Not
everyone privileged enough to meet a white elephant has been
impressed. In 1895, one forthright Englishman commented in his
journal (for private circulation only): The romantic
descriptions have no counterpart in the reality, and the white
elephant himself proves to be more or less a 'fraud .' He is not
white at all, but dust colored. The expert tries to persuade (one)
that the color is somewhat ashy, and draws attention to the pink
eyes, and to the white toe-nails. But all in vain!"
One
can only wonder at how this gentleman-assuming he ever dared
utter such heinous opinions-must have exasperated his Siamese
hosts. Pity them their task. How on earth does one set about
justifying a white elephant to an Englishman of all people?
White
elephants had, however, long "imposed on the credulity of
foreigners," and in 1831 one Captain James Low felt
impelled to reassure members of the Royal Asiatic Society in
London on the matter. "No doubt can now remain respecting
the existence of this deviation from the common course of nature,"
he lectured gravely. "In the stables of the king of Siam
there are elephants, the color of which, although not pure white,
is yet sufficiently light-colored to admit of the appellation
they have received being with propriety bestowed upon them."
Despite
Captain Low's stolid testimony, the notion of a white elephant
is in some respects more European than Asian. In Thai, for
example, this most rare of all pachyderms is much more
accurately described as a chang phuek an albino elephant.
The
white elephant has nevertheless enjoyed a life of its own in the
English language as an expression describing an "expensive,
though useless, object not easily disposed of." Adding
insult to injury, Roget's Thesaurus includes 'white elephant'
alongside words like bane, encumbrance, burden and incubus. Such
sentiments would certainly never be remotely echoed by honored
recipients of one of the eight classes of the Most Exalted Order
of the White Elephant, founded in 1861.
The
Thai language has no counterpart (involving elephants, at least)
to the English expression, which supposedly alludes to the
practice of ancient Siamese kings in the former capital at
Ayutthaya (1350-1767 AD) of giving lesser white elephants to
privileged subjects. Some suggest that the inordinate cost of
maintaining a white elephant mean the gift could easily induce
bankruptcy if not also accompanied by a grant of land. So
singular an honor as a white elephant could obviously not be
refused, but without land it was subtly barbed-an indirect
criticism which apparently cooled the heels of excessively
ambitious minions.
Numerous
richly cultural theories exist to explain the cult of the white
elephant. The creatures were highly prized by Siamese and
Burmese kings, ridden on state occasions by 14th-century kings
of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and, some suggest, highly esteemed by the
Khmers as well. The extraordinary rarity of a white elephant has
given currency to the idea that it is an incarnation "at
least of some being in an advanced stage of the journey to
Nirvana."
A
less controversial view is that a white elephant is "an
outward sign, hallowed by ancient custom, of the greatness of
the monarchy." For this reason, the discovery of a white
elephant, particularly early in a reign, augured well.
Messengers of these "glorious tidings" were
appropriately rewarded. According to one foreign account from
the reign of King Mongkut, Rama IV (1851-1868), the bearer
"underwent the painfully pleasant operation of having his
mouth, ears and nostrils stuffed with gold."
The
earliest recorded capture of a white elephant was in 1471 by
King Borommatrailokkanant (1448-1448). Writing in 1554 of his
visit some six years earlier to Siam, Portuguese Jesuit Fernao
Mendez Pinto noted that the King Mahachakkaphat (1548-1569) was
titled Phra Chao Chang Phuek-Lord of the White Elephant.
King
Mahachakkaphat is thought to have had seven white elephants
among the 300 or so in the royal herd. Consequently in 1549, a
jealous Burmese king, Tabinshwehti of Pegu, waged a ferocious
campaign against the Ayutthayan kingdom after his demand for a
gift of white elephants as a demonstration of vassalage was
refused.
Pinto
was privileged to witness the procession of a white elephant
through Ayutthaya to a screened riverside bathing pavilion, but
like most plebeians was barred from viewing the actual washing
rites. The magnificent creature, adorned in a saddle of gold
cloth with silver chains, was preceded by 160 small horses and
83 elephants, and followed by nearly 40 Siamese dignitaries on
elephant back. The entire procession froze whenever the white
elephant paused, and its urine was meticulously collected in a
golden pail.
