Sometime I feel so fascinating for people who try to translate Amulet’s name. LP Phina’s amulets are very good example. Let me show you how marvelous!
2 main material been used in LP Phina are Mae Nuer Hom and Mae Nam Hom. Many people translated Dao Mae Nuer Hom as star amulet with female flesh and bone material, Dao Mae Nam Hom translated as star amulet with male’s flesh and bone. Sound so horrible? You may mislead as a barang or evil spirit amulets. If LP Phina still alive now, if he knew it and I guarantee him will laugh until coma!
Trust me, no monk will like to give a horrible name to the sacred object. For example, will you name your kids with such a terrible name? Same as LP Phina, he respects the Holy Spirit and the sacred object, he will never try to name it in this manner.
Let me bring you to tour the translation. We shouldn’t translate directly word by word. By right,we should try to understand what the words mean. Ok? Let’s start..
Dao / ดาว
As you may know, it mean for Star. In amulet, it represent the characteristic of the shape, if you ever see it before and you may know is an amulet with stars crafted on it. Many people like to call as lucky star.
Mae / แม่
It is a word used when somebody calling their parent with respect, just like we use ‘mom’ and ‘dad’. Sometime is also use by their parent to express themselves when talking to their children. For example, we often call our mother: “Hi! Mom” but we don’t call other people’s mother as “Hi! Mom”. We ocall our own father “ Hi! Dad!” is ok but just don’t simply call other people’s father as “Hi! Dad!” a big fight may happen anytime. So, this word describe the close relationship between child and parent. Should not translated as female or male.
Nuer / เนื้อ
Many people translate it into a very ambiguous meaning. In dictionary, you may it's mean for meat, flesh or some sort that very raw. In fact, in amulet is mean for ‘material been used’, you may find many Thai amulet forum using this word to describe the material. For example, 'Nuer Ngern' didn’t mean for silver flesh or meat in silver! It's means silver material. Similar to 'Nuer Phong' mean for powder material and didn’t mean for meat or flesh been grind into powder.
Nam / น้ำ
This word mean for water, juice or any kind of liquid. It depend which word append with it. We don’t simple append ‘Mae Nam’ and translated as female’s juice or water from parent! Sound so evil! We have to read the whole sentence then translate accordingly either base on culture or situation.
Hom / หอม
This word mean for smell, pleasant smell or sweet smelling. If we don't interpret properly and try to understand what they mean, just because of ‘Mae’ and ‘hom’ then translate as Female or male's smell! When you heard people said, ‘Mae Hom!’ they didn’t mean “What a female smell!” Depend to situation, normally they mean for “Nice lady fragrance!”
Nuer Hom / เนื้อ หอม
This is the best, I really can't imagine how creativity! If direct translate it may mean for ‘Smelly Flesh” or ‘Smelly meat”. In fact, if you ever smell the Dao Mae Nuer Hom, you will realize there is a nice fragrance smell from the material, combination of the material forming a nice fragrance aroma, just like the fragrance smell from an ancient oil lamp. If you found a Dao Mae Nuer Hom smell like a dead meat, just ignore that phim, I ensure you that’s not a genuine phim. Regarding to the material aroma, I believe LP Phina use word ‘Nuer Hom’ for ‘Pleasant smell material’.
Nam Hom / น้ำ หอม
This is mean for perfume or aftershave, It didn’t mean for ‘water smell’ or ‘juicy perfume’. When combine Mae Nam Hom the translation become so confuse to me, แม่น้ำหอม may translate as 'Perfume River'.
Dao Mae Nuer Hom / ดาวแม่เนื้อหอม
If direct translate without understand the situation it could sound as “Star amulet with female flesh meat”. If you try to understand LP Phina and the pleasant fragrance from material then you know LP Phina could be try to name it for ‘star amulet with lady fragrance material”. If you to google with thai words Mae Nuer Hom (แม่เนื้อหอม), you will find many beautiful lady's photo, zero on corpse's picture.
Dao Mae Nam Hom / ดาวแม่น้ำหอม
Similar casing may be mislead as “Star amulet with men flesh” or in polite manner as “ Star amulet with men’s fragrance material”.
Conclusion
LP Phina as a holy monk, he wouldn’t so crazy to give a horrible name for his sacred object. Which is more appropriate meaning for his amulet? I believe you should know the answer now. Misunderstood will let you feel the amulet like barang and evil, to study and understand the situation will lead you to the collect method.
So don't simply hearsay from people and end up you just fool yourself.
Have a nice day!
Have a nice day!
