Mythical creatures in Burmese folklore
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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.
The most common mythological being is the Belu, an ogre. The popularity of the Belu is due to the Yama Zatdaw
Yama Zatdaw
Yama Zatdaw , unofficially Myanmar's national epic, is the Burmese version of the Ramayana. There are nine known pieces of the Yama Zatdaw in Myanmar...
, the Burmese version of the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, a very popular play in Myanmar, and also their roles in the Jatakas.
List of beings and creatures
The following is a list of beings and creatures in Burmese mythology:Creatures mentioned in plays and Burmese literature
- AthuraAsura (Buddhism)Asura in Buddhism is the name of the lowest ranks of the deities or demigods of the Kāmadhātu.-Origins and etymology:...
- the lowest form of deities which have pleasure half the day and suffer the other half. - BeluRakshasaA Rakshasa or alternatively rakshas, is a race of mythological humanoid beings or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist religion...
- 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 MedawPopa MedawPopa Medaw is a nat of Myanmar, also known as Burma. She was a flower eating ogress and is the mother of the Shwe Hpyin brothers Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw and Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw. Although not an official member of the 37 nat pantheon which is based on her domain and namesake of Mount Popa, she is seen...
- Byala - Rakhine version of the Nawa Rupa.
- ChintheChintheThe Chinthe is a leogryph that is often seen at the entrances of pagodas and temples in Burma and other Southeast Asian countries. The chinthe is featured prominently on the kyat, the currency of Burma. The chinthe is almost always depicted in pairs, and serve to protect the pagoda...
- leogryph. - GalonGarudaThe Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
- garuda, nemesis of the Nāgas. - Hintha - Hamsa bird, symbol of the Mon people, Mon State and Bago Region.
- KaraweikKaraweikKaraweik or Karaweik Hall is a palace on the eastern shore of Kandawgyi Lake, Yangon, Burma. The barge was designed by Burmese architect U Ngwe Hlaing, who based it on the Pyigyimon royal barge. Construction began in June 1972 and it was finished in October 1974...
- from the Pali "karavika", a bird with a melodious cry. - Kain-da-yee and Kain-da-yarKinnaraIn Buddhist mythology and Hindu mythology, a kinnara is a paradigmatic lover, a celestial musician, half-human and half-horse or half-bird...
- 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.
- NāgaNagaNaga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...
- 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. - Nat (spirit)Nat (spirit)The nats are spirits worshipped in Burma in conjunction with Buddhism. They are divided between the 37 Great Nats and all the rest . Almost all of the 37 Great Nats were human beings who met violent deaths . They may thus also be called nat sein...
- 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 JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
. - Otta-saunk or Ottsar-saunk - beings cursed to roam the earth due to their strong attachment to objects or places.
- Peik-taPretaPreta, प्रेत or Peta is the name for a type of being described in Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Jain texts that undergoes more than human suffering, particularly an extreme degree of hunger and thirst...
- 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 InternationalMyanmar Airways InternationalMyanmar Airways International Co., Ltd. is the international airline of Myanmar, headquartered in Yangon. It operates scheduled international services to destinations mainly in Southeast Asia. Its main base is Yangon International Airport.- History :...
. - Sarmaree - vain long-haired ox which values its hair.
- Toe-nayar - four-legged serpentine dragon or Nāga.
- YetkhatYakshaYaksha is the name of a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree roots. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology. The feminine form of the word is ' or Yakshini .In Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mythology,...
- benevolent guardians of buried treasures and those hidden in tree roots. - Yama YazarYamaYama , also known as Yamarāja in India and Nepal, Shinje in Tibet, Yanluowang or simply Yan in China, Yeomla Daewang in South Korea and Enma Dai-Ō in Japan, is the lord of death, in Hinduism and then adopted into Buddhism and then further into Chinese mythology and Japanese mythology. First...
- Lord of Death. - Zawgyi (mythical) - an alchemistAlchemyAlchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
with supernatural powers.
Creatures mentioned in stories
- Kyut - malevolent pangolinPangolinA pangolin , also scaly anteater or Trenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family and one genus of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with...
or armadilloArmadilloArmadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
like creatures which can assume human form and trick humans into the forest - ThayéThayéThe thayé , also spelt 'Tasei' is part of Burmese mythology. They are once evil people condemned to be disembodied spirits which can appear as tall dark people with huge ears, long tongues and tusklike teeth. They enter town at noon or by dark and usually cause minor illness....
- ghosts - SoneHagA hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as Hansel and Gretel. Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as the Morrígan or...
- hags or witches - Spider of Pindaya - a giant spider which held 7 princesses captive in Pindaya region.
See also
- Buddhist mythologyBuddhist mythologyBuddhist mythology operates within the Buddhist belief system. It is a relatively broad mythology, as it was adopted and influenced by several diverse cultures such as Gandhara which was the capital of Bactria. Later on, it also came to incorporate aspects from countries such as China and Japan...
- Buddhist cosmologyBuddhist cosmologyBuddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the Universe according to the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries.-Introduction:...
- Buddhism in Burma
- Culture of Burma