Kuman Thong กุมารทอง

Kuman Thong is a symbolism or a statue which is mainly produced and practiced in Thailand by Animists (refers to spiritual belief of practicing non human entities in their worship). These Kuman Thongs are believed to bring fortune and luck to the owner. Literally, "Kuman" means 'young boy', and "Thong" means 'golden'. Kuman Thong is often thought as a Buddhist practice, but it is not, rather, it is a form of Necromancy. Authentic Kuman Thong that were made in the ancient times were built through traditional method by the Adept practitioners of Saiyasart. The traditional method removes the unborn fetus surgically from the womb of the mother. The corpse will then be bought to a cemetery for a Kuman Thong ceremony to invoke the spirit of the child for the ritual.The body is then roasted until dry while the mage chants incantations of magical kata. In case of having female spirit, the statue is not called Kuman Thong, but rather "Hong Pray".

Some Kuman Thongs are soaked in 'Nam Man Prai', which refers to the extract of a dead child or person, who died in a serious and violent cause. This is rarely practiced today because the practice of using humans for consecrating oil is now illegal. Years ago, a famous monk was thrown out of the Buddhist Sangha for roasting a baby, he was then convicted, but later continued practicing the magic as a layperson after his release. Traditional Thai Kuman Thongs came from the children who died while still inside the mothers womb. Practitioners would then take these still born babies and adopt the spirits as their own children.

Ancient Thai manuscripts states that the correct method of creating Kuman Thong is to remove the dead baby from the womb of the mother, roast it 'till dry while undergoing a proper ceremony in a cemetery. once the rite is completed, the dry roasted body must be painted with 'Ya-Lak' (a lacquer used to cover amulets) and covered in a gold leaf. This is the main reason why the statue is called a Kuman Thong (Golden Baby Boy).

In Thailand, the Kuman Thong is also acquainted with the legend of Khun Chang Phaen, where the character Khun Phaen made one by removing the stillborn baby from his wife's womb, whom he had killed.

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