The Nats of Burma

The folklore of Burma is multifarious and fascinating; a complete guide to its spirits and important figures could fill a book. When visiting the country on holidays, Burma's folklore might not be readily apparent - especially for someone who cannot speak to the people in their own languages and hear the stories directly - but it is always present. The following is an introduction to just one aspect of Burma's folklore and non-Buddhist beliefs, so that anyone planning holidays to Burma can know a little more about the country they will soon visit.

The Nats

Nats are spirits venerated by the Burmese. There are numerous nats, from the 37 Great Nats to forest and mountain guardian spirits and household spirits. The number and identity of the 37 Great Nats were defined by King Anawrahta of Began in the 11th century AD, after he had failed to ban the worship of nats. The subsequent integration of the Great Nats and the many other nats with Buddhist beliefs has persisted to this day.

Local Beliefs

Nat worship is more commonly seen in rural areas, and evidence of this is visible to those travelling in the country on their holidays. Burma is home to numerous villages, each with its own guardian nat honoured by a shrine. Individual houses also have a nat; for this, an offertory coconut is often hung on the house's main southeast post. The rural Burmese also believe that there are guardian nats for mountains, forests and even single trees. The latter belief can have a positive impact on the environment surrounding inhabited areas, as the indiscriminate felling of trees is seen as the destruction of countless nats' homes, which could incur the wrath of the displaced nats. Sadly, as visitors may discover on their holidays, Burma's trees are not always safe as a result of this belief. Where sufficient money is at stake, logging occurs regardless of the potentially angry nats.

The 37 Great Nats

Worship of the 37 Great Nats is found in rural and urban parts of Burma. As defined by King Anawrahta, the Great Nats are almost all real people - typically influential, important figures - who met violent deaths. Some seem to be directly connected to the events of King Anawrahta's life. Predominantly, the Great Nats are from the royal houses of Burmese history, but some are of Shan (eastern modern-day Burma) and Thai origin. Shrines to the Great Nats can be seen across Burma, and can be small highlights of holidays. Burma's thriving beliefs are just one of the reasons it is such a fascinating country to visit.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6279974

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