Kalamet (Chan), from the cosmetic to the executed tool

The previous Thanaka topic was mentioned about Kalamet, as a part of Thai traditional cosmetic as well as thanaka. This time I’d like to write about the Kalamet itself.

Kalamet or in Thai “Chan” is a plant with the scientific name Mansonia gagei, a member of Sterculiaceae family. It is the native species of the South-Eastern Asia continent. In the ancient time, this plant is valuable merchandise, because of its aromatic heartwood. The trading of Kalamet in that time was authorized only by the government, in other words, by the Royal families. It also is traditional use as folk medicine as cardiac stimulant, antivertigo, antiemitic, antidepressant and refreshment agents.

 Mansonia gagei flower (Pictures from the website of  the Forest Herbarium
 Department of National Parks,Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Bangkok, Thailand.)

Since Kalamet is high value, it was used in numerous ways especially for building. The highest use of kalamet in building was at Vientiane, Laos. This city was originally called “Viang Tai Mai Chan”, which means “The city that the fences were built from the Chan wood” – indicating that the fences of this town once were built from the wood of Mansonia gagei.

Set aside from the cosmetic, medicine and building, the kalamet is also used as executed tool for the Nobles. It’s the traditional custom in this country that the blood of the Nobles must not be spilled since it’s like the bad omen for the whole country. Because of this custom, when the Nobles were sentenced to death. They were executed by smashing with a bunch of kalamet wood until they died. This custom also found in Myanmar. The difference is that, in Myanmar, the Noble men were executed by smashing with kalamet wood behind their necks while the women were smashed at the front, to crush their Adam’s apple.

Kalamet is also used after the death, too. Originally, it was used as firewood for the Nobles and Royals. After the decreasing of the kalamet in Thailand, the use of the whole kalamet wood is change. The kalamet wood was cut to the slim pieces and then weaved in a shape of the, and was used in the funeral instead of the whole kalamet wood. This tool (called “dok-mai-chan”) is used until today; even the material is not the kalamet wood anymore. The use of dok-mai-chan is spreading and accepted to the lower class people. Nowadays, dok-mai-chan is used in most of the funeral in Thailand, including my mother's.