BEYOND THE : fanciers enter their prized doves into the arena MASCULINITY AND THE and hope to be a winner. It is a “deeper play” in the Geertzian sense. THAI DOVE-COOING CONTEST Introduction

Wanni Wibulswasdi Anderson1 “Goog-groo gog gog! Goog-groo gog gog!” This is how the Thai novel, Golden Necklace (Soi Tong), begins. The novel is an acclaimed Abstract work by a village school headmaster in Sukhothai, Nimit Phumetaworn, an award The Dove-cooing contest in began as winner for in 1976. The sound a leisure activity, the hobby of a particular heard at the beginning of the novel is that of a group of men who found peace, pleasure, and dove cooing. It is a domesticated dove whose enjoyment in listening to the songs of the owner Loy has named Golden Necklace. singing doves. Some hoped for good luck in raising doves with propitious characteristics. The song soars clear and low, to The hobby developed into a sport through the Loy’s delight. initiative of the Association of Dove Breeders in Thailand. The Association’s encouragement Loy snaps his fingers and makes vocal of dove breeding found enthusiastic support sounds, his response to the dove’s from dove lovers in all regions, especially in cooing. He walks over to the cage of Southern Thailand where many prize-winning Golden Necklace, his favorite doves came from. The study presents the songbird. Bobbing his head up and training and care of doves, selected scenes of down, clever Golden Necklace continues to coo. He struts around the the contest, the rules by which the singing cage, occasionally thrusting his head doves are judged, and analyzes multiple between the wooden slats of the cage structural and ideational dynamics involved in to show off the shining pattern of the event. Not simply a folk sport, an black, white, and brown circling his sport in and of itself, the dove-cooing contest neck like a necklace that has been is about the dove fancier. But it also painted on by an artist. His eyes, transcends the individual. In its national, round and clear, sparkle like clear societal context, the people who organize and drops of water. participate in the event are more socially and ethnically diverse, more socially aware, and Golden Necklace is Loy's friend, his more engaged in the needs of the community. consolation for his loneliness and The contest facilitates boundary-crossings: anxiety. Loy loves Golden Necklace ethnic, social, economic, regional, and as if he were a son - his second son, international - as diverse groups of dove next to his only son Ruay. Golden Necklace never fails to please Loy with his cooing of welcome when he 1 Professor, Department of Anthropology and sees Loy step up into the house. And Ethnic Studies Concentration, Brown University

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Beyond the Cockfight: Masculinity and the Thai Dove-Cooing Contest

whenever Loy returns home late from system continues to inform and shape his rice paddy, he finds Golden contemporary Thai ways of life and behaviors. Necklace cooing excitedly in a quick tempo and running around the cage The dove-cooing contest can be best happily at the sight of Loy. Playfully understood as a development of multiple he pecks Loy's hand. Had there been meanings within a complex of activities no slats on the cage, he probably analyzed here on several levels. The analysis would have embraced Loy. discusses dove cooing as a process, the sport as an outgrowth of a historical development of To buyers interested in Golden Necklace, Loy men’s hobby, as a cultural behavior associated responds, "Even though I’m dirt poor, I’d with a certain constellation of personality never sell him. Not even for an ox-cart full of characteristics, and as a milieu for creating rice!" interactional networks crosscutting multiple social boundaries and nation-state territories. Loy looks after Golden Necklace better than By tracing the history of the evolution of the he looks after himself. He handcrafted the dove-cooing contest, its popularity, and why beautiful cage for Golden Necklace himself. so many Thais are enamored with this sport, I With his sharp knife, he smoothes the bamboo further intend to shed some light on the slats and smokes them to give them a beautiful interconnection between dove-raising as a golden shine. He binds the slats together with hobby, the Thai world view of in their rattan strips. To make sure there is enough natural habitat, and, as most dove-raisers are food for Golden Necklace the whole year men, the Thai concept of masculinity. round, he grows makoe grass, rice, and maize (Phumetaworn 2525:1-2) Raising Doves as a Hobby

