This Thai ghost story has been passed down for many generations. It all really began again a century ago in the Prakanong district of Thailand. There are not many articles or historic sources you can really depend on this so called 'legend', mainly because stories like these in Thai culture were not written down but told. However here is a brief adaptation of the legend; int the Prakanong district a young couple was living together in a little village. Their names were Mae Nak, the wife, and Tid Mak, the husband. At the time, there were village wars going on and Mak was pretty much constricted into the war leaving Nak at home pregnant. In this point of the story, there are many other versions and really changes the whole plot.The most common is that Nak ends up dieing with the baby still alive in the womb. Her love for Mak pretty much is what keeping her on earth. When Mak is int he war he is injured and seeking recovery in an area, what is now modern day Bangkok. Mak returns home knowing nothing that happend to Nak, however the local villagers and neighbors know that Nak is dead and what ever is in their house is a ghost. Some try to warn him but they would end up dead or kill by ghostly Nak. It wasn't until one day Mak was using the restroom on the lower level of the house, Nak was making food and dropped a slice of lemon. She extended her arm to get the slice, not knowing that Mak saw the whole thing. He then finally realized he had been living with a ghost.
At night when they were both 'asleep', Mak tries to make a run for it. He wakes up to tell Nak he needs to go use the rest room, so he cracks open a bottle and drips it trying to make a urinating sound. When done he pretty much runs for it. Nak realizes that Mak isn't coming back, she pursues him. Mak seeks refuge in a temple where Nak cannot enter holy ground. A monk helps out Mak by doing a buddhist excorist trapping Nak in a clay pot and throws it into the river. From then on Nak's spirit is said to be gone.
Again there are MANY adaptations to this story, the one above is just the most common told.
courtesy of: http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/drama/mae.html
"Wat Mahabut - the Legend of Mae Nak." Tour Bangkok Legacies for an Enriching Travel Experience. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/wat-mahabut.html.
"Mae Nak Spirit." Web. 02 Nov. 2011. <http://www.thaiworldview.com/bouddha/maenak.htm>.
---------
