| HO KLONG |
| Text & maps by Tricky Vandenberg - April 2016 |
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| (Detail of Engelbert Kaempfer's draft map - Anno 1690) |
| Ho Klong was a drum tower of about 55 meters high, consisting of three stories with each a drum. The tower stood in the center of the city of Ayutthaya on Talaeng Kaeng road (Four Ways Road). Its roof was arched and painted red. The drums were beaten to warn the population in case of fire, signal the approach of enemies or summon people for meetings. Each storey had its function. Phra Thiwaratri, the drum on the first storey, was beaten to mark noon and to call up people for a public meeting at dusk according to the customs of the city. When fire was spotted the drum called Phra Maha Rangap-phloeng on the middle storey was sounded. If a fire occurred outside the city, Phra Maha Rangap-phloeng was beaten three times. If the fire occurred at the foot of the city walls or in the city itself the drum was beaten until the fire was extinguished. The highest storey was used to keep watch for enemy approaching, on which the drum called Phra Maha Ruek was beaten. The tower was manned by city officials who had also the task the maintain the drums. A number of cats were kept by the staff at the tower to avoid rodents gnawing the large drums. To feed the cats the staff collected a small fee (five cowries) from the shops at the market in front of the jail in order to buy grilled fish. The drum tower stood south of the jail. The Ho Klong was sacred and possessed by a guardian spirit called Jao Ket (a Brahmanical deity to whom offerings were made when evils were to be averted or success sought. The Jao Ket was a true spirit (phi), customary created by burying a suitable individual alive under the foundations of the drum tower, to serve as a guardian angel. Today we find Wat Ket near the location of the former drum tower. The drum tower was due to its height a landmark of the city. The location of the tower can be found on Engelbert Kaempfer's map drafted in 1690 and a depiction of it, can be found on Johannes Vingboons map dating from 1665. References: [1] Pongsripian, Vinai Dr. - Phanna phumisathan Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya: Ekasan jak Ho Luang - Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the palace - Bangkok, Usakane, n. d. (2007). [2] Wales, Quaritch H.G. - Siamese State Ceremonies - Their history and function - London, Bernard Quaritch, Ltd., 1931 - page 103. |
