Aug 15 2008
Spirit House in Cambodia
I am not afraid of ghosts. Except when I’m alone. At night. In Cambodia where millions of people died of genocide in the seventies. Last year, when Honey had to go to the Philippines for work for almost two months, he left me in this kingdom far far away where I was alone. At night. In Cambodia where millions of people died of genocide in the seventies.
How did I manage to stop hyperventilating, prevent the hair at the back of my neck from standing up on end, and sleep during all those lonely nights? One, by multiplying my carbon emissions a hundredfold and turning on all the lights in the apartment at night. Two, by turning on the two televisions full-blast. And three, by comforting myself with the fact that my Cambodian landlady keeps a spirit house in an auspicious place right smack in the middle of the entrance of the apartment building.
What is a spirit house? For me as a Filipino Catholic, it’s somewhat parallel to the picture of the Two Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in front of our house in Kamuning that’s supposed to bless and protect our home and guide the people who live there. For the Cambodian Buddhists (and the Thais as well), the spirit house is a small wooden structure on top of a pedestal which is there to give the ancient spirits of the land a place to live.
The spirit house is present in the entire country in almost all homes, offices, factories, plantations, etc. And it doesn’t matter whether brand new Lexuses and Hummers or tuktuks (a bit like our tricycle) and motos (motorcycle) are parked in front. Cambodians who live and work in these dwellings punctuate their days by offering fruits, flowers, incense, and tea to the spirits inside these wooden houses.
This thought really comforted me during those dark lonely nights in Cambodia. I quite believed that the Cambodian spirits, or ghosts, if you please, knew that the spirit house was their place and they wouldn’t bother making an appearance to a silly girl lullabying herself to sleep to the tune of Papaya on the boobtube.
So thus, though I’m not Buddhist (though I’ve attended one yoga class), I wasn’t really afraid of being alone when Honey left me (presently, I’m the one who left him alone in that faraway kingdom). In fact, I’m more afraid of being alone in our office in Phnom Penh as there was neither a spirit house (as we weren’t Buddhists) nor the Twin Hearts (as we were secular). It didn’t help either that numerous stories abound of footsteps being heard in empty rooms and the smell of invisible flowers pervading the office.
The thought of bringing a spirit house back home to the Philippines with me entered my mind. Our maids have told of stories of a white lady walking at the back of our old house. In fact, one high government official, whose name I refuse to disclose for the sake of the security of my tenure, who used to frequent our house during his student days with my brother when they were still in UP, has been known to have seen that white lady. Perhaps, it’s also that white lady who has brought me numerous bangungots (see this post) as a child. But then, I have to admit that my theology is on shaky ground here. Anyway, it’s probably useless to bring home a spirit house to the Philippines as lady ghosts of any color wouldn’t know that they’re supposed to go inside the spirit house.
So you guys who have been planning to go to Cambodia and asking me all sorts of tips, if you see one of these structures, you would know that it’s a spirit house and it’s a pervasive reminder that spirituality and religiosity is alive and well in Cambodia.
- Home Alone
- Recall Order!
- Good-Bye Cambodia
- On the Road to Sihanoukville for the Khmer New Year
- Fun Facts Pinoys May Want to Know About Cambodia
Print This Post
Back then in the Philippines during my heyday, single and discovering the great spectrum of the whole wide world, my friends and me had seen a lot of white ladies especially down there in Pasay road, west avenue, quezon blvd and timog. Oh they were so gorgeous. One white lady actually had a name – Jackie. ha ha ha
when I had an assignment in cebu, one white lady kicked my friend because he wanted to touch her. My friend had to much spirit of beer then. LOL
Honestly, I had an encounter with that so called white lady somewhere there in Kamuning too near the creek in K something street. I was on the way home from my friend’s house at 4am when the taxi driver suddenly stopped and told me pare merong white lady. Tiningnan ko at parang meron nga pero nawala bigla. I just dismissed it coz i might be under another spirit too. Di ko lang alam kung pati yong taxi driver. ha ha ha
Anyway, kumusta na ba ang back to the philippines na buhay?
oh yes, alam mo where the spirits are most prevalent there in phnom penh? there at le royale, the hotel with a character. one time i almost fled downstairs, at 2 am because, believe it or not, there was a black lady in the room (my foreigner friends would again say if they read this that “you are filipino if you have your own ghost story”), right at the side of my bed. i could not move, i lied frozen, and just hid under the comforter till morning clutching my rosary (anyway sanay na naman ako sa mga multo). i see to it also that i bring holy water when i travel.
the morning when i woke up, 2 rolls of toilet paper were all pulled out lined along the room. isn’t it freaky? back to your spirit house, i brought home one, but ended up giving it to my indian friend as soon as we cleared customs because i knew hubby will revolt against if if he knew what it was all about–kokontrahin nga naman ang twin hearts. after all the careful packing and all of my khmer friends, they still ask how my spirit house is doing.
hope honey is doing well in phnom penh, it was almost second home to me–i wonder why we did not meet there, as i was there almost every other month.
Oh a spirit house now that’s an interesting concept. It is indeed a big relief to know those wandering souls won’t make the mistake of venturing into your territory. They have a special place to go.
Sometimes it is psychological because people talk about it a lot but if one is ignorant about it, he/she won’t feel anything ! The spirit house concept certainly helps people go over the fear and that makes a difference
Wait… what’s that dark form behind you??
Interesting post, siguro if brought one home baka one night makita mo na lang na nagsasabunutan na yung white lady at yung Cambodian ghost sa likod ng bahay niya… mwehehehe
Myepinoy, bwahahahahaha, loko ka talaga.
