Phi Phrai

fairy · Thailand · Southeast Asia

Phi Phrai is a Thai spirit tied to a woman who died while pregnant or in childbirth together with her unborn child, lingering near forests and water, sometimes described as a water-dwelling, Undine-like being. Tales render it both helpful and harmful; folk practice seeks its oil (namman phi phrai) as a love charm, linking the figure to enduring beliefs about unquiet female spirits.

Open in the interactive archive →