LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Classroom » Multimedia

About this recording

Creator
Kristin Post
Date created
October 4, 2000
Duration
0:17
Location
Trang, Thailand
File
MP3
License
This recording copyright ©2000. Terms of use

Related media

Learn more

In the classroom

Please upgrade your Flash Player and/or enable JavaScript in your browser to listen to this audio file.

Download audio file (Right-click or option-click)

Part of a ten day vegetarian Buddhist festival in Trang, Thailand. This is a recording of an evening fundraiser event held at the temple, and is well attended by the local townspeople. Men at the event are considered to be in “trance,” or occupied by the spirits of people from “Paradise.” While in trance, they climbed a ladder made with rungs with razor blades.

In this clip, you can hear an announcer’s voice and the drumming, soon followed by a faint, but high pitched voice speaking rapidly. (To me, it sounds like “Beaker” from The Muppet Show.) There are bell sounds, the higher pitched voice and then the voice of a child who repeats himself.

The high pitched voice is from one of the men who is in “trance.” The high pitched voice may be due to the fact that it is the voice from Paradise, not the man’s natural voice. After he speaks and comes close to the audience member, the child with him asks that person to donate some money.