{{Short description|Spirit in Thai folklore}} {{Infobox mythical creature |name = Krahang<br>กระหัง |AKA = |image = |image_size = |caption = |Folklore = Southeast Asian folk mythology |Grouping = Legendary creature |Sub_Grouping = Nocturnal, undead
|Country = Thailand |Region = Southeast Asia |Habitat = Dark rural areas |Similar_entities = Owlman<br>Orang-bati<br>Ahool<br>Krasue }} '''Krahang''' ({{langx|th|กระหัง}}, {{IPA|th|krā.hǎŋ|pron}}; or {{lang|th|กระหาง}}, {{IPA|th|krā.hǎːŋ|}}) is a male spirit of the Thai folklore. It manifests itself as a shirtless man, wearing a traditional loincloth,<ref>[http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/377582/thai-ghosts-welcome-to-our-world Bangkok Post - Thai ghosts: Welcome to our world]</ref> who flies in the night.<ref name=พจ>Royal Institute Dictionary, 1999 edition, first printing (2003)</ref>
''Krahang'' uses two large ''kradong'' (กระด้ง), round rice winnowing baskets,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://thaigoodview.com/node/115573 |title=กระด้ง - Kradong |access-date=2012-09-09 |archive-date=2014-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409055501/http://thaigoodview.com/node/115573 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to fly in the night in rural areas of Thailand.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://a0.img.mobypicture.com/78810dfaa23ec4727c376b5c60900ac5_view.jpg |title=Krahang wax museum figure |access-date=2012-09-09 |archive-date=2014-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409064940/http://a0.img.mobypicture.com/78810dfaa23ec4727c376b5c60900ac5_view.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref> It also often rides a ''sak tam khao'' (สากตำข้าว), the long wooden pestle of a traditional manual rice pounder.<ref>[http://www.openbase.in.th/node/10342 การตำข้าว]</ref>
==Legends & sightings== ''Krahang'' is a type of nocturnal ghost that is said to haunt the same areas as Krasue, a female spirit of the Thai village folklore, thus these two spirits are often mentioned or represented together.<ref>[http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj21/panyathai143/DSC01886_resize.jpg Vampire Movie poster with Krahang and Krasue]</ref> Legends of the Thai oral tradition say that this is an evil spirit that may harm people walking at night in out of the way areas. Like Krasue it lives the life of a normal villager during the day.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ghost555.com/%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87/ |title=Phi Krahang |access-date=2012-09-09 |archive-date=2013-01-24 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124035159/http://ghost555.com/%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
However, according to research in the "Three Seals Law" (กฎหมายตราสามดวง) from the Ayutthaya period, Rungroj Piromanukul, an anthropologist at Ramkhamhaeng University, found that Krahang does not appear in the list of ghosts. He believes that the name was recorded later.<ref name=เทพ>{{cite web|url=https://konmongnangetc.com/2017/07/25/%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A7%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B5/|accessdate=2017-07-29|work=konmongnangetc|script-title=th:“กระหัง”: จากข่าวแปลกที่ “บุรีรัมย์” ย้อนไปยัง “ไอ้งั่ง เทพสามฤดู” และ “นิทานวัดเกาะ”|date=2017-07-25|language=Thai}}</ref>
In August 2012 villagers from Lat Bua Khao, Sikhio District, in the western part of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, blamed Krahang for some attacks on local women at night.<ref>[http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1343142239&grpid=03&catid=&subcatid= Matichon ลือ "กระหัง" ทำร้ายแม่ลูกอ่อนสีคิ้ว ชาวบ้านผวาพาลูกสาวหอบข้าวของหนี !!]{{in lang|th}}</ref><ref>[http://www.isnhotnews.com/%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87-%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%A5%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%8B%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B3-%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%A7/ ชาวสีคิ้วผวา! “กระหัง” โผล่ซ้ำ หวั่นจับผิดตัว] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130126141327/http://www.isnhotnews.com/%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87-%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%A5%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%8B%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B3-%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%A7/ |date=2013-01-26 }} {{in lang|th}}</ref> Ultimately, the culprit was found to be a person addicted to drugs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manager.co.th/local/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9550000091612|work=ASTV Manager|date=2012-07-25|accessdate=2017-07-21|script-title=th:โคตรฮา ! ตร.รวบ“กระหัง”โคราชแล้ว ที่แท้“ไอ้หนุ่มขี้ยา” โรคจิตชอบลวนลามสาว|language=Thai|archive-date=2012-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927232138/http://www.manager.co.th/Local/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9550000091612|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In July 2017, an 18-year-old girl from Nong Plong, Chamni District, Buriram Province, claimed that while she was in the restroom of her house at night, just before closing her eyes, she saw a Krahang through a gap near the ceiling. It appeared as a large man with wings sprouting from his back. Panicked, she ran out of the restroom. When the story spread, it caused widespread fear among residents of two neighbouring villages.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1Z2Mjtfem0|script-title=th:สาวบุรีรัมย์จับไข้หัวโกร๋น อ้างเจอกระหังตัวเป็นๆ วอนผู้รู้มาปราบ|date=2017-07-13|accessdate=2017-07-13|language=Thai|work=Channel 3}}</ref>
An elderly woman in the village claimed that she had been seeing the Krahang for over ten years. According to her, the creature often flies in pairs with glowing eyes like thunderbolts. She said she last saw it at 2:00 a.m. one Sunday early in the year and watched it for about half an hour. She even tried to get her son to record it with his phone, but was unsuccessful.
