River Dragons of the Mekong

The people of Lao believed that river dragons lived in the rivers. They were huge water snakes that gouged out the channels that the rivers flowed through, sometimes coming onto the land to dig holes which later became swamps. They were unpredictable spirits, sometimes benign and sometimes fierce, so the Lao people propitiated them with offerings. When Buddhism came to Lao, the water dragons converted to Buddhism and became nagas, like the nagas that protected the Buddha when he sat under the Bodhi tree seeking enlightenment. The people continued to make offerings to them to keep them sweet, so that they would protect them, as long as they were good Buddhists.

Up and down the Mekong there are Naga towns, the main ones being Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champasak. In these towns nagas protect the temples, the steps leading to temples and monasteries and sometimes even the rooftops. In Luang Prabang the temple nagas are gilded and decorated with glittering coloured glass mosaics. This is because Luang Prabang is a UNESCO heritage town. UNESCO and Norway pump money into restoration projects, allowing the monks to regild their temples, carve new Buddha statues, renovate and conserve what is left of their monasteries. (When the French invaded Luang Prabang they destroyed thirty nine temples, leaving only one. They sacked the city and thousands of monks fled). Then the French built some very nice buildings in the spaces where the monasteries had been. These have been preserved by UNESCO, which also provided funds for rebuilding a few of the temples and monasteries.

The naga in the picture is from a different town along the Mekong, a town that cannot afford to gild its nagas.

The first rulers of Luang Prabang were all nagas, who transformed themselves into women. Later rulers were nagas who transformed themselves into men. The nagas are a bit like the Loch Ness Monster. Lots of people claim to have seen them, but usually only a small part of one.

I met someone today who travelled on a slow boat carrying a cargo of teak to China a few years ago. But now they have tightened things up and the tourists are all funnelled where the authorities want them to go. There are a lot of rules and regulations in Laos. To start with there is a midnight curfew. There is also a law against meddling with the locals. No hanky panky or they'll throw you out of their lovely country. No drugs either. No wandering about on your own in the tribal villages. Everyone must be accompanied by a government guide. Admittedly there are still a lot of unexploded bombs, from when the Americans bombed the north of the country and the whole eastern side. These are bombs the size of a cricket ball, covered in ball bearings. They are more lethal than mines. In many parts of the country people are afraid to dig, in case they uncover buried mines. Needless to say the Americans are doing nothing to remove them.