Din Pong – Soil from Mineral / Salt Licks

In the world of sorcery, the items that go into making an amulet effective come from a few sources. It is believed that everything in the universe is imbued with energy, and such energy that exists in these can be used as an ingredient to make powerful amulets. Some of these come from inanimate objects such as coconuts, crystal and mineral ores, as well as those that come from animate objects such as bones, ashes or skin of animals and humans alike.

One of the commonly used materials in Thai amulets is Din Jed Pong, or “Soil from 7 different Mineral Licks” in the wilderness. Collectors had always been told that an amulet is made of, or consists of this. But why is Din Jed Pong used as an ingredient? What mystical properties does these soil have that would make an amulet effective?

Mystical Energies

It is found that these Din Pong

was favoured as food for certain animals such as hogs, deers, bulls and elephants. The animals would eat a little of these as the soil contains many minerals such as sodium, zinc calcium, iron, phosphorus which the animals need but are unable to find in their herbivorial diet. Din Pong from different locations would have a different composition of minerals. It was observed that some mineral licks would be frequented by animals, while some were totally avoided.

As the mineral licks attract animals that look for sustenance, it also attracts large predators and hunters. These places are often the locations where many deaths occurred.

It is said that Din Pong has many mystical properties. Some of these are named Pee Pong Din Dam

(Black soil filled with spirits). The soil from these mineral licks is filled with the blood and energies of unrestful spirits. The natural composition of minerals makes them a powerful vessel to trap and store energies.

These unrestful animal spirits sometimes would cause the deaths of hunters in mysterious ways. For example, a hunter would fire unto an animal, only to see the phantom animal disappear, and realized that he had shot his hunting companion instead.

Some of these hunters ventured too close to the mineral licks and attracted evil into them. This is because the unrestful spiritual animals held in contempt the malicious and murderous intent of predators that had caused their deaths, and when hunters approached their hunt in these areas with such intent, these similar violent energies caused an ephemeral connection. Hunters would go home and suffered from acute episodes of gout or arthritis mysteriously. This would sometimes lead to a permanent limping or amputation.

Unrestful Spirits

There was a story named Pong Khao Leam

in Rayong. Its exact location is undetermined as some sources stated it was in Suratthani. This mineral lick was frequented by many animals. Because of this, it attracted many hunters and larger predatory animals as well. Hunters would hide in the branches of the trees and wait patiently for their kill. They related numerous mysterious incidents. During the night, they would hear noises which sounded like herds of animals feeding on the mineral licks. When they shine the light towards the source of the noises, it was found that there were no animals at all, and the noises disappeared abruptly as well. At times, they would see the animals, but when they fired their rifles to hunt them, the animals disappeared into thin air like phantoms. They realized that the Pong was enchanted, and could be a Pee Pong (Spirits/ Ghosts) from the myths in Thailand. Due to such repeated strange incidents, hunters decided to leave the place alone.

One day, a knowledgeable hunter arrived and faced the same mysterious incidences at that area. He knew what had transpired. Because this natural occurring mineral lick had existed for a long time, attracting many animals and hunters, there were much unrestful and violent energy due to deaths of the hunted animals. The animals had fought and struggled against other larger predators (such as tigers) in that area too. The spirits and energies of the animals that died had lingered on in that area.

The hunter then took a spent cartridge and buried it in the mineral lick and proceeded to perform an impromptu ceremony to “seal” it, as well as allow the unrestful animal spirits to move on for a better rebirth. From then on, no animals frequented that place anymore.

Guardians of the Forest

Legends were passed down from generations to generations, telling of spiritual Guardians in the wilderness.

In the wild, animals have to find ways and means to find sustenance, such as water, fruits, shrubs, vegetation and prey.

It is believed that all animals have a way to protect against predators. It is also believed that there are guardian spirits in the forest, which maintains the balance of life and death, at times providing protection to the fauna and flora that dwells there, making sure that the living beings there follow the rules of nature.

The guardian deities would punish unruly animals by sending them into the path of hunters. In the days gone by, hunters would offer prayers before embarking on a hunt. In one of the story, a hunter was hunting for a long time without any luck. He set up traps and hid among the branches of the trees and waited for a long time. He was on the verge of giving up when he saw a figure wearing only a Jong-Graben and a red headband flashing past his view before mysteriously disappearing without a trace. Knowing that apparition to be a spiritual guardian in the forest, he made a prayer towards the guardian, asking for a prey that the guardian deemed unruly, that could be sacrificed for him to bring home as food for his family.

After a short while, a group of hogs wandered into the mineral lick near where he was hiding. They were scavenging for food, and after eating their fill, all left except one. He shot the hog and was able to bring the kill back to his family for food.

Harnessing the Energies

Since there are Guardian Spirits in every forest, a ceremony had to be performed for them before any soil from the mineral licks can be collected.

Spiritual adepts would collect the soil from 7 different mineral licks as 7 is a number often related to enchantments. Rituals had to be chanted with specific incantation, and enable these Din Pong to be used in a good or evil ways. Some of them are mixed with other materials to make Phong Pattamung and other sacred powders which are then used to make amulets such as Somdej.

In other instances, there are mixed with other materials to make Kreung Rang, such as Guman Thong, a spiritual baby amulet.