Khmer Traditional Prediction

1. Lectured by:
Mut Somoeun, M.Ed
KHM 140: Khmer Culture

2.  Among other traditions, Khmer people also
believe in predicting the rainfall
 The prediction of rainfall appears because of
the majority of Khmer people are farmer and
they do farming traditionally and naturally
 How is normally the prediction conducted?
 Is the prediction guaranteed 100% to be true?

3.  A. Predicting by Seeing the Skyline
 In the early morning/ sunrise time: seeing the
cloud covering the skyline if there is any dark
cloud lengthening along the skyline or many large
dark clouds
 If seeing this evident, then it is predicted to have a
heavy rainfall, particularly in the afternoon

4.  From the sunrise until afternoon, if the
weather is so hot and steamy with no wind,
then it is predicted that the heavy rainfall will
drop down in the evening, at night, or even
sometime in the afternoon

5.  When seeing groups of ants taking out their
foods/ and their eggs in a long line from their
nest or hole going to a hill or house pillar, then
it is predicted that the heavy rainfall will drop
down in a couple days.
 Or at noon, if the sun is strongly heating and a
toad makes noise ‘Krort Krort’, or frog fishes
make noise ‘Kaárt Kaárt’ then it is predicted to
have rainfall in the evening/ night

6.  If the rain has been dropping down for few
days but accidently seen many lotus strings
flying and fall down, then it is predicted that
it will have no rainfall/ have a long drought
 In contrast, if it has been a long drought but
seen the flying lotus strings, then it is hoped
to have rainfall
 The lotus string is sometime called ‘ghost
cotton string’

7.  When it has been in a drought then there is a
breeze for couple days, it is predicted that in
a couple days there will have rainfall.
 The rainfall will be based on the period of
drought.This means that how many days of
drought, then the rainfall will drizzle as the
same days.

8.  1. By Seeing the Flowers:
 Normally, the rainfall can be predicted by seeing
the tamarind or mango tree bears its flowers
(between Jan-Mar). For example, if any of these
plants bears flowers colorfully almost at the same
time or coincidently, then it is predicted that this
year in next season will have much rainfall, and all
farming plants will be much fruitful.
 In contrast, if any of these plants bear flowers very
little and at far different time, then it will have not
much rainfall, and plants will be less fruitful.

9.  2. Predicting by SeeingWild Animals:
 In the past time, majority of Khmer people were
farmers and they preferred to go hunting in the
forest. Because of this, the prediction on rainfall
can be based on remembrance.
 When they caught a baby of monitor lizard (Kon
Trakuot/ Domra Prey), they examined the color of
lizard’s tail.
 The lizard’s tail has two colors: white and black

11.  2. (continued) tail with 3 locations of colors:
 Color on the beginning location, color on the
middle, and color at the end of tail (4 months per
each color location)
 White color represents the drought and black
represents the rainfall.
 When examined any of each color is longer, then it
is predicted that period has more rainfall

12.  ការផ្សងទ ៀនទៅក្នុងពិធីសំពះព្ពះខែ
 Normally Khmer Buddhist lay people gather
in pagoda to celebrate the full moon ceremony
(November on the day of water festival)
 In this the full moon ceremony, the event
leader (clergy man/ Archar) ask someone to
write all names of provinces on the lighting
candles and attaching those candles on the
wood stick with length of 2.50m to 3m.

13.  When attaching the lighting candles on the
rolling wood stick, event leader leads all
participants to pray for the rainfall indication.
 And when seeing any of each candles fast
lighting with more fluid drops (each candle
represent each province), then it is predicted
that province will have more rain fall in that
year

14.  A. By Seeing the Plant Flowers
 Normally, old Khmer people examine the bearing
flowers ofTontrean Khet and Kontraing Baysor
 When they see any or both of the flowers of these
two plants, then they predict that there will have
no rainfall for that year
 These two plants do not regularly bear flowers

15.  After the rainy season (Chenh Preah Vorssa), old
Khmer people normally examine the two animals:
 When they hear the voice of a frog screaming when
it is being swallowed by a snake ‘vaeb vaeb’
nearby the well, farming hill, or near termite hill,
then it is predicted that there will have no rainfall
and also the flood will decrease
 When they hear the voice of egret (kok kra’ork)
that finding fish in the pond or farm field makes
sound ‘Kraórk kraórk), then they predict that it the
end of rainfall

16.  When they the clear blue sky with no clouds (at
night in October to November) and there are
clear stars, then it is the end of rainfall
 When seeing the Mouson wind changes from
the North/ Northeast, then it is predicted to end
the rainfall
 When there is a heavy rainfall drops at night
time then predicted to end the rainfall
 Or during the heavy rain at night with wild
thunders lightning, then it is the end of rainfall

17.  Old Khmer people normally examine if there
is a rainfall in the Pchum Ben’s Day
 If there is a rainfall on that day, they predict
that the paddy rice will be fruitless and the
rainfall will not drop in the year end
 In contrast, if no rainfall on that day, then it is
predicted that there will much rainfall at the
end of year

18.  In lateAsoch or early Kaddeok (November) at
quiet night often heard a long sound of
thunders in the south/ southeast
 This sound firstly heard closely then to far
away until disappears
 This time we normally call the thunders of
reminding the crabs and snails (Pkor Pdam
Kdam Kchorng)

19.  Old Khmer people usually predict the level of
annual water whether it will be huge or small
 They predict by measuring level figuring on
the ox picture and by bases on lunar calendar.
 They choose full moon day in Pisak (May) as a
guided day.This means that if any day of the
week is on the full moon day in Pisak, then it
will be predicted on the annual rainfall.

20.  Sunday = 1;
 Monday = 2;
 Tuesday = 3;
 Wednesday = 4;
 Thursday = 5;
 Friday = 6;
 Saturday = 7.
 See the figure in the next slide