This legend tells the story of a pregnant woman by the name of Nak. She was deeply in love with her husband Mak, who was sent away to war, and while he was gone, Nak and her unborn child died. A tragedy to be sure but when Mak returned home he found his wife and child alive and well, and they lived together happily for some time, before he eventually realised, through a mixture of neighbourly rumours and strange occurrences at home, that he was living with ghosts. Mak eventually fled and took refuge in a temple (a holy ground that is off-limits to supernatural entities such as ghosts) which enraged Nak so much that she haunted the region of Phra Khanong, until she was eventually captured by an exorcist who imprisoned her spirit in an earthenware jar and tossed it into the river.
From there the legend branches off into many different endings as these things often do. Some say that she was released after being fished out of the river accidentally, while others speak of a monk—the famous Somdej Toh no less—who recaptured the soul and trapped it inside the skeletal remains of Nak’s own body and wore it as a wrist band, and later passed it on for safe keeping to the Royal Family of Thailand. However, if you prefer a happy ending, then this variation might be for you: Somdej Toh is said to have captured Nak and convinced her that all would be well when reincarnated, and she could join Mak again in her future life, and so so she left this world in peace. To this day people still visit the shrine which was created in Phra Khanong, Bangkok to ask the spirit for favours such as successful births, and that their husband be left at home—not forced into military service. To visit the shrine go to: Mae Nak Shrine, Wat Mahabut. Phra Khanong, Sukhumvit Soi 77
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