Phumetaworn skillfully crafts a representation The hobby of keeping and raising doves as of the close bond between a pet dove and his pets in the region which is now Thailand dates owner in Thai culture. The integration of this at least back to the period of the Khmer Thai animal sport and hobby into the realm of political dominance of the area. Bas-reliefs in literary representation makes his novel a rare two Cambodian stone temples, Phanom Rung treat to folklorists. The bonding between man Temple in Buriram and Phimai Temple in and animal encapsulates many of the basic Koraj, depict a village scene of houses on tenets in Thai culture and depicts Thai stilts, with grass roofs and bamboo dove cages individuals like the protagonist Loy as hanging from the eves. It is assumed that agencies of their own life choices, dove-raising was most likely also practiced negotiations, likes and dislikes, and how they later on during the Ayudhya period, but due to see themselves in relation to others. the destruction of written documents after

Ayudhya was sacked by the Burmese, no I shall trace the evolution of the Thai hobby of written record exists to verify it. Through time, raising doves, from being avian pets into the dove-raising has developed to become a contemporary sport of the dove-cooing science of its own. During the last two contest, the fastest growing folk sport in centuries of the present , two Thailand, and how the traditional Thai value

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kings, King Nagklao (1824 -1851) and King The royal treatise imparts numerous meanings Chomklao (1851-1868), ordered a compilation to doves. Some doves were praised for the of existing data on doves from dove experts. aesthetic quality of their songs. Others were King Chomklao wrote a treatise on doves in coveted for certain physical markers- shape, poetic form himself (Wannaprasert 2528a: 40- coloration, and markings - that were 69, Kananurak 2531 4-24) thereby elevating considered auspicious. Luck-giving doves, the prestige of dove-raising as a hobby through such as a white dove, a dove with a necklace such royal endorsement. “A dove that sings around its neck, with yellow rings around its ‘gu ru pong’ is as valuable as a diamond,” eyes, or a dove with 13-15 tail , were King Rama IV wrote. The final long note of believed to bring owners their high position, the dove song, vocalized either as “pong, status, prosperity and happiness, and even gong, or wong” are vocal markers of good protection from danger. The treatise lists 59 singing doves (Wannaprasert 2528a: 9). King propitious characteristics and 19 unpropitious Chomklao’s view is shared by contemporary characteristics in doves (Wannaprasert dove lovers. Wannaprasert, a contemporary 2528b:115). There appears to exist in the Thai author of books on doves, ranks dove-raising dove then, two recognized as a hobby higher than raising orchids, a categories by which men selected doves to hobby of many Thai men. He justifies his raise. In the first category are doves raised for ranking, claiming “A good singing dove is their physical characteristics, associated with rarer and harder to find than a beautiful popular religion and with eliciting positive orchid” (Wannprasart 2528a:8). “A gift of a instrumental benefits. In the second category good singing dove is a precious gift and a are doves raised for their beautiful singing ‘debt of gratitude’ that is always remembered voices, associated with eliciting positive by the receiver,” said another dove fancier aesthetic appreciation and pleasure. (Wichai Tantisatjaphirat, personal communication, 2530). Dr. Prasop Until recently, both luck-giving doves and Rattanakorn, a well-known Thai psychiatrist, singing doves were trapped from the wild. sees its merits from the mental health Loy, the protagonist in the novel mentioned perspective. “The singing of the doves is an above, pursues his hobby by spending days excellent therapy for mental patients. A and days in the forest, tracking and luring the family that raises doves as pets will never see coveted dove. Given the difficulties of a mentally ill person,” Dr. Rattanakorn obtaining doves under these circumstances, it proclaimed (Laosat 2526:79). The is difficult to know if both types were equally therapeutic value of pets has been similarly sought after. In contemporary dove-raising avocated by American psychiatrists. Many circles where, since 1971, most doves are states in America have a program in which bred in captivity (Wannaprasert 2528b:131), dogs and cats are occasionally taken to homes most doves are sought for their melodious for senior citizens to give the elderly the singing voices. This in itself is noteworthy. pleasure of petting them and hearing the For contemporary dove fanciers, clearly the happy purring of cats. perceived aesthetic quality of doves outshines their potential luck-giving qualities, and it is

