We believe that living creatures have a strong connection with nature, and animal influence on Cambodian people’s beliefs is a big part. There are animals that we believe bring good fortunes and animals that deliver the opposite when encountered. Many old people and those who live in rural areas still hold their beliefs, and we will discuss that today. Feel free to share your thoughts and let me know if you have heard of those beliefs before.
Cats & Dogs
It is normal for cats and dogs to have owners though some cats and dogs often stray from their homes. There are times when those cats and dogs leave their homes to seek a different home. One of the beliefs is that it is a good omen for cats or dogs to want to live with you. There are some good reasons why these animals choose your house to be their home. One of the reasons is that they find your house a happy place that provides them with happiness and love. When that happens, even if you already have your own cats and dogs, you still should allow them to stay. Old people believed that good stray cats and dogs that want to live with you will bring good fortune.
Another belief is that when dogs start howling at night, that is not a good sign. When you hear dogs start doing long howling that sends chills through your spine, something bad is happening or will happen. There are many ghost stories that tell how dogs start howling from one house to another in the village. This is a sign that they see ghosts or spirits walking by, and they are alerting us to stay put. And another belief is that those long howling for many nights also means bad things will happen in the future. It could be drought, epidemic, famine, or war.
Crow
Crows are intelligent birds that live near people’s houses, especially where they can swoop down livestock and other food. Despite the fact that they avoid being around humans, they still won’t live far from people. For the beliefs associated with crows in Cambodia’s culture, it involves with the return of family members. When a crow starts making its calls, it is believed that the family members who live far away will come back. If it makes the same call repeatedly and fast, it is believed that guests or relatives are visiting that day.
Egret
Egrets are not the typical bird that likes to be around or near humans, let alone being in the villages. This is why the beliefs state that it is an extremely bad luck when an egret stands on someone’s roof. We even have words that go “As unfortunate as an egret on the roof, like a lightning strike the village.” And it simply means these two events are equally bad. Before, when an egret stands on someone’s roof, the people will invite monks to bless the house. This is to get rid of the bad luck and bring the good things back to the household.
Elephant
There are a few beliefs related to elephants that even some Cambodian people don’t really know about. The first one is that pregnant women are not allowed to ride on an elephant’s back. Mahouts are very cautious on this part this is why they always ask if the woman is pregnant. It is believed that the elephant will shake the pregnant woman off its back if she insists on riding. Another belief is that a loving couple should never flirt while riding on an elephant. We have heard about this belief for decades but even the mahouts cannot explain why. The reason to not allow this is due to the belief that the elephant will die after.
Firefly
Many of us like how fireflies glow though they are not as common as they used to be. In Cambodia, fireflies are very common, especially during the rainy season when these little bugs start breeding. When the night comes, they fly in groups showing their glowing bodies in the forests or villages. They like to fly in the meadow and any vacant space near people’s settlements. The thing to note is that they rarely fly into people’s houses, and it is considered a good omen should that occur. It could be under the house or inside the house, and the beliefs on good luck still stand. However, the longer the fireflies stay in the house, the better the luck is.
This is why old people tell their children to not catch fireflies when they see one in the house. If the firefly dies in the house because of the strong grip when catching, then it is bad luck instead. Reminded of myself when I was a kid when I saw a firefly in my mosquito net one night. I caught it and it was dead in my hand, but I was too young to remember what happened. But since that night, I never saw any fireflies in my house ever again.
Gecko
Herpetophobia, the fear of reptiles, occurs in many people due to their fear of reptiles like lizards and snakes. So many people here, both men and women, are afraid of geckos; mainly due to some beliefs about them. The first belief is that if a gecko hangs on to your neck, it will never come off. The only way to remove it is to find 7 widows to take it off you. Oh that saying was stuck in my mind since I was a kid until I was in my late teenage years. Most people are just afraid of them because of their large size and the way they look though.
Another belief is when geckos make their calls, the good or bad things depend on how many calls they make. If a gecko cries less than 7 times, it is not a good thing and you should chase it out of your house. For the gecko that cries from 7 to 15 times, then it is a very good omen. That also means you should keep it in your house to bring good luck to you.
There is also a belief involved with your future spouse based on the number of cries that a gecko makes. This is one of the most common things that we do, both with belief and for fun. When a gecko cries, a man in a crowd will start saying “virgin, widow” after each cry. If the final cry ends with virgin, then that man will marry a virgin girl. And if widow is after the last cry, then that man will marry a widow. It is more of a joke that men use to tease each other, what do you think?
Pigeon
Unlike city pigeons, wild pigeons are rather fascinating and adorable when it comes to appearance and behavior. Old people in Cambodia believed that when a group of pigeons perches on someone’s house, good luck goes to them. This is why it is recommended the house owner to take care of those pigeons to keep them around. However, if the pigeons that always reside on a person’s roof suddenly leave, good luck will no longer go to that house. Bad things might happen in the future, both big and small.
Snake
Pythons, specifically, are one of the common beliefs in Cambodia’s cultures. I live in the city, and somehow there was a python who got into my house when I was younger. Pythons and most snakes except for rat snakes do not like to live near people, let alone coming into a person’s house. Most of the common snakes that accidentally get into people’s houses are usually non-venomous snakes and pythons. They are harmless, and old people say that they bring good things to the household.
When coming across one, it is recommended to gently grab them, and apply some aroma oil powder on it. While doing so, say “You come to my house today, please bring good luck, good health, happiness, and prosperity to us. We release you back to your habitat in the forest so that you can also live happily.” We don’t harm pythons, and we always make sure to release them back into the wild if catching one. Killing them is considered bad luck, and we don’t want that.
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are wild birds that also hang around near people’s settlements, and we have 18 woodpecker species in Cambodia. As we know, woodpeckers feed on insects they find by spiraling tree trunks looking for larvae, spiders, and other wood-boring insects. People in Kirivong district note that whenever a woodpecker makes its call, good things will happen. The more rapidly the call gets, the better the omen. People who are nearby when the woodpecker makes its call will shout “Bror yarb, good luck!” They will repeat this until the woodpecker stops making its call.
3-Legged Animals
When it comes to this, what we refer to here is not animals with 3 limbs. A 3-legged animal refers to an animal whose one leg has a different color from the other three. For example, 3 legs are white in color but there is one leg that is black instead. Many people avoid having a pet with this appearance because it is considered bad luck to the owner. It does not have to be a pet, even cattle also counts in this case. Some of the most common 3-legged animals that people avoid are buffalos, cats, cows, dogs, elephants, horses, pigs, etc.
Related Post: More Animals & Cambodian People’s Beliefs