Every year this goes on. In Phuket, a temple will host a series of events that are open to the public. The nine emporor gods and monks from the past will manifest themselves through devout followers of good virtue. What this really means is that the spirit possess a person. People will work themselves up in a frenzy and take on another persona. Each day will have one big ritual. Firewalking over twenty yards of burning hot coals at least a few inches deep. Climbing a two-story ladder with metal blades edge-side up as steps. But the most intense thing that they do is the piercing.
At the crack of dawn, the spirits insert anything and everything through their skin and walk around town (kinda like a Mardi Gras parade). They use simple things like anywhere from 6 inches to two yard-long spears, knives, swords that would go through one or both cheeks. The goriest thing I saw was multiple barbed wire through the cheeks. Weird things were inserted - the chain that led to a kerosene lamp, a wooden horse statue, the barrels of two automatic rifles.
Other acts of penance during the parade are: swinging an axe up and over the shoulder into their backs, running a sword along the tongue, then along the forehead, a man would grab iron rods that have been kept hot by contact with a burning log and run his hand up and down the rod - this man was already annointed with oil all over his body and smoke would trail his hand.
As far as I can tell, everyone believes that the gods are present. I will say that these acts of mutilation and penance are very real and not a sham. Blood does drip/pour from those possessed. In the case of the second picture where two men are licking something, that something is a three meter double edged sword with teeth. They would just run their tongues along the blade, rest for a few seconds, then repeat licking the blade. No screams of pain, no acknowledgement of pain. As I write this, I am still trying to cope with what I have seen.
These people are keeping extremely and religiously real. Real to be so involved and passionate about one's religion. The residents of Phuket take this event rather seriously and yet don't consider these acts of penance and bodily possessions out of the ordinary.
These are only just a few of the photos that I've taken. I've probably taken four hundred photos, what you'll see is just an example of what goes on. Each parade (there's eleven temples that roll thru town) has anywhere from twenty to fifty spirits who get pierced, cut, whatever.
THESE ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF SELF-MUTILATION, BODY PIERCING AND BLOOD DISTURB YOU, AVOID LOOKING AT THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
