Homeland of the Mani
The Mani has lived in the hilly
interior of southern Thailand for thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of
years. They are the northernmost group of the Semang, or Orang Asli, of the
forest areas of the Thai-Malaysian Peninsula.
The dense and previously well preserved forest of the Trang, Satun and
Phatthalung provinces were and still are the home for these people.
Although the Mani are nomadic and do
not need to establish permanent housing for themselves, they still must choose
a suitable location for their temporary village. For an appropriate choice,
procedures in accordance with their ancient traditions and beliefs are carried
out before a decision is taken:
Location
1.
The site must be on slightly sloping
terrain
a.
Not within a hollow where rainwater
could gather.
2.
The site must be near a source of
fresh flowing water
a.
standing water
i.
which the Mani call "dead
water" would not be acceptable and is regarded as unhealthy
b.
The Mani also shun water from a
canal or a river or below a waterfall, for fear of flash floods.
i.
The sleeplessness caused by the
roaring rivers during the rainy season as also be mentioned as a reason for
shunning such locations
1.
Even if a proper water source has been found,
the taste of the water will also be a consideration.
3.
The site must be shaded by trees
a.
that are big enough to provide cool
air
b.
shelter but not so big that they endanger the
Mani
c.
their huts during a storm.
4.
There should have been no human
death at the chosen place - and no haunting by evil spirits.
5.
There must be abundant food resources
a.
in the area under consideration
b.
it must be not too far from an area where
bamboo grows.
Constructing an Ayah (Hut)
- When the location has been decided then the Mani immediately begin constructing their ayahs (huts).
- The men help the head of the family in cutting down wood and in collecting large banana leaves for the roofing.
- The women and children clear the ground and gather lianas, which are used to hold the construction together.
- An ayah hut is a hut with a roofing of leaves.
- Within it, there is a bed platform,
- a panong, that is also a status symbol for its owner.
i.
A single panong
1.
means that the shack belongs to an
unmarried person
ii.
Double-panong signifies a married
person.
1.
The panong is built at about one
arm's length from the ground on one side, and touches the ground on the other
side
- The higher side of the construction is at the back of the hut so that anyone lying would be facing towards the outside with the feet in the same direction.
- They believe that in case of an attack by a wild animal or an enemy, they would still get to their feet in time for running away.
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