Thai Penis Amulet [Was: Baby Shoes]

Teresa, Here are some info about the Penis_Amulet you purchased in
Thailand:

The Thai name for a penis amulet is palad khik, which means
“honorable surrogate penis.” They are worn by boys and men on a
waist-string under the clothes, off-center from the real penis,
in the hope that they will attract and absorb any magical injury
directed toward the generative organs. It is not uncommon for a
man to wear several palad khiks at one time, one to increase
gambling luck, for instance, another to attract women, and a
third for invulnerability from bullets and knives. women in
Thailand do not generally wear palad khiks, nor is there a Thai
equivalent of the vulva amulet for them to use – although a
circular disk amulet called a chaping is worn by young girls to
protect their genitals from evil forces. The palad khik amulet is
said to have originated in the Siva linga of India and to have
been imported to Thailand by Cambodian monks in the 8th century
AD. Early styles of palad khik bear inscribed invocations,
entreaties, and praises to Siva; later ones combine these with
interlineated invocations and praises to Buddha; modern ones bear
uniformly Buddhist inscriptions, invariably written in an old
form of script that cannot be read by contemporary Thais.

Palad khik amulets carved from wood, bone, or horn are made by
monks who specialize in their manufacture, and the efficacy of a
given amulet is dependant on the charisma and reputation of its
creator. The lettering of the inscriptions is a matter of serious
ritual and can take several days to complete. Cast metal palad
khiks do not always bear inscriptions, but they may carry the
additional symbolism embodied in an animal holding the penis.

I added a picture at the Orchid FTP site:

HTH
Hanuman

Hanuman, Thank you ever so much for explaining my Palad Khik to
me. I have visited Thailand many times for extended periods. My
boyfriend was Thai, I have close Thai friends.

I am very familiar with the wonderful faith of the people and am
aware of many symbols. I particularly love the "Spirit House."
Visiting all over Asia, India, Nepal, I became very aware how
charmingly open and natural the body and sexuality are. Only we
in the West have hidden and besmirched it to the extent that our
foulest words rudely describe it. Can’t see that we are
enlightened at all.

Centuries old carvings are wonderful, the upward curve at the
end of the roof to prevent evil spirits to enter the home are
great. I personally cherish the beliefs of the people.

Thank you again,
Teresa