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this attribute that forms the core of the dove- 2521), made famous by the legendary cooing contest. cockfight of King Naresuan. , with the bull pitted against another bull, not Thai connoisseurs regard doves as bull-against-matador as in Spain, is still a surpassing all other songsters in the bird- spectator sport in southeastern and world in terms of the melodic beauty of their southwestern Thailand. So are goat fights and songs. Within this special group of dove sheep fights in southeastern Thailand and fanciers, 2 sub-species of doves are beetle fights in northern Thailand (Anderson specifically raised and pampered: nok kao yai 1998:128). (large sized dove), also referred to as the spotted-necked dove, Streptopelia chinensis Dove cooing, however, assumed the form of spp. (Lekagul and Cronin Jr. 1974:92) and a sport about 30 years ago. The Barred nok kao lek (small-sized dove), identified as Ground Dove Association of Thailand, the the barred ground-dove or the merbok, organization of dove fanciers, initiated the commonly referred to in Thailand as the dove-singing contest as an impetus for bird- Javanese dove or the , raisers to breed unique birds (Pornnantharat striata spp. (Lekagul and Cronin Jr 1974:92). 2529). While dove-raisers in the past tended To the discerning ears of dove fanciers, the to be elderly men who raised them as pets, songs of the barred ground dove with its the evolution of the hobby into a sport has lilting continuity of notes are more melodious brought in new blood - dove enthusiasts of all than those of the large-sized dove (Dej ages and even a number of women. As dove- Petkhaeg, Thai Muslim dove-raiser on Koh cooing contests proliferated in southern Klang, personal communication, 1987). The Thailand, the stronghold of dove-raising, and Barred Ground Dove Association of Thailand spread to central Thailand, the north, and was established in 1966. As of 1984, there lately the northeast, regional and provincial were 33 regional associations in 33 provinces level of dove-cooing contests grew into out of 72 provinces in Thailand, with about regular sport meets, especially during the 100, 000 Thai men said to raise doves as their dove mating season when the singing is at its hobby (Wannaprasert 2528b: 5). best as male doves compete for the attention of the female dove. An indication of the Dove-cooing Contest as a Sport popularity of the dove-cooing contest can be seen in the1987 provincial level contest in Animal sports have long been a significant that I attended, jointly organized by aspect of the Thai leisure tradition. Rounding the Barred Ground Dove Association of up wild elephants, for example, was a royal Thailand and the Sport News Association of sport as well as a means of obtaining war Thailand. The organizers had erected 200 for battle. Elephant battles and dove poles on the contest ground, but the battles between elephants and a tigers were entries far exceeded their expectations. There staged in Ayudhya (Tachard 1686: 211-213, were scores of disappointed dove owners as quoted by Reid 1988:184-185). who were not able to obtain hanging poles for Cockfighting was already a popular male their doves, a prerequisite for being included sport by the 16th century (Chumpagnern in the contest.

