Thai Amulets: Symbol of the Practice of Multi-faiths and Cultures

Srichampa, Sophana

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7244-1_3

Cited by 7 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…Twenty eight percent ( n = 269) of all thorn product records explicitly referred to the item as an amulet (i.e., 'an object worn because it is believed to protect against evil, disease, or unhappiness' [Cambridge, 2021]). Of the advertisements for rings, over one‐third ( n = 247/690) featured a representation of the Garuda on the ring itself, a symbol in Buddhist mythology and a common feature on Thai amulets, representative of protection (Srichampa, 2014). A minimum of 61% ( n = 424) of the advertised rings made reference in the accompanying text to the protective properties or magical powers of bowmouth thorns as sources of protection from the water and other dangers.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Internet trade of a previously unknown wildlife product from a critically endangered marine fish

Pytka

Moore

Heenan

2023

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Online research methods are increasingly used in conservation science to monitor and collect data on online wildlife trade. Shark‐like rays (Rhinopristiformes) are among the most threatened vertebrates, prized for their high‐value fins while other uses for their derivatives are largely unrecognized in the literature. The bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostomus) is characterized by ridges of enlarged thorns, sometimes sold as amulets. Listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II, the thorn‐market has been ignored and undocumented. Using systematic, retrospective online searches, we recorded 977 bowmouth‐derivatives for sale. In our global and multi‐lingual scope, 97% of products were offered from Thailand, despite prohibited trade. 98% of all products were thorns (USD3‐300) and sold alongside high‐profile CITES‐listed taxa (e.g., tiger claws). Consistent advertisements from 2012 revealed a previously unquantified trade of an often‐neglected marketplace in elasmobranch research. Our findings offer insight into the drivers of the thorn trade, potentially rooted in cultural beliefs. Our accessible research methods can be applied internationally and across species, providing quantitative and qualitative insights on aspects of the wildlife trade of a critically endangered fish. Continued monitoring of online markets, like this study, is necessary to fill critical gaps for informed policy and species‐specific management.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Internet trade of a previously unknown wildlife product from a critically endangered marine fish

Pytka

Moore

Heenan

2023

Conservat Sci and Prac

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“…These results were strongly supported by the cumulative model for the WTP for animal conservation. The absence of direct association with the WTP for conservation could be explained by the utilitarian nature of superstition in this context (that is, acquisition of power and protection, Abu‐Rabia, 2005; Scrichampa, 2014). People evidently do not associate their superstitious beliefs with the need to protect certain species, but instead value products from these animals (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, as people admire conspecifics with high social rank (De Backer, 2012; Witkower et al, 2020) admiration works also on the interspecific level. There is a significant prevalence of beliefs about acquiring power and protection from charismatic animals, which harm people in traditional societies (Abu‐Rabia, 2005; Alipoor et al, 2015; Choyke, 2010; Scrichampa, 2014; Wessing, 1995). Besides the emotion of fear, the ambivalence of human perception of animals should involve admiration, particularly in the case of large‐bodied species which are potentially harmful.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These associations may have a rational foundation because, for example, consumption of fatty foods may lead to obesity, and ingestion of carotenoid foods may lead to orange‐pigmented skin (Foo et al, 2017; Torres & Nowson, 2007). People also believe that certain natural things, such as a tiger tooth makes you stronger and/or protects the bearer of the amulet from accidents (Abu‐Rabia, 2005; Scrichampa, 2014). Superstitious beliefs enhance individuals' performance (Damisch et al, 2010) and their willingness to purchase products associated with these beliefs (Block & Kramer, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People also believe that certain natural things, such as a tiger tooth makes you stronger and/or protects the bearer of the amulet from accidents (Abu-Rabia, 2005;Scrichampa, 2014). Superstitious beliefs enhance individuals' performance (Damisch et al, 2010) and their willingness to purchase products associated with these beliefs (Block & Kramer, 2009).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Charismatic species should be large: The role of admiration and fear

et al. 2023

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Humans show strong preferences for large, “charismatic” animals. However, the ultimate reasons for these innate preferences remain unclear. In our research, we investigate the affective components of human attitudes toward animals, as well as the willingness to pay (WTP) for their conservation in a sample of N = 549 Slovak people using an online questionnaire. From the use of structural equation modelling, we discovered that particularly large animals trigger both biophobic (fear) and biophilic (admiration) emotions in humans, and as a result, these emotions have contrasting effects on the WTP for animal conservation. Both fear and admiration of animals were influenced by the same emotions triggered by non‐animal objects. Beliefs in the magical power of animals did not directly influence the WTP animal conservation, but was mediated by the admiration of large, non‐animal objects. Females showed greater WTP animal conservation than males, irrespectively of the size of the species. Therefore, we believe that biophobic responses from large animals and non‐animal objects in contemporary humans were inherited from our mammalian ancestors, who were targets of predation by large prehistoric reptiles throughout a significant part of mammalian evolutionary history. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Thai Buddhism, the Mass Media, and Culture Change in Thailand

Malikhao¹

2017

Culture and Communication in Thailand

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Thai Amulets: Symbol of the Practice of Multi-faiths and Cultures

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Internet trade of a previously unknown wildlife product from a critically endangered marine fish

Internet trade of a previously unknown wildlife product from a critically endangered marine fish

Charismatic species should be large: The role of admiration and fear

Thai Buddhism, the Mass Media, and Culture Change in Thailand

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