For a country with a history that roots so deep, there are beliefs that instill in people’s minds. Even in the 21st century, many Cambodian people still believe in the calls or sounds made by certain animals. Some are believed to bring good luck while others do the opposite. Let’s take a look at 5 animals and how Khmer people in rural areas deal with them.
Bee
We are talking about two types: bumblebees and honeybees. Both types build their nests on trees in the forests, and it is not common for them to be among people. There are times with they build nests on people’s properties. When that happens, it is believed that the bees will bring good luck and wealth to the owners. This is why people shouldn’t do anything to harm them and their nests.
Things are different with honeybees because they don’t build nests inside people’s homes. They also rarely sting people unless provoked. If a honeybee stings someone, people believed that the members of that family will have bad lucks. People could get sick, their cattle would die, and so on.
Common Crane
Common cranes usually live around ponds and rivers, and they like to travel in flocks. If people see two cranes or flocks of cranes flying high in a circle and making calls, young teens would elope in that village. Not a lot of people nowadays believe in this, you won’t see flocks of cranes flying around anymore after urbanization.
Firefly
People believe that fireflies bring money and wealth when they fly into a person’s house. Just make sure not to catch or harm them, let them stay as much as they want, and good lucks will be there.
Oriental Bay Owl
Oriental bay owls are birds that live in the deep forest, and it is rare to hear one shrieks. If it does, it usually shrieks when the atmosphere is quiet; either day or night. Villagers who hear those shrieks are scared because of the bad omens old people told from one generation to another. The belief is that if the owl turns in one direction and shrieks, villages in that direction will have bad lucks. It could be cholera, famine, epidemic, and other bad things that would cost many lives.
An old village chief said that back in 2010, people could hear oriental bay owl shrieking for a few days. It happened in a village in Kampung Chhnang province, and there were a few people got sick and then passed away. So the villagers and monks held a ceremony for 3 days to bless the village. The event made headlines at the time, and it also occurred in various parts of the country as well.
Red Muntjac
It is common knowledge that red muntjacs are mammals that inhabit the forest. However, there are times when one could get lost and stumble upon a village. People who see one will gather and chase the muntjac away from their village. Some could just chase it out while others would beat it so that it will not come back. Old people said that when a red muntjac enters a village, that village will have very bad lucks. This is why people don’t like to see a muntjac walking in their village. As times go by, some rural areas still practice the old beliefs while others would report to the authorities instead.
Related Post: Incense & The Meaning Behind Them
[…] 5 Animals & Cambodian People’s Beliefs […]