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The popularity of the dove-cooing contest dove fancier that I interviewed, has beautiful became a mechanism for the economic dove cages with cage hangers made of silver growth of merchandise associated with or brass inlaid with mother-of pearl, silver doves. Besides the sale of doves, it fosters the perch, and antique ceramic dishes for the sale of dove cages (and their paraphernalia dove feed and drinking water. At the arena, from cage hangers, cloth cage covers, glass the dove cages are raised on poles, six meters bead tassels, to food and water dishes), dove tall and six meters apart. medicines, and dove song audio tapes. As with dove-raising in the past, it has enjoyed Owners of the doves, not allowed into the royal patronage. The largest and the most arena where the dove poles are, stand around prestigious national dove-cooing contests are the edges quietly in order not to disturb the the three annual contests organized by the doves and to be able to hear the singing. Barred Ground Dove Association of Thailand Some arrive with binoculars to follow the with royal trophies as the awards: the King’s performance of their bird or birds. More than Cup Contest, the Prince’s Cup Contest, and the one dove may be entered by a dove owner. Princess’ Cup Contest. As many as 600-700 entries can be expected at these prestigious Doves in the contest are classified into 3 events. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha categories, based on the tonal characteristics Chakri Sirindhorn often presides over the of their cooing: low pitch, medium pitch, and contest, especially the Princess’ Cup Contest. high pitch. Each dove sings individualistic songs. The singing of each dove is listened to Dove-cooing Contest as a Process for one minute by two judges, each judge at a different interval. The melodic beauty of the Spectators at the dove-cooing contest are cooing is evaluated and judged as a series of mostly male. Often referred to as a “bird- notes or movements: beginning movement, singing duel,” the contest takes place during middle movement, and end movement. the months of October through May. The Points are given on: beginning note (20 event is scheduled in the morning, from 6.00 points), resonance of the end note (30 points), A.M. to around12.00 A.M. when doves duration of the end note (10 points), rhythm naturally sing over an extended length of (20 points), and duration of the cooing (20 time. The actual judging of the singing occurs points). Occasionally, an exceptional songster in the last one or two hours, depending on the is given 20 extra points for the overall beauty number of entries. The contest concludes in a of his song composition (Wannaprasert 2528a: day if the number of entries is small. With 124-126). A good songster sings over four large numbers, the first day determines the notes, the more the better (Laosat 2520: 81). winners of the first round who will then At least five to seven notes are desired in the compete in the final round the second day. contestants. Star singers can alternate their Competing doves are taken to the arena in four-note sequence with a five-note sequence, beautiful cages, signifying the owner’s love and a six-note sequence, creating exceptional of his bird and often also the owner’s melodic beauty (Wannaprasert 2528b: 9), the socioeconomic status. M.R. Hataithani possibility of gaining the extra 20 points for its Jumbala, a member of the royal family and a

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song composition, and to be the winning world, birds as sad mii pig (animals with songster. wings) are highly regarded because they descend from high above, like angels. Among Each dove has a name. The announcement of the bird species, doves belong to a special the winner gives the name of its owner, the class, distinctive by the fact that they are seed dove’s name, and the province both are from. and grain eaters. Birds that do not feed on Not every dove that is a good singer at home dead or living prey nor have to kill in order to performs well at the contest, to the survive are seen as belonging to the highest disappointment of his owner. I heard the level of the bird order(Wannaprasert 2528b: complaint of a dove owner standing next to 113). Despite the fact that the Thais me in the contest I attended that his dove had themselves regularly eat meat, vegetarianism been singing so well that morning. But for is held in high esteem, epitomizing a lofty some reason it stopped singing when a judge spiritual attempt to strictly adhere to the basic came to rank its song. According to Wichai Buddhist and moderate Muslim tenets against Tantisatjaphirat, a dove-raiser harming life. Secondly, while the cockfight and hobbyist, such a bird is judged as “having is a , the razor spur on the leg of no fighting stamina in him” (personal the cock can inflict “a ruptured chest, a communication, 1987). gouged eye, a severed wing” and fatal throat- slashing (Lapcharoensap 2005:165,167), the Of Doves and Men dove-cooing contest is not a contact sport and involves no bloodshed. Thirdly, the more Why the dove-cooing contest enjoys such humane profile of the doves is generally popularity in Thailand is an intriguing associated with the persona of the dove question, one that may perhaps be answered raiser/hobbyist. Dej Petkhaeg, a Thai partly by the Thai value system itself and Muslim villager on Koh Klang, a dove- partly from the social interaction venues raising village I studied in southwestern structured and offered through the raising of Thailand, explicitly stated that those who do doves and entering them into the singing not raise doves tend to be less trustworthy contests. Although a complete answer must and less sensitive than those who do. include the active institutional support of the Barred Ground Dove Association of Thailand The fourth explanation has to do with the and the patronage of the Thai royal family, special characteristics of the social network the underlying answers as to why it has activated among the owners of dove attracted so many enthusiasts lie in the factors contestants. Whereas dove-raising is an that make it attractive to them. Cockfighting, individualistic activity, the dove-cooing while enjoying continued participation of contest requires frequent and regular ardent adherents is, in comparison, not on the meetings of the participants. Years prior to rise as a popular sport. the contest, the doves must be familiarized with the physical setup of the contest arena, The first answer lies in the high value punctuated by numerous dove poles and more accorded to doves in Thai culture. According doves than they are used to at home. The to the Thai taxonomic system of the animal doves need to be trained not to suffer stage

