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History of the Lawa People (3) – Imaginary tale based on true legends

I. Introduction: The Prophetic Encounter

A white rabbit, with eyes sparkling like stars and fur shining with purity, jumped from the southern hills. His heart raced when he saw the mountain of Chiang Dao rise on the horizon. He slowed down, then came to a halt. Before him stood Doi Luang, imposing and majestic. Its peaks, shrouded in mist and silence, gave it a sacred aura. This was no ordinary place: it was a sanctuary. The white rabbit knew it. He felt it deep within his being.

Chiang Dao, land where realities and legends intertwine.
It is here that the Ping River is born, escaping from the depths of the mountain like a Naga serpent. In the heart of this mountain lie the sacred caves, refuges of forest spirits and wandering souls of times past.

It is in this mystical environment that another figure appears: a golden deer slowly descending from the north, its mane shimmering under the rays of the setting sun.
The rabbit freezes, his senses on alert.

The deer watches him with a slight smile, his piercing eyes revealing an ancient wisdom, as if he were observing not only the events of the present, but also the traces left by the past and the outlines of the future. Their meeting is no coincidence — Doi Luang knows it — this encounter foretells a great revelation.

The rabbit, visibly quite talkative, introduces himself in a cheerful tone and begins his story.
He has travelled through Chomthong, where he witnessed a remarkable event: the Buddha offered a sacred relic to a farmer, who, inspired by the divine vision, decided to build a temple to house this precious artefact: Wat Prathat Chomthong.

The Buddha, after blessing the region, remained for a moment on the summit of Doi Pui, silently contemplating the plain. The rabbit, a discreet witness, heard him proclaim that a great kingdom would rise here. He thought of Jamadewi, queen of Hariphunchai, who had united the peoples by honoring the Lawa spirits. But the Buddha’s vision went further: a new city, promise of a radiant era.

Then the name surged into the rabbit’s mind like a blazing revelation: Chiang Mai, the “New Citadel.”

II. The New Citadel

The golden deer then addressed the white rabbit in a deep and melodious voice:
“So, leaping scout from the South… Tell me: do you truly believe a kingdom can sprout among stones? Have you felt the earth tremble beneath your paws, or is this another one of those fine tales whispered to fireflies when the night prepares to swallow all?”

The rabbit, taking a deep breath, began his prophetic tale in a solemn tone.
“Chiang Mai shall rise like a jewel in an ever-green fertile plain. Its foundation shall be laid around the sacred pillar Inthakin, symbol of protection and nature’s balance. The Lawa shall keep an essential role in the city’s rituals, perpetuating harmony between the spiritual and the earthly. The kings of this Chiang Mai shall build temples without ceasing, renewing the unbreakable bond with the law of the Dharma. The year marking 2000 years of Buddhism shall be celebrated here, and Chiang Mai shall become the stage for a great international gathering of sages and monks at Wat Jed Yod.”

The deer bowed his head, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
“Could this New Citadel be the nest of that harmonious society foretold by the stars above?”

But the rabbit suddenly changed his tone, his face darkening like a sky before the storm.
“Centuries will pass and with them shall come decay and corruption. This once prosperous kingdom shall plunge into chaos. What was sacred shall become profane, and the shadow of oblivion shall threaten its traditions.”

The golden deer remained pensive, his gaze lost in the distance.
“There is more than stone in foundations, wise rabbit. Remember: it is hands that build, and spirit that dreams. The stone that crumbles can be carved again, and forgotten temples await to be found. Did you know that the architects of the past drew their cities with the future in mind? Let us rest now, and see what the world dreams for tomorrow.”

III. The Night

While the deer slept beneath the stars of Chiang Dao, the rabbit ventured into the darkness of the caves. A thick mist curled there like a breath from the past. As he moved forward, a voice echoed from the depths of the cavern, deep and distant:

“You seek the new city, but behold what it shall become.”

Suddenly, the world tilted. Before him, the great citadel was born, rose, shone… then was torn apart in the turmoil of fire and forgetting.

He wanted to look away, but the vision engulfed him, plunging him into a whirlwind of flames and darkness.

IV. The Prophecy of the White Rabbit

At dawn, the White Rabbit emerged slowly from the cave, ears lowered and eyes wide open, as if he had seen the inside of a storm. He no longer hopped — he walked, solemnly, back straight, with a grave expression.
He wore the kind of face one adopts before announcing a war… or the end of the world.

The Golden Deer was drinking from the young Ping River that flowed from the entrails of Doi Luang. “You look like an oracle about to explode. Do you want silence, tea, or should I be worried?”

The White Rabbit didn’t reply right away. He climbed onto a rock, sat down very seriously — too seriously — stared at the horizon, then declared in a solemn voice:

“Friend of the forests, what I saw last night is not a children’s parable. It is… it is a cosmic mudslide. A great, vast, magnificent mess that is on its way.”

