to be exempted from the army. There are usually lengths of coloured cloths, wrapped around the bodhi tree. Offerings are usually fruits, lotus and incense sticks which are left a difference locations.
People usually being toys for her child and portraits of her are displayed in the inner sanctum of the shrine. A collection of find dresses are offered to her and are displayed behind her statue.
People usually placed offering at the edge of Phra Khanong Canal. Live fishes (usually bought by a bucket) can be purchased at the wet markets, this is for freeing proposes, Asian believe that by doing so will gain good karma for the afterlife and reincarnation. Stalls near the shrine alo sell toys, fish, lotus buds and garlands for those who wish to make wishes and offerings.
The story of Mae Nak was transformed into movies, television series and printed media.
The lists as follow:
- Mae Nak Phra Khanong (1959 Thai film)
- Mae Nak Khuen Chip (1960 Thai film)
- Winyan Rak Mae Phra Khanong (1962 Thai film)
- Mae Nak Khanong Rak (1968 Thai film)
- Mae Nak phra Nakhon (1970 Thai film)
- Mae Nak Phra Khanong (1973 Thai film)
- Mae Nak Alawat (1973 Thai film)
- Mae Nak Amerika (1975 Thai film)
- Mae Nak Buk Tokiao (1976 Thai film)
- Mae Nak Phra Khanong (1978 Thai film)
- Sannya Chai Mae Nak Phra Khanong (San-ya Chai Mae Nak Phra Khanong - 1992 Thai film)
- Mae Nak Choe Phi Pop (Mae Nak Meets Phi Pop) - 1992 - TV series)
- Nang Nak (1999 Thai film - I love the story in this movie)
- Ghost of Mae Mak (2005 Thai film by British Director, Mark Duffield - Set in modern day Bangkok)
- Mae Naak (แม่นาก) an Opera that premierred in 2003 and was revived in 2005 by Bangkok Opera with the lovely soprano, Ms. Nancy Yuen preforming as Mae Naak and Baritone, Mr. Kyu Won Han as Maak in both productions. It was then re-staged again in 2011 in Bangkok and London.
- Nak ((นาค), an animated film in 2008
- Maenak Prakanong the Musical (a musical in 2009 starring Myria Benedetti and Apatpol Sirichumsang
- Mae Nak Patha Pop San Tua (2011 comedy)
- Mae Nak 3D (2012 Thai film)
- Pee Mak (พี่มาก..พระโขนง), a 2013 comedy horror Thai film
- Make Me Shudder 2 (Shudder Me Mae Nak), a 2014 Thai film
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