Magic Ink: Evo Visits the Mystical Sak Yant Tattoo Festival (2.23)

You may or may not have heard about the Sak Yant tattoo festival
before, but after hearing this episode of the Bangkok Podcast,
you sure as darn heck won't be able to forget about it. For years
travelers have been entertained by tales of screaming men rushing
the stage, possessed by the spirits of the tattoos that cover
their bodies in sheets of intricate sub-dermal ink. But it's not
merely an odd tourist attraction - the men who have them, the
monks who give them, and the shamans who 'recharge' them all hold
the tattoos - and the power they say they represent - in the
highest regard. With an origin story that involves a Burmese
invasion, sinking boats, lost Buddha images, and man-eating
tigers, it sounds like something from a novel by Graham Greene or
Joseph Conrad, but it's all - very probably - true. Evo and his
lovely wife Sheila headed up to Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Pathom -
about 50km west of Bangkok - to check out the festivities and boy
did they get the goods. Hanging out with devotees on Friday
evening and then recording their screams, gurgles, laughs, and
chants on the Saturday, Evo gives a description of what it's like
in the middle of the action. Those screams, gurgles, laughs and
chants can be heard in the podcast, by the way. Here's a few
pictures - but head over to Sheila's Flickr album to see more.
Love, Loathe or Leave?

Evo springs his LLoL on Greg - what does he think of the
national anthem that plays every day at 8am and 6pm? Is it an
annoying distraction, a treasured cultural identifier, or
something in between? Have a listen to the song in the video
below if you're not familiar, then follow along with their
discussion at home! https://youtu.be/BrcGzLIEsAU?t=10
Want more?

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see you next week on The Bangkok Podcast!


(Direct download .mp3)