And thus began the prophecy.

The White Rabbit began to share his visions with the Golden Deer.
Each word he spoke was disarmingly simple, as if he were describing scenes he did not fully understand himself.

Nature in Anger

“O friend, the mountains will tremble like leaves in the wind, and the rivers will overflow like an overfilled soup pot. Chiang Mai will be relentlessly flooded, its houses swallowed under the weight of the mud. Trees will bloom out of season, and the rain will not come when it is expected.

There will be seven great earthquakes, and the Chedis will collapse. The sky will be covered with clouds, but no rain will fall. Smoke will linger in the air, hiding the sun, and the peaks of the Doi will no longer be visible.”

The Golden Deer, listening intently, asked with a hint of concern:
“O friend, what will become of humans in the face of such upheaval?”

Moral Decline

“People will behave strangely, my friend. They will cover their heads, their eyes, even their mouths, as if ashamed to look at the sky and afraid to breathe the air. The wise will no longer be respected, their words constantly questioned. As for the rulers of this Chiang Mai, they will spend their time adorning themselves in fine clothes instead of caring for their people. They will pray at the Inthakhin pillar, not for peace or for rain, but to win the lottery.”

The Golden Deer, heart heavy, whispered:
“O friend, how will they find the path of wisdom in such chaos?”

The Society in Disarray

“The merchants, greedy for power, will interfere in the affairs of the State, acting like corrupt officials, and the monks, forgetting their sacred vows, will behave like laymen, lost in earthly pleasures. Teachers will be nothing more than drunkards, incapable of enlightening minds.
Children will show no respect to their elders, and in turn, adults will neglect their children. Hatred will reign in hearts.

People will let handkerchiefs fly in place of flags. Horses and buffaloes, once free, will graze together, tied like prisoners.”

The golden deer, eyes filled with sorrow, asked: 
“O friend, will there still be room for hope in such a troubled world?”

Spiritual Decline

“Immoral monks will defile the monastic community, just as dirty water pollutes a clear pond.
They will sing instead of chanting prayers.
People will no longer respect the temples, using images of the Buddha like goods for sale.
Humans will be captivated by their own reflection, performing meritorious acts not for their value, but as spectacle, seeking the praise of others rather than true virtue.

Undisciplined laypeople, interested only in food and laziness, will take monastic ordination.
Guided by greed, they will seek neither heaven nor nirvana, but perform only actions that lead to endless rebirths. It will be an era without foundations.”

The golden deer, searching for a glimmer of hope, asked: 
“O friend, when will this age of darkness come to an end?”

The Rebirth

Then the rabbit reopened his eyes. A light shone within them—small, yet unshakable.

“At last shall come the sacred day of kat rao, in the seventh month, on the seventh day of the cycle marked by the moon and the sun, chosen from the great sexagenary calendar.
On that day, on the banks of the Huai Kaeo River, a just human will be born.
He will come neither through war nor through cunning, but will grow like an ancient tree whose roots have waited in shadow.

He will teach the path of goodness not through fine speeches, but by the example of his righteousness. And all – nobles, monks, elders, children, spirits and beasts – will recognize him. He will not govern by force, but by balance.”

The golden deer slowly bowed its head, as if saluting a future still unseen.

V. The Ultimate Revelation

And in that suspended moment, the heavens opened. A soft light brushed the stones, and the veil was lifted.

For the golden deer was none other than Vissukamma, the architect of the gods, sent to survey the world and prepare the foundations of renewal.

As for the rabbit, no one ever knew where he went. Some say they saw him resume his bounding toward the northern hills, leaving behind only a single footprint in the stone. That footprint became a relic, and his story a memory.

And it was said that those who hear this tale will remember it,
and those who understand… will not despair.

The text and photos © Frédéric Alix, photos taken in Chiang Dao in 2022 and 2024

This story is the third in a series about the legends of the Lawa people, the original inhabitants of the Chiang Mai region.

1. The Peace Accord of the Lawa Land
   
2. Vilanka, the Tale of the Lawa King
   
3. The Revelation of the White Rabbit of Chiang Dao
   

All these legends exist in the collective memory—I have invented nothing. In rewriting them, I have adapted and made some small changes. The bibliographies show the sources I relied on for this work. I took great pleasure in writing these stories. I especially enjoyed the characters of Phu Sae and Ya Sae, Vilanka, and the White Rabbit. I might write a new story with these characters; for that, your encouragement will be invaluable.

Bibliography

I found this legend in the book by Hans Penth, and I have rewritten it with small adaptations.

Penth, H. (2004). A brief history of Lanna: Northern Thailand from past to present. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books.