There
are frequent references in 17th-century accounts to King Narai
the Great (1656-1688) retreating from Ayutthaya to a more modest
palace at Luvo (Lopburi) where he oversaw massive elephant hunts
-- truly then the sport of kings in Siam. The tremendous skill
the Siamese had developed in the capture and training of
elephants fuelled a huge royal monopoly trade with India. But
white elephants, sometimes seen caparisoned in scarlet English
broadcloth, where never available for export.
They
did, however, venture abroad later, but in heraldic form
adorning the Siamese national flag of 1816 and 1917 (after which
the present tricolor was adopted). The old design of a white
elephant on a red background celebrated the third white elephant
of King Phuttaloetla, Rama II (1809-1824). Probably the finest
albino elephant ever seen in the West was Pawa, a Burmese beauty
displayed at London Zo in 1926 shortly before her death in the
U.S.
There
does not seem ever t have been any requirement that a white
elephant be entirely albino. Appreciating the shade and location
of the light mottles in the hide is but the first step towards
deciding whether the creature is really a white elephant worthy
f being cherished above all other possessions.
Features
that must also be considered are the other skin tones -- subtle
yellows, blacks, reds, d blue-grays. The color of the palate is
ideally lotus-bud-pink. Eyes should be large like those of a cow
and rimmed with white. Jet black irises are best of all, pink or
blue tinged ones remarkable enough.
The
two bumps on the forehead (a major distinguishing feature
between Asiatic elephants and their larger African cousins,
which have only one) should be pronounced enough for a man to
rest his neck between when the creature is fully grown. The tail
should hang straight away from the body and enjoy a life of its
own. If the hairs on its tip touch the ground, all to the good.
The
finest ears hang "prettily" and are long enough to
touch when drawn across the eyes. Toe-nails are best red, white
or pink with fine patterning on their undersides. If the
elephant is endowed with 20 toes instead of the normal creature.
Most obscurely, three hairs emerging from a single pore bodes
well. The distribution of hair behind the ears and on the head
and back is also important.
And
the trunk? The longer the better, for this fabulous proboscis,
capable simultaneously of immense feats of strength and delicacy,
is the organ most vital to the creature's well-being. An
elephant with a badly wounded trunk usually faces a slow
sentence of death, the damage being as much psychological as
physical.
Ancient
Siamese laws required that all elephants captured or born in
captivity be registered. These date from times when elephants
were the principal vehicles of Oriental warfare, and the might
of a king was gauged by the number he could muster. Elephants
must still be registered at district offices.
Should
one betray any of the characteristics of a white elephant,
observers are dispatched. Having taken note of the creature's
physical attributes, they assess its personality. An intelligent
elephant, for example, will run ahead of the pack at bathing
time and enter the waters before they are churned and muddied by
its older companions. When eating grass, a well-mannered
elephant selects choice tufts and elegantly swishes them on
either side of its trunk before eating, thus discarding irksome
insects.
There
are four grades of white elephant and ownership has always been
the king's prerogative.
According
to Suwat Dhanapradis, a mine of information at the Grand Palace
concerning royal ceremony, all newly discovered white elephants
should still be offered to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej,
Rama IX. Acceptance if the lesser grades is conditional on many
factors, not least the cost of upkeep in modern Thailand. The
highest grade of white elephant, however, will not be refused.
The
Chitralada Villa of Dusit Palace, main residence of the royal
family, is set in an area of slightly over one square kilometer
behind a moat cornered by fountains. Though grand in setting, it
is light years away from the fantastic melange of Oriental and
European architecture that is the Grand Palace. The Chitralada
grounds are home to a variety of building, many of which have a
distinctly functional air about them. How many other palaces
boast a milk-pasteurizing plant?
In
the secluded southeastern corner of the grounds are the six
stable buildings housing the royal elephants. Very rarely seen
in public, there are l11 royal elephants in all, six of which
have been through Buddhist and arcane Brahmin ceremonies
confirming them as white elephants (all but one during a 12-month
period from 1977 to 1978). Four haven's been ceremonially
elevated and the 11th, Plai Wanphen from Petchburi province, is
considered something of an anomaly as prospective white
elephants go.
