Home » History » East Asian History » The Kalok Dance of the Mons

The Kalok Dance of the Mons

© John Walsh

The Mon people have a long and distinguished history which saw them creating and holding a powerful kingdom in eastern and southern Burma a thousand years ago. Unfortunately for the Mons, they were squeezed between the Burmans to the west and the Thais to the east who proved to be more successful in state formation, especially with the colonisation of Burma by the British. As a result, they have come to occupy a border position between the two countries, without a settled homeland of their own. The glory of their past is largely unknown.

The Mons are Buddhist people predominantly and also maintain animist beliefs from the past. Animism means paying reverence to the spirits of natural phenomena such as trees, rivers and mountains. In traditional village life, the important shrine (bau ju) is located away from anyone's house and is the place where the village spirit will live. People make offerings fairly regularly at the bau ju in order to propitiate the village spirit and also in cases of special need, for example illness or if a buffalo wanders off into the forest. The Mons also believe in a number of other ghosts or spirits, which are known as 'kalok.' The kalok who is the guardian spirit of the house is also often requested for help at times of need and, when this happens, people make a vow to repay the spirit. This repayment usually takes the form of the Kalok Dance. Indeed, the promise to the spirit is considered binding and the dance, complete with its attendant drinking and feasting, will commonly be held even if the wished for outcome does not arrive.

The most important person at the kalok dance is the don, who is a man or woman who represents the kalok and, through a kind of psychic link, is able to tell everyone present exactly what the kalok requires. This means that there is some variation in the different dance, for some dons will ask for one kind of food or drink and others another. The type of music, singing and dancing is also subject to the whim of the kalok and the aca bat, the leader of the orchestra, must be sufficiently skilled as to be able to satisfy whatever musical request is made. The dance itself is always performed by women, even though they act the part of men. It takes place among a great deal of happy feasting and drinking. It is said that the don is so possessed by the spirit that it does not matter how much rice wine he or she drinks or food he or she eats, all of it is passed straight away to the spirit.

The copyright of the article The Kalok Dance of the Mons in East Asian History is owned by John Walsh. Permission to republish The Kalok Dance of the Mons in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.