Cultural info

The word “Kratom” originated in the Thai language and persists in this
region to the present day. It is pronounced with a short “a” but long “o,”
stress being laid on the final syllable. In addition, the transliterated
version promoted by The Royal Thai Institute of Bangkok, Thailand’s official
linguistic authority, notes that the “t” should be softened to a “th”
sound.

While Thais may also call this plant thom, ithang, and kakuam, it is not
clear whether such referents usually denote the tree as a whole, subsidiary
parts, or harvested constituents. Malays tend to refer to Kratom overall as
biak or ketum.

Because Kratom is originally and preeminently a feature of deep tropical
rain-forests, it derives the bulk of its associated traditions from the
hardy souls who made their home in these colorful and often dangerous
regions. The authentic cultural relevance of Kratom to peoples of Southeast
Asia extends back literally prior to the dawn of history and has never been
adequately explored, let alone illuminated. Like a host of other indigenous
forest products, it has been creatively employed in a welter of varying
contexts across the centuries, from high-grade lumber to a panoply of folk
remedies like wound poultices, analgesics, and antipyretics.

Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, Kratom’s possible links to
specific local spirits, shamanic rites, ancient legends, and mythological
figures have never been adequately substantiated. Only through sincere,
determined anthropological research can a meaningful comprehension of
Kratom’s cultural role in Southeast Asia emerge.