Kru Kai Kaew is a Thai deity worshipped by devotees seeking good luck and fortune in work and life, and regarded by many of his followers as a god of wealth. He is depicted with striking half-beast, half-demon features, including black skin, wings, golden fangs and scarlet talons, an appearance that has made him a highly visible figure in contemporary Thai popular worship since images and amulets of him began to circulate. His cult is a contested one: devotees credit him with bringing prosperity, while some Buddhist scholars and organizations criticize the figure as superstition that departs from established Buddhist teaching.
Facts
Attestation
Veneration TodayActively venerated in a living tradition 2 HistoricityNot a historical person: a divine or other-than-human being 2 Belief
TheologyPolytheistic: many gods 2 Sources
1. Kru Kai Kaew (Wikipedia)
Lead section: genderQuote, Lead section: gender
He is regarded by some as a god of wealth, while others see him as a figure of superstition that deviates from true Buddhist teachings due to his half-beast, half-demon nature.
2. 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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