Mythical creatures in Burmese folklore

Mythical creatures in Burmese folklore

A wide variety of mythical creatures are found in Burmese folklore and in mythology. Many Burmese creatures are part human or creatures capable of assuming human form. Most mythical creatures are endowed with humanistic mentalities, ability to converse with humans and also supernatural powers.

During the 20th century, the role and diversity of Burmese mythical creatures were diversified by Shwe Thway comics which depicted the life of the Buddha, the Jataka tales and Burmese history.[citation needed]

The most common mythological being is the Belu, an ogre. The popularity of the Belu is due to the Yama Zatdaw, the Burmese version of the Ramayana, a very popular play in Myanmar, and also their roles in the Jatakas.

Contents

List of beings and creatures

The following is a list of beings and creatures in Burmese mythology:

Creatures mentioned in plays and Burmese literature

  • Athura - the lowest form of deities which have pleasure half the day and suffer the other half.
  • Belu - usually man-eating humanoid beings capable of shapeshifting.
    • Pan-kike Belu - (lit flower biters) Belu with straight fangs which eat humans. Generally malevolent.
    • Panswé Belu - (lit flower danglers) Belu with curved or hooked fangs which eat flowers and fruits. Generally benevolent. An example would be Popa Medaw
  • Byala - Rakhine version of the Nawa Rupa.
  • Chinthe - leogryph[clarification needed].
  • Galon - garuda, nemesis of the Nāgas.
  • Hintha - Hamsa bird, symbol of the Mon people, Mon State and Bago Region.
  • Karaweik - from the Pali "karavika", a bird with a melodious cry.
  • Kain-da-yee and Kain-da-yar - half human, half bird lovers; associated with the Shan and Kayah States.
  • Magan - crocodile-like sea monster with prehensile snout.
  • Manotethiha (Manussiha in Pali) - man with torso of two lions.
  • Nāga - serpentine dragon-like beings with great powers, nemesis of the Garudas. They are described as being able to swim in the earth as if it was water, and fly in the sky. According to the Bhuridatta Jataka the 6th of the 10 last lives of the Buddha, the Buddha was a Nāga prince.[1]
  • Nat (spirit) - spirits of humans (especially those who died violent deaths).
  • Nawa Rupa - (lit nine bodies); a creature made from the amalgamation of parts of nine different animals.
  • Ngamoeyeik - large crocodile and character of Min Nandar and Shin Hmwe Loon the Burmese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet.
  • Otta-saunk or Ottsar-saunk - beings cursed to roam the earth due to their strong attachment to objects or places.
  • Peik-ta - beings punished with perpetual hunger or thirst.
  • Pyinsa Rupa - (lit five bodies); a creature made from the amalgamation of parts of five different animals, mascot of Myanmar Airways International.
  • Sarmaree - vain long-haired ox which values its hair.
  • Toe-nayar - four-legged serpentine dragon or Nāga.
  • Yetkhat - benevolent guardians of buried treasures and those hidden in tree roots.
  • Yama Yazar - Lord of Death.
  • Zawgyi (mythical) - an alchemist with supernatural powers.

Creatures mentioned in stories

  • Kyut - malevolent pangolin or armadillo like creatures which can assume human form and trick humans into the forest
  • Thayé - ghosts
  • Sone - hags or witches
  • Spider of Pindaya - a giant spider which held 7 princesses captive in Pindaya region.

See also

Reference

Htin Aung, Maung Folk Elements in Burmese Buddhism. London, New York: Oxford University Press, 1962.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Culture of Burma — The culture of Burma (or Myanmar) has been heavily influenced by Buddhism and the Mon people. Its neighbours, particularly China and Thailand have made major contributions to Burmese culture. In more recent times, British colonial rule and… …   Wikipedia

  • National symbols of Burma — The national symbols of Burma (also known as Myanmar) are icons, symbols and other cultural expressions which are seen as representative of the Burmese people. These have been accumulated over centuries and are mainly from the Bamar majority,… …   Wikipedia

  • Thailand — /tuy land , leuhnd/, n. 1. Formerly, Siam. a kingdom in SE Asia: official name of Siam 1939 45 and since 1949. 59,450,818; 198,242 sq. mi. (513,445 sq. km). Cap.: Bangkok. 2. Gulf of. Also called Gulf of Siam. an arm of the South China Sea, S of… …   Universalium

  • \@Vampire Mythology: Bibliography —   [↑] @Vampire Mythology   Abbott, George Frederick. Macedonian Folklore. Cambridge, MA: University Press, 1903. Abrahams, Roger D. The ManofWords in the West Indies: Performance and the Emergence of Creole Culture. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins… …   Encyclopedia of vampire mythology

  • Southeast Asian arts — Literary, performing, and visual arts of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The classical literatures of Southeast Asia can be divided into three major regions: the Sanskrit region of… …   Universalium

  • performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical.       The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …   Universalium

  • Bogeyman — For other uses, see Bogeyman (disambiguation). Goya s Here Comes the Bogey Man (Aquí viene el Coco) c.1797 A bogeyman (also spelled bogieman, boogeyman or boogieman) is an amorphous imaginary …   Wikipedia

  • Hyena — This article is about the family of animals. For other uses, see Hyena (disambiguation). Hyenas Temporal range: 26–0 Ma …   Wikipedia

  • biblical literature — Introduction       four bodies of written works: the Old Testament writings according to the Hebrew canon; intertestamental works, including the Old Testament Apocrypha; the New Testament writings; and the New Testament Apocrypha.       The Old… …   Universalium

  • BIBLE — THE CANON, TEXT, AND EDITIONS canon general titles the canon the significance of the canon the process of canonization contents and titles of the books the tripartite canon …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”