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fright on the important contest day. To Thai Muslim irredentist political movements achieve all of this requires weekly rehearsal within the region, the weekly gatherings and meets, including during the off-season. The contests in different locations in southern gatherings have, in effect, drawn dove- Thailand operate as a neutral ground and owners into one-on-one social interactions, context for interactions that crosscut preexisting meeting frequently, socializing, and sharing social ties, hierarchical class structure, and their knowledge about doves. “It’s so much ethnic and religious boundaries. In regional fun talking about doves,” said one dove contests, where dove owners come from fancier (Wannaprasert 2528a:145). Most different provinces, it also crosscuts visibly, at the contest ground, this shared love governmental administrative territories. and enthusiasm attract members of all socio- economic classes, from aristocrats, governors, Anthropologist Clifford Geertz, in his classic bankers, businessmen, university professors, analysis of the Balinese cockfight (Geertz elementary school teachers, and janitors, to 1973: 434-435), analyzed the Balinese farmers. It has had the effect of widening cockfight as “status gambling” where the social fields and breaking down social barriers “true cockfighter” bets his public self, his that exist in other contexts. poise, his pride, and his masculinity - a greater stake than the risk taken by the The dove-cooing sport appears to attract a “shallow cockfighter” whose sole motivation certain group of Thai men with personalities is winning money. Status and honor are, in a that do not lend themselves to gregarious, different way, present in the Thai dove- rough-and-tumble, macho behavior. Dove cooing contest. But they reside in the raisers are, in all cases, bird lovers who find ownership of the prize-winning dove, not in consolation, beauty, and peace of mind in the the betting. Metaphorically, a dove fancier melody of the dove songs. A gathering of dove- expressed his view that to sell his favorite raisers becomes a social setting for the meeting dove is like selling himself (Wannaparasert of the like-minded and the like-temperament. 2528a:4), a negation of self-respect and pride. As my interviews with dove-raisers indicate, Like farmer Loy in Golden Necklace who these men, irrespective of their social class, end refuses to sell his dove for an ox-cart full of up visiting each other's home to talk about rice, a real-life villager, owner of a prize- doves and to listen to each other’s doves, winning dove in southern Thailand, is known thereby forming and expanding friendship to have turned down a Mercedes Benz a bonding and social networking (Wichai buyer offered in exchange for his bird. Tantisatjapirat, personal communication, 1997) Beyond the individual level, a prized dove is that can eventually expand into economic and also the pride of the village and the province. political cooperation. Significantly, the A Pattani dove owner declined a high offer activities surrounding the dove-cooing contest for his award-winning dove, saying, “This also create a chain of networking that crosscuts dove belongs to the people of Pattani. If I sell religious and ethnic boundaries, particularly in him I’ll be depriving Pattani people of the southern Thailand where dove owners are happiness of hearing him sing” Buddhist Thai, Thai Muslim, as well as Chinese (Wattanaprasert 2528b: 8). Thai. With the ethnic tension and fermenting

