Pre-Buddhist
Thailand had a significant amount of
mythology that survived as a form of spirit worship. These spirits were known collectively as the
phi. The various forms of the
phi were numerous, and can be compared to the
ghosts,
goblins,
elves, and
fairies of Western Europe folklore.
Among the
phi that inhabited the
countryside were the ghosts of people killed and/or eaten by animals, women who died during childbirth, people who did not have
proper funeral rites upon their death, and those who died suddenly and unexpectedly. These spirits were the sources of various forms of attacks, which included
vampirism-- signs of an attack were being bitten, scratched, or suddenly falling violently ill. The
Phi Song Nang were one such type of
phi (comparable to the
pontianak of
Java and
Indonesia) and appeared as beautiful young women who viciously attacked and vampirized young men (See also:
succubus).
The ways of the
phi were widely known among various occult practitioners, and generally a
seer would be called in cases of a person who had been attacked by a
phi. After using various
spells and incantations the person would be rid of the spirit, and could continue their daily lives.