As for the myth relating to Songkran, there was once a young man named Dhammaban who was  prodigious in learning.  He understood even the language of birds. God Brahma, one of the gods of a higher heavenly realm, came down to meet the  young man and asked him  a question with the wager that if the young man  failed to give the right answer within seven days, he would lose his head but if he succeeded, the god himself would give his own. The question was “Where is the glory of a man in the morning, afternoon and evening?”  

               The young man was at his wit's end to answer such a difficult question.  He ran away to a forest where he stopped under a large tree at the top of which was an aerie.  By chance he heard the female eagle tell the male about the bet. It happened that the male eagle could answer the question. The answer was that the glory of a man in the morning was on the face because one has to wash one's face every morning. In the afternoon, the glory would be on the body or chest since one had to take a shower  and dab some powder on the chest. As for the evening, it would be on the feet because one had to  wash one's feet before going to bed. Whoever could act this way would be admired as he could wash away bad things which might block the glory.

          The answer made sense to Dhammaban, who  rushed off to see God Brahma. Keeping his words, the god was obliged to cut off his head. However, the head of  God Brahma was very sacred and powerful for if it touched the earth there would be a universal  destructive  fire and if it fell into the ocean, the ocean would dry up through its intense heat. To avoid calamity, God Brahma ordered all his seven daughters, who were angels of the day, to collect his severed head on a platter and keep it in the cave on Mount Krailas which was the Residence of God Shiva. Once a year, one of the seven daughters must take turn to carry the head in procession with millions of other gods and goddesses around the Mount for the happiness and prosperity of mankind on Songkran day.

          The seven daughters have their own names, but they are called as a whole Nang Songkran or Songkran Ladies. When anyone of them appears on Songkran day, she rides on a certain kind of animal. There are actually four different postures according to the  time the lady first  shows up as a herald of the new year. If she comes in the morning, she will stand on the animal' s back. If she comes in the afternoon, she will ride on its back. If she comes in the evening, she will recline with her eyes open. If she comes past mid night, she will recline with her eyes closed.  All these are based on calculations made by court astrologers. There are meanings to each year's Nang Songkran as to the way she is dressed, the jewelry she is wearing, the diet she is supposed to take, the weapons she is carrying, the position she takes on the carrier as well as the animal she is riding on.

          The story of Songkran is a solar myth. God Brahma's head is no other than the sun and his seven daughters are the seven days of the week. The god's head in parade is like the sun when appears in certain parts of the world in its resplendence only at spring time as in Northern India, the original place of Songkran tradition.  In Thailand, though there is no such season, it suits well for the people whose main occupation is agriculture. The month of April is  actually the height of summer when the sun shines directly above with heat and sharp brightness.  Fields and small streams  are usually dried up. Farmers have nothing to do but to spend  their time in leisure until the rainy season when they can go back to arduous work ploughing and planting rice. This is  perfectly a great time for celebrations.