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The Singing Dove and the Image of (Pornnantharat 1986), or to a public project, the Self such as purchasing walkie-talkies for the traffic police force of the province. Each year Thai animal sports, such as fishfights, the committee tries to rotate the proceeds , and bullfights, are male sports and from the event to different worthwhile the participants tend to be villagers or blue- causes. The selection is at times made by the collar workers. The major impetus for committee, at times based on the request that participating in these sports is betting. By come in from the group requiring assistance. contrast, the dove-cooing contest does not involve gambling. Neither owners nor The de-emphasis on profit making and the spectators engage in betting. Monetary gain emphasis on providing social benefits as an is fundamentally not part of the goal. Prizes organizational structure of the contest are, are always in the form of trophies from perhaps due to the particular mindset of the dignitaries or small token awards. Neither is men who are attracted to dove-raising. In the committee organizing the contest in contrast to men who raise fighting cocks who Thailand after big money. Sometimes the tend to be nagleng (bold, often aggressive owner of a famous singing dove is invited to and defensive of their machismo) and who bring his dove to the tournament, paid for by enjoy risk-taking and betting, dove raisers the organizing committee, to add to the disassociate themselves from gambling. As a excitement of the event. Some invited dove personality type, they tend to be both ascetic owners are known to have graciously and aesthetic. They find contentment and declined entering their famous dove into the aesthetic pleasure in caring for their birds and contest in order to give another bird a listening to their songs. I see dove-raising winning chance. The judges at the contest, also as an activity that brings out in men singing dove specialists themselves, do not nurturing behavior, generally associated with seek payment for their job. The entry fee for women, and child-rearing responsibilities. each competing dove is minimal, as little as Dove hobbyists raise more than one dove $1.00 and up to a maximum of only about because it is the competition among them that $8.00, well within the range of affordability stimulates the flow of songs. The 1997 of dove owners. Neither are spectators to the president of the Chiang Mai event charged an admission fee. Most unique Association had around 200 doves. in the dove-cooing contest are the social According to Wannaprasert (2518: 7, 10), to causes the committee has built into the raise doves successfully, the raiser cannot be agenda. Proceeds from the event, besides lazy. He has to get up early every morning, providing lunch for the participating dove clean and put food and drinking water in the owners, are targeted to charity causes, such as bird cage. He then has to raise the dove cages scholarships for needy school children, on individual dove poles or hang them on the support for a school lunch program in a poor eves of the house to let the doves spend the village school, contribution to building a day in view of the trees and the sky - more or mosque, to victims of natural disasters, to the less like their natural habitat. Aloft on the Red Cross, to Sai Jai Thai Foundation poles, the doves are also far from aggravating (Princess Sirindhorn’s foundation) noises, and bathing them in the sunlight is

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good for their health. In the summer heat, negative activities (Wannaprasert 2528b: 129, they need to be given a spray bath about once Laosat 2520: 79). The hobby directly benefits every two weeks. A dove fancier I his wife and his children who can count on interviewed gave his doves a shampoo every his company at home, Wannaprasert says. day. The dove’s singing performance will improve through such constant care, nourishment, and proper doses of bird herbs and vitamins (Kananurak 2531:60).

To cultivate a bond between the dove and its raiser, some dove owners in the south take a dove cage into the rubber plantation with them. Some carry it to coffee shops or to a place with dove poles so that the dove is used to people and can have experience on the pole (Wannaprasert 2528a: 8). It takes as long as 9-12 years of constant care and 4-5 years on the poles for the wild doves to mature in their singing. Less time is needed for home- bred doves, more familiar with human presence and the human habitat. At around two years old, home-bred doves can begin to be introduced into the singing contests Many dove hobbyists raise other birds as well, (Wannaprasert 2528b:117). In personal some birds for their colorful , others, terms, concrete cases of the loving care given for example myna birds and , because to doves by dove hobbyists can be cited. In they can be taught to speak. Birds that have Koh Klang, Krabi where I conducted my been raised for their melodious singing include field research, I once joked to a young the smaller, nok grong hua juke, the red- adolescent girl who was part of my whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus spp.), adolescent study group that her family must adorned with a pointed crest on its head. The eat a lot of somtum (green papaya salad), red-whiskered bulbul singing contest is having so many papaya trees around the enjoying growing popularity in southern house. She laughed, saying that her father put Thailand, especially in Krabi where I attended in papaya trees for his more than ten pet a singing event. It is a more recent sport doves that love ripe papaya. Wannaprasert relative to the dove-cooing contest, but it cited cases of wives teasing their husbands attests to the continual development and for loving their favorite doves more than their popularity of bird-singing contests in Thailand. wives. Tongue-in-cheek, Wannaprasert In Thai culture ascetic and the aesthetic advocates the hobby for husbands. A husband qualities have always been valued, the ascetic who raises doves always returns home after as exemplified by the Buddha and Buddhist work to take care of his doves instead of monks, the aesthetic artistry by the high dallying elsewhere or getting involved in esteem accorded to artists and poet princes and

