Hadj (الحجّ)

Arabic. Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the 'third pillar' of Islam, which every devout Muslim seeks to make at least once in his lifetime.

Hai Chan Zi (海蟾子)

See Liu Hai.

Haimavati

Sanskrit. 'Born from the Himalayas'. One of the benevolent forms of Devi, Shiva's consort.

Hamsa (हंस)

Sanskrit. A sacred goose, gander or swan, and the mount of the Hindu god Brahma. Its flight indicates the connection between the aquatic world and the heavens. It is frequently seen in Buddhist iconography. In Pali hongse. See also Hamsa.

Hamsa (خمسة‎, חמסה)

Arabic-Hebrew. Name for a symbol consisting of a hand that contains the motif of an eye which is believed to ward off evil, or the evil eye, and used as amulet. By Muslims it is also known as the hand (or eye) of Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, and by Jews as the hand of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron'. Some associate the meaning of the five fingers to the five books of the Torah for Jews, or to the Five Pillars of Islam for Sunni Muslims (the Shi'ite sect submit to eight precepts). See also Hamsa.

Han Hsiang Tzu (韩湘子)

Chinese. Name of one of the Eight Immortals, who was the nephew of Han Yu, a prominent poet and statesman of the Tang dynasty whom he tried to persuade to renounce his political career and pursue Tao instead. He has a magical flute that has the ability to give life and produces music that can make flowers bloom in the twinkling of an eye and soothe wild animals. In his effort to convince his uncle to abandon his life of officialdom and to study Tao, Han Hsiang Tzui performed some miracles, such as filling a goblet with excellent wine, pouring out cup after cup from a gourd without end, using the power of Tao, as well as predicting events that would occur in his uncle's life, all of which would later come true. He is also known as Han Xiangzi and usually referred to as the Philosopher Han Hsiang, also transcribed Han Xiang. Being portrayed as a youthful boy playing a flute he is often reminiscent of some depictions of Krishna, who is a master of the bansuri, an northern Indian, bamboo flute. Compare his magical flute also with that of Phra Aphaimanih.

Hanuman (हनुमान्, หนุมาน)

1. Sanskrit-Thai. Monkey from East India. 2. Sanskrit-Thai. The son of Vayu, the god of wind, in Thai known as Sawaha and Phra Phai. He is the albino half-god monkey who assisted Rama in his battle against Ravana in the Indian epic Ramayana. He is depicted with a white complexion and has a diamond in the middle of his palate. He is the king of the monkeys and a general who has magical powers and whose yawn could produce moons and stars. His personal weapon is a diamond trident which he uses to combat important adversaries. He appears in the Thai Ramakien, for one. Also Wayubud.

Hara (हर)

Sanskrit. A name for Shiva.

Hari (हरि)

Sanskrit. A name for Vishnu.

Harihara (हरिहर, หริหระ)

Sanskrit-Thai. A Hindu deity that derives its name and characteristics from both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara), and is a combination of these two gods. Usually depicted with Vishnu's crown on one side of his head and Shiva's jata (plaited hair) on the other. He also holds the main attributes of both gods.

he (鹤)

Chinese for crane. The word is a homonym of he.

he (合)

Chinese. 'To combine, unite, join' or 'to gather'. The word is a homonym of he.

hell

See narok.

hell banknote

See ming bi.

hell money

See ming bi.

hera

Mythological monster often seen at the end of an arch. It has the body of a naga and its teeth meet its nostrils whilst often another creature, flower or flame-like motif emerges from its open mouth.

Hevajra

Sanskrit. A protective god in Tantric Buddhism with the rank of a buddha. He has eight heads, sixteen arms, and two or four legs, and a third eye. In Cambodia and Thailand he is usually depicted in a dancing posture with his left leg crushing a demon and his right leg bent with the foot touching the left leg above the knee. See also Nataraja.

hijab (حجاب)

Arabic. Term for a 'cover', its root meaning 'to veil, cover, screen' or 'to shelter', and it refers to the covering of both the head and body of Islamic women. In Islamic theology however, the word is given a much wider meaning and refers to modesty, privacy and morality, whereas the word for headscarf or veil used in the Koran, is khimar.

Hijrah

Arabic. 'Migration'. The flight of the prophet Muhammad and the first Muslim community from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD, the year from which the Muslim calendar is dated.

Himaphan (หิมพาน)

Thai. A mythical forest located in the Himalayas, below the heavens of the gods. It is often mentioned in Buddhist literature and inhabited by both real and mythical animals. Also called Himavat (Himawat), Himavan (Himawan), Himavah (Himawah), Himavaat (Himawaat), and Himavaan (Himawaan).

Hinayana

Sanskrit. 'Lesser vehicle'. A term used for Theravada Buddhism after the origin of Mahayana Buddhism, the 'greater vehicle'. The Hinayana school of Buddhism is closest to the original teachings of the Buddha. At some point were several different sects of Hinayana Buddhism but today only the Theravada school remains. It is practiced in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and uses Pali as its language.

