Talking about these little ‘images’, a Thai newspaper referred to them a ’scarecrows’. While this might be a reasonable use of the word they have a much more serious function than chasing away birds!
A closer look (and the ability to read Thai!) reveals a little sign attached to the ‘scarecrow’ which states that there are no children at that house who were born on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
People in North East Thailand believe in a spirit called ‘pe-bop’. It’s believed that certain people have a ‘pe-bop’ living in them and from time to time they must release it to wander around and ‘eat’ someone. The victim dies suddenly and without obvious cause.
According to the newspaper article some people had dreams about the activities of a ‘pe-bop’. In their dreams children born on Tuesdays and Wednesdays were particularly vulnerable. So a ‘scarecrow’ or image of a young child placed at the front of the house is an attempt to trick the frightening spirit, first to believe there are no children there who were born on those days and secondly, if the spirit did come to that house it might think the ‘scarecrow’ is a child and harm it instead.
Animism is the practice of appeasing and manipulating spirits; spirits of the fields, trees and rivers, village spirits, family and ancestral spirits and many more. People live their entire lives in fear of these spirits, their daily activities and action controlled by what they believe about them.
Only the Good News of God’s grace can free people from such an existence, bringing truth and life, forgiveness and salvation, peace and freedom. Romans 10:14-15
