Who is the Woman Wringing Water From Her Hair?
First time visitors to Luang Prabang might be puzzled by the large number of statues that appear to celebrate a woman wringing water from hair. The most notable example is perhaps the statue at the large fountain in front of the Provincial Administration Offices on Phothisalath Road but many temples also have a similar statue within their ground. In fact she is known as Mae Thoranee and in Lao culture she is the original mother earth goddess and she is central to one of the most popular stories in Lao Buddhism. She is one of the very few spirits (phi or thevada) that is specifically named and anthropomorphised, perhaps through her incorporation into Buddhism. Anthropologists suggest that the belief in a mother-earth goddess considerably pre-dates the Buddhist canon.
Mae Thoranee at the fountain in front of the Luang Prabang Provincial Administration hall.
The Buddhist Story of Mae Thoranee
Mae Thoranee appears in the Maravijaya, the ninth story within the Pathamasambodhi Pali language scriptures which describe the Buddha’s life. Although these are not part of the classic Buddhist canon from India or Sri Lanka the story of Mae Thoranee is extremely popular not just in Laos but in Thailand and Cambodia also.
The story is told as follows;
The story is told as follows;
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The Bodhisattva was sitting in meditation on his throne under the
Bodhi Tree. Mara, the Evil One, was jealous and wanted to stop him from reaching enlightenment. Accompanied by his warriors, wild animals and his daughters, he tried to drive the Bodhisattva from his throne. All the gods were terrified and ran away, leaving the Bodhisattva alone to face Mara's challenge. The Bodhisattva stretched down his right hand and touched the earth, summoning her to be his witness. The earth deity in the form of a beautiful woman rose up from underneath the throne, and affirmed the Bodhisattva's right to occupy the vajriisana. She twisted her long hair, and torrents of water collected there from the innumerable donative libations of the Buddha over the ages created a flood. The flood washed away Mara and his army, and the Bodhisattva was freed to reach enlightenment From the Buddhist Institute, Phnom Penh, quoted in Elizabeth Guthrie, University of Canterbury, New Zealand 2004
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Mae Thoranee in front of Vat That Luang
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Mae Thoranee in front of Vat PhanLuang, dressed in April for the hot season
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Mae Thoranee depicted on Mount Phousi together with the Buddha and naga
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Mae Thoranee in Lao Buddhism
Phrae Mae Thoranee’s intervention to defeat the forces of Mara is one of the most popular topics for murals and statues in temples throughout Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. In Luang Prabang many temples have a statue of Mae Thoranee within the monastery ground.
Mae Thoranee at Vat Ban Na Daed
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Mae Thoranee at Vat Phon Sa-at
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One of the most common positions or mudra for temple Buddha images in Laos depicts the moment when the Buddha reached down during his meditations to touch the earth and summon Phra Mae Thoranee. In this depiction the Buddha is sitting cross-legged meditating whilst his right hand rests upon his knee with his fingers stretched out to touch the ground beneath him. This is known as the "Calling the Earth to Witness" mudra.
The main Buddha image at Vat Sene is in the "Calling the Earth to Witness" position, the fingers of the right-hand reaching down to the ground
Mae Thoranee at Vat Xieng Mene
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Mae Thoranee at Vat Chomphet
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