The belief in spirit houses has been around in Cambodia for centuries up until now. Spirit houses are normally outside the house, the residence for guardian spirits who look after people around the area. When it comes to spirit houses, there are two types that you will come across. Spirit houses “Preah Phum”, and spirit houses for “Marenh Kungveal”. Let’s dive deeper into these two terms below and see what they are.
Marenh Kungveal
The term “Marenh Kungveal” refers to the guardian spirits in the form of children, and they look after young kids. At the same time, they also watch over those young kids until they grow up as well. They also take care of old people and those who are unable to take care of themselves such as the disabled. Marenh Kungveal lives in a small spirit house, and their houses are made from wood with strings to hang outside.
Marenh Kungveal likes to dress in red, and they also take care of the house by preventing bad people from entering the house. These guardian spirits like candies, so the house owners always offer candies and water to them every evening. This is to keep them happy and prevent them from showing up to ask for snacks. With regular treats, Marenh Kungveal are very loyal to the house owners so they bring good luck and fortune to the owners always.
Preah Phum
Preah Phum, meaning the gods that take care of the village, watches over the land. If you notice, you will see an outdoor shine in front of almost every house in Cambodia. Some shrines are made of cement while others are wood, and these shrines are the houses of guardian spirits. The spirits take care of the people in the house or area, keeping them safe from bad spirits. Cambodian people believe that these spirits are very powerful as they were good people when they were alive. When they passed away, they become the guardian spirits who watch over people in the area they once lived in.
Sometimes those guardian spirits also let people in the village know in advance when there is something bad is going to happen. This is why people make an offering or pray for the spirits frequently to thank them for their care. What the guardian spirits do does not only protect the people from the bad spirits but also bad people.
Conclusion
Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand still believe in spirit houses and you will see many of them in these 3 countries. It is part of the culture, and it is somehow very interesting to learn about this unique belief. I do have friends who hear young kids playing at night when there are not even kids in the house. Those whose houses are protected by Marenh Kungveal will often dream of them asking for candies. Once more, believe it or not is up to you, I have never experienced any of these either. I only want to share what we have in our country that is not widely written in English for foreign readers.
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