Nang Kwak: The Cat-Calling Goddess of Prosperity
Nang Kwak is a benevolent female deity in Thai folklore who is believed to bring good fortune, prosperity, and customers to businesses. She is depicted as a beautiful woman in traditional Thai dress, seated with her right hand raised in a beckoning gesture (the 'cat-calling' wave). According to legend, Nang Kwak was a virtuous woman who was granted supernatural powers by the Buddha to attract wealth and abundance to those who respected her. Her origins are linked to the Tai folk religion and the pre-Buddhist spirit traditions of Siam, though her image has been widely incorporated into Thai Bud