Neak ta
A neak ta is a Cambodian ancestral or tutelary deity, believed locally to watch over people, places, and things, as long as they are paid proper respect.
Neak ta in Khmer translates as the ancestor. A neak ta can be either feminine or masculine, and most often they operate as a couple.
History
Origin: an ancestral worship of nature
Though the origins of the neak ta lose themselves in the night of time, they are believed to originate in a certain worship of nature. The cult ofthe neak ta may be regarded as a foundational layer upon which later traditions have been overlaid. The cult of the neak ta contains primitive religious elements, such as lacking dogma and a priesthood, as it preceded both Hinduism and Buddhism in Cambodia.
''Neak ta'' at Angkor: the influence of the ''devaraja''
In the Angkorian period, the worship of the devaraja as kamraten jagat, protective genius linked to dynasties and places can be seen as new valorisation of the ruling king of his own neak ta.The veneration of neak ta is still present among the ancient Khmer Empire outside of the contemporary borders of Cambodia, as these neak ta rituals have been observed among the Khmer Surin in Thailand and the Khmer Krom in Vietnam. In Laos, phìbàn are Laotian equivalents of the neak ta, although the phìbàn are geographically more specific and functionally less well-defined.
After the fall of Angkor, King Ang Chan I also known as Preah Baromei is associated with the elevation of the most famous neak ta Khleang Moeung in Pursat.
In his footsteps, King Ang Chan II ordered that neak ta Sengha and neak ta Preah Ind be brought to a monastery voat Phnom Kngok Meas near Kampong Chhnang to ensure its prosperity.
King Sisowath, land reform and the replacement of the ''neak ta'' by the State
Until the XIXth century, insofar as the land belonged to anyone, it belonged to the spirits of the ancestors neak ta. Neak ta were mired in networks of protection, placation and patronage that resembled those tying governors and particular fiefdom. However, new administrative policies enacted in Cambodia during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century sought to shift this traditional "galactic" arrangement of power to one in which the central government had tighter control over outlying regions. Neak ta were also feared as a backward-dragging superstition rather than a challenge to state authority during the French protectorate of Cambodia. When the King Sisowath's Prime Ministry Thiounn drafted the initial blueprint for the territorial reform of Cambodia in 1908, he included among the role of the new state appointed religious adviser the mission to "arrange ceremonial materials" to praise the village neak ta. However, this role did not appear in the 1908 royal ordinance as the role of the neak ta was replaced by the modern bureaucratic génie of the state.Khmers Rouges: the replacement of the ''neak ta'' by the Angkar as master of water and of the earth
In official or private propaganda under the Khmers Rouges regime, little mention is made of the neak ta — they were ignored, but sometimes also destroyed as in the case of Preah Ang Chek Preah Ang Chorm. Uprooting the belief in the neak ta from the Khmer soul, young Khmers Rouge soldiers did not deny their existence but realized their inefficacy.The message that "Angkar is the master of the water and of the earth" demonstrated a great contrast with activities of the earlier Issarak movement, which tried to gain control over villages by "endowing new neak ta".
Kingdom of Cambodia (1991 - present): local identity, diminished power and survival of the ''neak ta''
In the aftermath of the Khmer rouges and with the development of Cambodia, the local neak ta are said to be no longer as demanding or as potent as they used to be, while efforts have been made to restore elements of their cult and worship. The frequent movements of population after 1975 severed the link between villagers and their ancestors. In consequence, belief in the whole panoply of autochthonous mythological beings, including the tutelary spirits began to disintegrate. However, some neak ta spirit cults grew in importance once again away from the control of Buddhist monks and lay specialists as it was observed in Kep.Leaving the neak ta has been a vexing experience for the Khmer diaspora. Despite considering the possibility that the neak ta may relocate, the migration of Khmer diaspora outside of Cambodia has been particularly vexing in terms of territorial spirits who protect a certain place.
Rituals
Neak ta believers try to control what happens to them through the use of rituals, amulets, and offerings. Despite some similarities, the rituals vary from one neak ta to another.''Neak ta'' Houses
To honour a neak ta, local villagers will usually set up altars near large trees as miniature cabins suspended from a branch or mounted upon a post and in which they are then reputed to reside in the form of roots, stones, fragments of sculpture or without any visible form.Officiants: ''achar'', ''kru khmer'' and ''boramei''
While the achar is the ritual master of ceremonies for rites related to the neak ta, the Buddhist monks will only take part in the recitation of prayers and not as officiants.The Kru Khmer is a shaman who specializes in the rituals of neak ta. A Khmer Kru is normally a man who specializes in "herbal medicine, preparation of amulets and talismans, black magic, or meditation". He is able to distinguish which spirit, whether a neak ta or another evil spirit, is causing harm and bring about healing by recommending a course of action to appease the offended spirit.
For more obvious cases affecting the psychosis, mostly female mediums called kru boramei or rup are sought out. Boramei medium are mediums that allow the neak taor boramei spirits to directly interact with the seekers. Unlike kru khmer who train to become an expert, kru boramei is thought to be chosen by the boramei spirits themselves to serve as their mediums.
Rites: promises, prophylactic prayers and annual allegiances
Rituals associated with the neak ta may be simple blessing vows, formal ceremonies, or the monastic recitation of parittas protective verses either a prophylactic supplication or to counteract serious difficulties such as major illnesses, famine and accidents.The first type of rite is a vow or promise performed to gain a blessing for a minor undertaking or to find a missing object.
The second is a more formal prophylactic ceremony designed to counteract more serious difficulties, such as major illnesses, famine, or drought. It involves an officiant and an orchestra.
The final category is reserved for neak ta with a regional or national significance. Also known as "raising up the ancestors" it is a rite associated with ensuring the next harvest. It generally takes place annually as a form of feudal allegiance in January–February and is oriented toward general protection, health, and peace throughout the coming year.
Offerings: from human sacrifice to symbolic vegetal offerings
The primary way in which the neak ta believers worship is to offer food, flowers, incense, and alcohol at the neak ta spirit house. Most often, the offerings will include a pair of sla thor, two bowls of perfumed water, five candles and five incense sticks. The sla thor is a banana tree cut to approximately 15 centimeters supported by three bamboo shoots. The sla thor dong is also common and made with a coconut symbolizing the womb of new birth. An areca nut is placed on top. The five candles and five incense sticks represent the five directions of space which the neak ta is to protect: four cardinal directions and the zenith. Added to this, other offerings such as bay sei, cigarettes, sampot and other offerings can be made ad libitum.Ritual specialists kru khmer have traditionally used herbal remedies, astrology, fortune-telling, magic, sorcery, and talismans to both access the neak ta spirit world and to provide protection from it.
A number of neak ta were offered wild and domestic animal sacrifices until quite recently. Neak ta Mno of Voat Vihear Suor received both a crocodile and a monkey, while neak ta Tenon of Kandal Stieng had a monkey.
Human sacrifices to neak ta Me Sar took place at Ba Phnom as late as 1884. It seems that the neak ta Krol of Kompong Thom may have received human sacrifices until 1904.