Housing spirits — Lincoln Public Library hosts an example of Thai superstition
Published 10:21 pm Friday, October 4, 2019
Photo by Donna Campbell Lincoln County Public Library circulation clerk Ashlyn McEwen examines a Thai spirit house owned by Jimmy Lovette of Brookhaven.The house is on loan to the library during the month of October.
Photo by Donna Campbell Lincoln County Public Library circulation clerk Ashlyn McEwen examines a Thai spirit house owned by Jimmy Lovette of Brookhaven.The house is on loan to the library during the month of October.
Photo by Donna Campbell A Thai spirit house owned by Jimmy Lovette of Brookhaven is on loan to the Lincoln County Public Library during the month of October.
Photo by Donna Campbell A Thai spirit house owned by Jimmy Lovette of Brookhaven is on loan to the library during the month of October. Pictured is an example of a commercially-produced spirit house, just a few inches in length.
Photo by Donna Campbell A Thai spirit house owned by Jimmy Lovette of Brookhaven is on loan to the library during the month of October. Pictured is an example of a commercially-produced spirit house 2-3 feet in length.
They can be purchased online for as little as a few dollars or for thousands each. They range in size from smaller than a shoe box to large enough for an adult human to enter. But they are not intended for humans.
Although some would be very nice for pets, as well, they are also not intended for their use. They are spirit houses.
A Thai tradition, the houses are constructed or purchased by families in Thailand for deceased loved ones. The structures are placed outside on the family’s property with hopes the spirit of the person who has died will take up residence there — rather than attempt to live in the house once again with them, and cause them to be haunted. It’s provision for the dead and protection from them.
When Brookhavenite Jimmy Lovette saw one of these spirit houses in an antique mall in Wesson, he was curious. After several viewings, asking questions and doing some research, he bought the house and took it home. It’s been the subject of so many conversations with visitors that he thought more people would like to see it, too.
That’s why it is currently on loan to the Lincoln County Public Library.
This house is an example of what might be used by a wealthy Thai family. With the country’s blend of Buddhism, mysticism and superstition, a majority of Thai people believe the spirits of the deceased can make one’s life rich and happy, or poor and miserable.
The houses are found not only in the yards of private homes, but in old trees, buildings, stores and even in government buildings.
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