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kings, such as the poet Sunthorn Phu, Prince Contest, was organized in March, 1985, in Thammathibet, and King . Giving Yala, southeastern Thailand. It had dove to charity causes has also been articulated as songsters from , , and "making merit," the concept shared by . One of the stated goals of the Buddhist Thai, Buddhist Chinese, and Thai organizing committee was to foster relations Muslims alike. A dove hobbyist is thus given among the peoples of neighboring ASEAN a respectable, positive image. countries, thus making the dove-cooing contest a milieu for fostering positive human The positiveness of the image has been given relations across national boundaries. About an added dimension in the metaphorical 600 doves took part in the contest and 100 association of birds with manhood. The Thai awards were given out (The Bangkok Post word for "bird" is "nok" which is also a 1985). The second ASEAN Dove-cooing euphemism for the male reproductive organ. Contest, held in Singapore, had 420 entries Dove as a metaphor for manhood has been (Stephens 2000). Thai singing doves have appropriated by the Planned Parenthood been taken to tournaments in Malaysia, Program of the Ministry of Health, seen in a Singapore, and Indonesia. But more doves number of posters produced and distributed to from Malaysia than from Indonesia have hospitals and rural health clinics. Capitalizing come to compete in the singing meets in on the familiar euphemism, the poster attempts Thailand (Wannaprasert 2528b: 5). Owing to to nullify the myth of male impotence its geographic location and its long history of resulting from vasectomy. The words in a dove-raising, southeastern Thailand, poster with a picture of a dove flying say, "The particularly Pattani, has become the premier dove still flies high after the vasectomy." market for the best singing doves and dove Thus a virile man, a new symbolic meaning, paraphernalia, nationally and internationally, has been added to the existing meanings of although wild doves from Krabi, southwestern men the ascetic, men the aesthetic, and a social Thailand, have also gained fame. As soon as a being with a social conscience and dove wins a major singing trophy, a high offer, appreciation of beauty in nature. unsolicited, comes from interested dove enthusiasts. Sometimes a buyer is successful Transnationalism: A New and returns home the proud owner of the bird, Development hoping that in the next singing contest, he will be known as the owner of the winning Within the last decade, the sport has taken on songster. A trophy winner can command as an additional dimension of transnationalism, much as $68,000, the price paid in 1995 by a a process by which people create economic Singaporean buyer (Gampell 2000). A connections and mobility across space (Ong Malaysian millionaire bought the winner of 1999: 4) and maintain multiple social the 2004 Yala contest for 1.7 million baht relations across national boundaries (Basch, (around $44,500) (New Straits Times 2004). Glick Schiller, and Szanton Blanc 1994). In the last decade the dove-cooing contest has The year 2005 marks the twentieth anniversary evolved into a Southeast Asian international of the ASEAN Zebra Dove-cooing Contest as sport. The First ASEAN Zebra Dove-cooing an international sport. Taking place in Yala in

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MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities (Special Issue No.9 2005)