The woman believed that the Krahang originated from an abandoned house nearby, which once belonged to her family. In 2010, her mother and older sister both died in that house just three months apart. Since then, she claimed to have seen strange lights floating out of the house at night—phenomena she believed were manifestations of both Krasue and Krahang. She said she had been fighting the Krahang in her dreams for over ten years before finally seeing it in real life in early 2012. In an attempt to stop it, she hired a sorcerer to perform exorcisms at the house, spending over 100,000 baht, but to no avail.<ref name=ป้า>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k1unsvkhLI|script-title=th:ปรากฏการณ์ กระหัง-กระสือ (13 ก.ค.60)|language=Thai|date=2017-07-13|accessdate=2017-07-14|work=BEC-TERO}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.komchadluek.net/news/breaking-news/287395|script-title=th:นายอำเภอพร้อมเจ้าหน้าที่สาธารณสุข นักจิตวิทยา ตำรวจ ผู้นำท้องถิ่น-ชุมชน รุดลงพื้นที่ ชาวบ้านบุรีรัมย์ตื่นตระหนกพบเห็น "กระหัง"|date=2017-07-13|accessdate=2017-07-23|language=Thai|work=Komchadluek}}</ref>
==Modern adaptations== ''Krahang'' is a popular folk spirit that has been featured in the 1991 Thai film Kahang (กะหัง)<ref>[http://www.thaifilmdb.com/th/tt00557 Kahang movie]</ref> and film Krahang (กระหัง),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nunggoo.com/%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87/ |title=Krahang movie |access-date=2012-09-09 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130064039/http://www.nunggoo.com/%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87/ |archive-date=2013-01-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was adapted as a funny character in Thep Sarm Rudoo (เทพสามฤดู) a folk-style television series that was made in 1987, 2003 and 2017,<ref name=เทพ/> as well as in a Sylvania light bulb commercial for Thai audiences.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRFPf0dgfSg Sylvania light bulb commercial]</ref>
Representations of Krahang, mostly humorous,<ref>[http://topicstock.pantip.com/supachalasai/topicstock/2011/04/S10491985/S10491985-5.jpg Krahang]</ref> are very common in Thai comic books.<ref>[http://www.bloggang.com/data/real-ghost/picture/1220969448.gif Comic Vignette of Krahang with Krasue]</ref> A benevolent Krahang has a role as well in the Nak animated movie.
==See also== *Krasue *Owlman *Phraya Anuman Rajadhon
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== *[http://www.bloggang.com/viewblog.php?id=yinggoogle&date=24-04-2012&group=3&gblog=2 Thai popular spirits] *[http://starrynite45.xanga.com/715590353/happy-halloween-parade-thailand-edition/ Thai famous ghosts] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120915012401/http://ghostsofthailand.com/Thai_Ghost_Types.html Thailand, Types of Thai Ghosts and Spirits] *[http://www.movie2world.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/spd_20060926203153_b-170x220.jpg Krahang Movie poster] *[http://www.thaiworldview.com/tv/tv4.php Thai horror movies] *[http://ghost-manes2.blogspot.com/ Ghosts and mysteries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427143455/http://ghost-manes2.blogspot.com/ |date=2015-04-27 }} {{Ghosts}}
Category:Thai ghosts