Popa Medaw
Encyclopedia
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...
of Myanmar, also known as Burma. She was a flower eating ogress and is the mother of the Shwe Hpyin ('Inferior Gold') brothers Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw
Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw
Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw , also called Shwe Hpyin Gyi or Min Gyi , is one of the 37 nats in the official pantheon of Burmese nats. He is the elder brother of Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw....
and Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw
Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw
Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw , also called Shwe Hpyin Nge or Min Lay , is one of the 37 nats in the official pantheon of Burmese nats. Together known as Shwe Hpyin Nyinaung or Taungbyon Min Nyinaung , he and his brother Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw were sons of Byatta, the royal messenger, and Me Wunna, a...
. Although not an official member of the 37 nat pantheon which is based on her domain and namesake of Mount Popa
Mount Popa
Mount Popa is a volcano 1518 metres above sea level, and located in central Burma about southeast of Bagan in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the River Ayeyarwady as far away as in clear weather. Mount Popa is perhaps best known for the nearby stunningly picturesque Popa Taungkalat...
, she is seen as an important nat in the Burmese spirit world. The Popa Medaw is also called Mei Wunna ('Miss Gold').
Story
Mei Wunna was a flower-eating ogress of Mount PopaMount Popa
Mount Popa is a volcano 1518 metres above sea level, and located in central Burma about southeast of Bagan in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the River Ayeyarwady as far away as in clear weather. Mount Popa is perhaps best known for the nearby stunningly picturesque Popa Taungkalat...
, an extinct volcano 50 kilometers southeast of Bagan
Bagan
Bagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
. The word Popa is derived from the Pali word for flower. According to legend, King Anawrahta
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...
of Bagan ordered Byatta, a mythical person of Indian descent endowed with supernatural powers upon consumption of an inanimate Zawgyi (Burmese alchemist), to fetch fresh flowers ten times daily fom Mount Popa. Byatta fell in love with Mei Wunna and eventually, conceived the two brothers, Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw and Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw.
Upon the glorification of the two brothers into the 37 Nat Pantheon, the status of Mei Wunna was raised and she became the Queen-Mother of Popa. As her title suggests, she has dominion over Mount Popa.
See Also
- 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...
- Mount PopaMount PopaMount Popa is a volcano 1518 metres above sea level, and located in central Burma about southeast of Bagan in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the River Ayeyarwady as far away as in clear weather. Mount Popa is perhaps best known for the nearby stunningly picturesque Popa Taungkalat...
- BaganBaganBagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
- Mythical creatures in Burmese folkloreMythical creatures in Burmese folkloreA 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...