March with more than 1,400 entries, it had deeper meanings beyond the surface meaning also the participation of another Southeast of the competition itself. Asian country, Brunei. A concomitant development from the ASEAN contest is the transnational economics of dove-raising and dove-selling. At least two Singaporeans, References Mohammed Samshuddin (a Singaporean Muslim hardware business owner) and James Anderson, Wanni W. 1989. Sport in Thailand. Lim (a Chinese Singaporean owner of a ship In Sport in Asia and Africa: A repair business), have been known to operate Comparative Handbook, Eric dove farms for several years overseas - in A.Wagner ed., pp.121-146. New Pattani, southeastern Thailand (Stephens York: Greenwood Press. 2000). It appears that the increasing temptation of profit-making through economic Basch, Linda, Nina Glick Schiller and transnationalism, the high-price trading of Cristina Szanton Blanc. 1994. champion dove across national borders, has Nations Unbound: Transnational become a new challenge and threat to the Projects, Postcolonial Predicaments, spirit of dove-raising and dove-cooing contests and Deterritorialized Nation-State. as originally conceived and nourished by dove Langhorne: Gordon and Breach. fanciers. Gampell, Jennifer. 2000. Detour: ‘Dove Not much known outside Thailand, Malaysia, Tales’. Time Asia, October. Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei, the dove- cooing contest has multiple structural and Geertz, Clifford. 1973. ‘Deep Play: Notes on ideational dynamics. Not simply a folk sport, the Balinese Cockfight’. In The an animal sport in and of itself, it is about the Interpretation of Cultures, pp.412- man, the dove fancier. But it also transcends 453, : Basic Books. the individual. In its national, societal context, its organization is more socially and Lapcharoensap, Rattanawut. 2005. ethnically diverse, more socially aware, and Sight’seeing. New York: Grove Press. more engaged in the needs of the community. It facilitates boundary-crossings in ways that Lekagul, Boonsong and Edward W. Cronon cockfighting cannot accomplish. Its Southeast Jr. 1974. Bird Guide of Thailand. Asian transnational sports profile has put the 2nd edition, Bangkok: Kurusapa contest and the Thai singing doves on the Ladprao Press. region’s cultural page beyond Thailand and has made the prize-winning songsters a most New Straits Times. 2004. Fewer Birds in expensive Thai commodity and economic Annual Dove Cooing Contest, export. Even more than cockfighting, the August 23. dove-cooing contest is a “deeper play” in the Geertzian sense (Geertz 1973) in that it has

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Beyond the Cockfight: Masculinity and the Thai Dove-Cooing Contest

Ong, Aihwah. 1999. Flexible Citizenship: Phumetaworn, Nimit. 2525. Soi Tong The Cultural Logics of (Golden Necklace). Bangkok: Transnationality. Durham: Duke Bannakit Press. University Press.

Wannaprasert, Prakob. 2528a. Javanese Pornnantharat, Sayant. 1986. ‘Cooing Dove Dove: a Complete Text. Bangkok: Contest in Narathiwas’, The Buraphasan Press. Bangkok Post, September 23. ______. 2528b. Tactical Reid, Anthony.1988. ‘Southeast Asian in the Training and Taking Care of Age of Commerce 1450-1680’ Vol I: Merbok. Bangkok: Buraphasan. The Lands below the Winds. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Stephens, Jacintha. 2000. No Place for Cheep Trills: Inside the Costly World of Songbird Breeding. Asiaweek 29(4).

Tachard, Guy 1686. A Relation of the Voyage to Siam Performed by Six Jesuits. English translation. London: A. Churchill. Reprinted Bangkok: White Lotus Press, 1981.

The Bangkok Post. 1986. Dove -cooing Contest to Be Held in Yala, January 30.

In Thai Chumpangern, Sombat. 2521. Thai Sports. Bangkok: Suwiriyasan.

Kananurak, Mullika. 2531. Raising Javanese Singing Doves as a Hobby. Bangkok: Odeon Store Press. Laosat, Orrayan. 2526. The Sounds of Javanese Doves. Rusamilae, 7(1): 79-80.

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