050107 Tai Yai ritual

What's with the hexagon & little sword?



Troubles drifting away?



Looks just like the square base offering 'tray' made from banana leaf 'stalks' that Tai Lue people make:



Photo by the other cat

050107 Tai Yai

The Tai Yai 'booth' at the performance ground:






Triangular arrangement of branches with small banana plants & bundles of twigs tied to them looks exactly like what Tai Lue make as temple offerings:




First 'transparent' banner ever seen:



First blue banner ever seen:



Made from lace!

050107 Tai Yai dances

The 4-man 3-piece band - 1 guy each for drum & cymbals + 2 guys for gongs:




'toe' dance - with 'toe' being described as a lion, deer, antelope, or sheep:




What many tour brochures, tour guides & tourists refer to as the 'peacock dance', when the female dancer is supposed to be a half human half bird kinnari (kyingare; kinnara or kyingalar for the male role):




Unlike the Tai Lue who wrap a white cloth around their heads, the Tai Yai use other colours (usually light pink) & have very neat folds in the cloth:



Wings held in place with raffia string:



Raffia string tail:



Too busy watching - didn't take photos of the actual dances. These two dances were traditionally performed during Poy Awk Waa (Boun Ok Phansa), with the 'toe' representing all 4-legged creatures & the kinnari all 2-legged creatures celebrating the return of Buddha to earth after preaching to his mother in Tavatimsa heaven.