PORCH PONDERINGS

Sacred Jars

Thursday, April 8

Plain of Jars

Location: Xiangkhoang Plateau, Laos


More than 2,000 large ancient stone jars are spread across a plateau in Central Laos. Some stand 10 feet tall and weigh several tons. Archaeologists estimate the jars are 2,000 years old, but their purpose is unclear. The most common theories are that they were used as funeral urns.

What do you think these urns were for?


Missionaries from other religions made the mistake of trying to convince the Hmong folk that their religions were better. Now the Hmong at this ancient time were Animists. They held in high esteem the idea that plants and animals were gods. Among their gods were the tree god and the salamander god.

One day missionaries from the far-away country of Indus made the mistake of cutting down the sacred trees in a grove near one Hmong village. Then they roasted the large salamanders that wandered freely among the weeds nearby.

Hmong people were horrified at such sacrilege and wondered how they would appease the gods. As luck would have it, they had large stone jars nearby that were used for storing grain and water. But they were quickly put into use for another reason; for torturing the missionaries.

The large stone jars were filled with oil. The oil was heated with hot stones dropped into the jars. Once the oil was heated to boiling, they put the missionaries into the jars. The lids were then placed on top so the screams could not be heard.

After a time, the bones of the missionaries were taken out of the oil, the oil drained. The Hmong ground the bones to fertilize any sacred trees that still grew nearby. Salamanders soon came back to the village. They erected a shrine to the trees and salamanders. Oil from the stone jars was now considered holy and used in worship at the shrine.

Could be true? I have no idea. But my imagination had fun thinking of it.


W/C 249