Too much flesh yata sa mga white lady mo noong kabataan mo. 
Ah, may white lady ba sa K-8th? Baka nga. O baka nga panay spirit lang yung ininom mo. Anyway, magandang kuwento yan… puedeng blog post. 
Sexy Mom, wow, what a ghost story!
Yes, I’ve heard that there are ghosts in Le Royale. Ginawa yata yang headquarters or hospital ng KR. Sanay ka sa multo? Wow! I’d probably be scared to death if I saw what you saw. 
So you actually brought a spirit house home.
Hehe… hindi naman siguro kokontrahin yung 2 hearts… the Pinoy spirits wouldn’t know what to do with them naman e. 
Daphne, yes it does. Though I’m not a Buddhist, I do get some comfort from it.
BW, yes sometimes nga it’s psychological because people talk or the place is old and creepy.
You don’t think of or experience any ghosts in modern buildings. 
Snglguy, haha… parang Addams Family yung scene na ‘yon.
Alam mo Toe, (magtatagalog ako dito para di maka offend sa mga Cambodian or any Buddhist readers), baliktad tayo. Kung ako ikaw, mas matatakot yata ako sa ghosts or bad spirits kung may spirit house sa bahay ko. Kasi ang alam ko, kung meron niyan, maraming-marami ngang mga ibang nilalang ang pumupunta diyan. Dito sa Thailand, pag oras na ng burning nila ng incense at paglagay ng offering sa spirit house nila, maririnig mo ang howling ng kadami-dami na lang na mga aso! Sabi nga ng isang friend namin na pinapakitaan ng mga ganyan, minsan parang mob sa kadami nilang nakikipag-agawan sa mga offerings. Kaya masaya ako ngayon na sa condo namin medyo malayo sa building ang spirit house, and we’re way, way up so di namin naririnig ang dogs, come their offering time.
i have a friend who came from sweden, she’s a stewardess and she also have this necklace where she believes the spirit of happy memories gets in. this is quite different though.
the spirit house is quite symbolic to ones culture.
I’ll make sure to snap photos of interesting spirit houses when I go to Cambodia. Keep those tips coming, and thanks!
Hi Toe!
What a wonderful piece of Cambodian/Buddhist culture. Ang ganda ng spirit house na yan, it’s like altars that abound in homes here in the Philippines.
You probably should have brought home one, at least pag may nagmulto sayo, sasabihan mo lang na dun na lang sila tumira, wag na sa loob ng bahay
Oh, checkout my new blog when you have time
We Filipinos, despite our Catholic religiosity are so deep into spirits. Yet, the Cambodians, being Buddhists and ultimately believeing in the spiritual world, could be far more into it. Maybe, you could explore more on this in a future post.
i’m more afraid of the living than ghosts and spirits
hey toe, that was a really interesting post on spirits houses. i kind of “see” spirits as well, and wonder if these ‘altars’ may be kind of spirit magnets.
When you really believe on something it really works
! It’s like when you believe in superstitious beliefs things will happen daw. But I really like this spirit house because they put importance of Cambodian culture 
!
I didn’t know of customs like this! It looks nice.:)
IA, talaga? Nakakatakot nga kung ganon. Mabuti nga you live in a condo. Perong spirit repellant naman yung mga modern structures. Hindi yata comportable ang multo sa condo.
Dong Ho, yes, true. It’s deeply ingrained in Cambodian culture.
Oh, I didn’t know that Swedes have superstitions too.
Hi Rina, oh you’ll finds lots and lots of spirit houses in Cambodia.
Hi Vera, isn’t the spirit house interesting? Yes, you are right… very much like our altars. Haha… dapat nga nag-uwi ako para maganda bahay ng mga multo.
Major Tom, it’s indeed quite interesting that Cambodians are very religious and spiritual considering that the Khmer Rouge eradicated religion in the seventies. But then, their motto is God. Country. King.
Tutubi, mas mapapahamak ka nga kuminsan sa mga buhay kesa mga patay.
Caryn, oh you have the third eye pala. Perhaps, they could be magnets. Or maybe they just know because they learned when they’re alive that spirits are supposed to dwell there.
Haze, you are right. The spirit house is indeed very much a part of Cambodian culture.
Ade, yes it does adorn the front of houses quite beautifully.
[...] Read more in Toe’s Kurokuroatbp. [...]
[...] Read more in Toe’s Kurokuroatbp. [...]
That was what I wanted to ask halfway into the story — if you had brought one with you back to the Philippines. You didn’t.!! Maybe you can send for one by diplomatic pouch?
So what did you bring home that was of Cambodia? It would be interesting to know.
Annamanila, oh we brought home quite a few… wooden sofa sets, wooden cabinets, silk, a dresser, etc.
Do you remember what the Cambodian name is for their spirit houses? Evidently, they are also in Thailand and called san phra phum. Doubtful it’s the same name in Khmer. I was in Cambodia last December 2008, and you’re right they are everywhere. I didn’t know what they were at first & thought they were big freestanding birdfeeders. You can get them online – Google “spirit house Thailand” & you will find websites that will sell them and ship them to your home address.
ммм )) Ñимпотичный блог
Ðе думал Ñменить движок? ПоÑтавить ещё пару плагинов от Ñпамераи будет краÑивее..ну Ñто вот Ñто будет краÑиво дейÑтвительно
КÑтати , Ñ‚Ñ‹ какой ХоÑÑ‚ юзаешь? =)