Hinduism

The main religion and social system in India. Followers, called Hindus, share a common belief in the law of karma, the transmigration of the soul, and the universal spirit or brahman. Its religious practices include the veneration of several deities, and its religious writings are the Vedas and the Ramayana.

hintha

A mythical bird in Burma.

Hok Lok Siw (ฮก ลก ซิ่ว)

Thai-Chinese. Three Chinese gods who in art are usually depicted as a trio with long beards. They are generally known as Hok, Lok and Siw, Thai-Chinese names that represent Happiness, Wealth and Longevity respectively. In Chinese they are named Fu Lu Shou and in English sometimes referred to as the Three Star Gods, due to their correspondent stars in ancient Chinese astronomy. Unlike the order of their names, the god Hok (Fu) is traditionally placed in the center and is easy recognizable by his distinctive headdress. Siw (Shou), the god of longevity always carries a staff with a dragonhead and the Peach of Immortality in his hands, and has a semi-bald, oversized, abnormally high forehead. He is sometimes shown to carry a nahm tao bottle gourd. Lok (Lu) also wears a hat, but a smaller one, and carries an imperial scroll with him.

Holi

Sanskrit. Festival associated with the Hindu god Krishna.

hom pah (ห่มผ้า)

1. Thai. To cover the shoulder or body with a piece of cloth. 2. Thai. The application of a saffron cloth to Buddha images.

hong bao (红包)

Chinese. 'Red package'. Red packages or red envelopes are traditional monetary gifts in Chinese society which are given during festivals and on special occasions, such as new year, weddings, etc. The red color symbolizes good luck. The amount of money in the envelopes, also called lishi, should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals and considered bad luck. However, since the Chinese word for four (sì) is a homophone for to die (sĭ), any amount of cash with this number should also be avoided, whereas the number eight (bā) is associated with wealth and good fortune, and is therefore commonly found in the red envelopes. During Chinese New Year, hong bao are customarily given by the elderly who already have an income to the younger who don't yet work, but in some places it are the married that give to the unmarried, regardless of age. The tradition of the monetary envelopes goes back to when elderly Chinese would tie coins together with a red string for protection against sickness and injuries. These money strings, called yasui qian, were gradually replaced by red envelopes when printing presses became more widespread. The hong bao are today still referred to as yasui qian. In Thai called hang pao.

hongse

Pali-Thai. 'Swan'. In Thailand a mythical swan often depicted in art and architecture, such as in the middle of temple roofs in northern Thai style, as well as the antefix on some Buddhist temples, known as the hang hongse. In Thai pronounced hong. In Sanskrit Hamsa.

hong thong (หงส์ทอง)

Thai. 'Golden swan'. Another name for Suphanahongse, a golden hong.

Ho Hsien-ku (何仙姑)

Chinese. Name of the only female member of the Eight Immortals, often referred to as Immortal Woman He, a free translation of her name which may also be transcribed He Xiangu. She was born in Guangdong province as the daughter of a wealthy family. At the age of fourteen she made a vow to remain a virgin and a deity appeared to her in a dream. In order to become an immortal she was instructed to consume very fine powdered mica, a brilliant kind of mineral. She took the powder as ordered and gradually gave up taking ordinary food all together, surviving solely on mica crystals. She could walk so fast, that she seemed to be flying and often wandered in valleys to gather mountain fruits. Eventually she ascended to heaven and became an immortal. She is usually portrayed holding a long-stalked lotus flower, that has the power to improve one's mental and physical health.

hsien (仙, เซียน)

Chinese-Thai. See xian.

Hsi Ling Shih (西陵氏)

See Xi Ling Shi.

Huan Xi Fo (歡喜佛)

Chinese. 'Happy Buddha'. Popular name of a Buddhist figure who is also known by the Chinese name Budai. He is the interpretation of the bodhisattva Maitreya, the future buddha predicted to succeed the Sakyamuni Buddha. He is the god of happiness and wealth. His image is based on an unconventional Chinese monk who lived in the time of the Liang Dynasty and is usually depicted as a deity of satisfaction and abundance, often holding a cloth bag full with precious items or gold, and other attributes, such as a water jar, gold coins, a ruyi, a gold ingot, a pagoda, etc. He has integrated into Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto culture, and is commonly represented as an obese smiling or laughing figure, hence his nickname. It is believed that rubbing his belly brings forth happiness, wealth, good luck and prosperity. He is therefore often worshipped as an informal Chinese wealth god. Variously called 'laughing Buddha', 'smiling Buddha', Mi Le Fo and Hotei. In Thailand he is often confused with Phra Sangkatjaai.

hu lu (葫芦)

Chinese name for calabash, in Thai called nahm tao. Also transcribed hoo loo and sometimes wu lou.