Kuman Thong is a household deity of Thai folk religion, believed to bring luck, fortune and wealth to whoever properly reveres it. The name combines kuman, from the Pali kumara meaning young boy, with thong, meaning golden, and the figure is traditionally kept and cared for in the home much like a living child, given food, toys and affection in exchange for its protection. Mainstream Thai Buddhism has never formally endorsed the practice, and Kuman Thong belongs instead to the wider layer of Thai folk religion and animism that runs alongside institutional Buddhist worship.
Facts
Attestation
Veneration TodayActively venerated in a living tradition 1 HistoricityNot a historical person: a divine or other-than-human being 1 Function
Domain / Function Belief
TheologyPolytheistic: many gods 1 Sources
1. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend
Anthony S. Mercatante, revised and expanded by James R. Dow, Facts on File
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