The
most magnificent of all, Phra Savet Adulyadej Pahon, is a 38-year-old
bull known for his fierce and independent spirit. From Krabi
province in southern Thailand, he is considered one of the two
finest white elephants of the present 205-year-old Chakri
dynasty. His most illustrious predecessor was Phra Savet Worawan,
the pride of the elephant stables of King Chulalongkorn the
Great, Rama V (1868-1910). As befits a white elephant, Phra
Savet Worawan died within two years of King Chulalongkorn's
demise. No attempt is made to breed white elephants.
The
modern royal elephants have for the past three years been in the
care of M.L. Phiphatanachatr Diskul, the royal veterinary
surgeon. With His Majesty the King's permission (which must be
secured in all matters relating to these venerable creatures),
M.L. Phiphatanachatr has worked to modernize the treatment of
the white elephants, without detracting from the exalted status
tradition affords them. Reforms have included more exercise,
sterner discipline, revision of medical procedures and dietary
improvements.
Elephants,
especially if excessively cossetted, are remarkably delicate in
health. Indeed, vulnerability to sunstroke ensures working
elephants upcountry a holiday at the hottest time of the year.
In former days when a white elephant fell ill, treatments had
first to be tested on other animals. This delay often
exacerbated the ailment and protracted the creature's distress.
Intervention is now possible as soon as sickness manifests
itself. The stables, two of which were recently constructed at a
cost of 3.9-million baht, are nevertheless kept pretty isolated
as a health precaution.
Foreign
dignitaries are occasionally honored with a visit to the stables,
which lie just beyond the broad expanse of lawn in front of the
home of Princess Chulabhorn, youngest of the four children in
the royal family. Among the elephants' most frequent visitors
are the royal grandchildren and their aunt, H.R.H. Princess Maha
Chakri Sirindhorn, who has even penned a number of special white
elephant eulogies and instructions to be sung during the
ceremony of Naming the Auspiciously Significant Elephant.
Ceremonial eulogies for soothing white elephants are thought to
date back to King Narai's reign.
Modern
white elephants -- with the exception of Phra Savet Adulyadej
Pahon -- are ridden by their mahouts and gently disciplined
should they misbehave. Rewards, however, are favored as the best
incentive to good conduct. Each elephant has two mahouts, one of
whom is often many kilometers away in Samut Prakhan gathering
choice grasses. An elephant may consume over 300 kilograms of
grass in a day, a large 30-kilogram basket of bananas and up to
six kilograms of sugar cane. Coconuts are a special treat.
Dietary
supplements are equally epic. An experiment with feeding bananas
laced with a couple of vitamin and iron pills worked only once
before the elephants became aware of the ruse. They promptly
rejected -- with remarkable precision -- all further tampered
fruits. Unfortunately, the alternative is an annual encounter
with a syringe of truly elephantine proportions. On that black
day, M.L. Phiphatanachatr is treated as an "uncertain
friend," and his collusive charges are quick to trumpet
news of his prickly antics.
The
young royal vet is by no means the first to discover the
Himalayan nature of doctoring elephants. Observed W.A.R. Wood (a
former British Consul general in Chiang Mai) in his memoir
consul in Paradise: "Pills and potions are administered on
a heroic scale, and the application of salves and unguents often
seems more like an agricultural than a medical undertaking."
Wood wrote from experience, having once stitched an elephant
wound with gut form a tennis racket.
Not
all innovations at the royal stables have worked. Casualties
include some rather highly regarded giant herbal pep pills from
Burma which proved too effective by half. Purchase of a
tranquilizer gun costing 100,000 baht was meanwhile vetoed at
the highest level as an unnecessary extravagance.
While
it world clearly be improper to ask the actual cost of
maintaining a white elephant in 1987, retaining such stables in
the heart of modern Bangkok is no straightforward undertaking. A
few years ago, serious consideration was given to moving the
royal elephants up to a 200-acre site near Phuping Palace in
Chiang Mai. Although moving the white elephants away from the
capital world certainly have raised eyebrows among
traditionalists, practical considerations played a larger part
in scuppering the idea. The elephants, accustomed to their safe
and regal Bangkok environment, are simply unsuited to wilder
climes. A white elephant is, after all, by definition not a
jungle-dweller. |