The Naga's Jewel
The jewel of the naga is the luminous gem that the great serpent of the Mekong, the naga, is said to guard in its watery underworld palace, and that grants wealth, kingship, or the fulfilment of wishes to whoever obtains it. In Thai and Lao river lore the naga is the protector of the river and of the people who live along it, and the jewel is sometimes linked to the fireballs that rise from the water during the full-moon festival of the eleventh lunar month, when the naga is said to breathe fire in celebration. The motif echoes the wider South and Southeast Asian image of the naga as the keepe