Spirit Cults
Spirit worship is one of the oldest practices in Myanmar (Burma), preceding in many cases the practice of Buddhism. Many ethnic groups in Myanmar continue to practice in various forms what is broadly referred to as animism. The Burman spirit cults, however, are highly organized cults associated with a hierarchy of the Thirty-Seven Spirits (nats). These cults are unusual in the Southeast Asian region for their elaborate systematic organization. Also unusual is their close association with royal roles and symbolism, both in terms of historical provenance (they were often associated with royalty before meeting a violent death) and ritual roles (the mediums often adopt royal dress and language when performing and do so in "palaces"). A similar elaborate system is found among the Mon peoples.
The Thirty-Seven Nats were supposedly instituted by Anawratha (1044–1077), one of the most prominent kings of the Pagan dynasty, at the base of the Shwezigon Pagoda in the then capital Pagan in 1059. There are supposedly thirty-seven "inner" and thirty-seven "outer" spirits. Chief among them is Mahagiri, who is venerated at the center of most Burman households and is symbolized by a coconut. Anawratha, who converted to Buddhism, placed Sakka, the king of the gods in Buddhist cosmology, over and above the powerful Mahagiri nat, and thereby Buddhicized the pantheon. According to oral history, Anawratha is supposed to have said, "Man will not come for the sake of the new religion. Let them come for their old gods and gradually they will be won over." Thus, around the same time the kingdom was declared Buddhist, influential figures who died a violent death were placed and commemorated close to relics of the Buddha.
Anthropologists have long argued over the relative placing of the spirit cults vis-à-vis Buddhism. Are the spirit cults the fundamental religion of the Burmese, with Buddhism only a veneer? Are they in conflict at the psychological level, or do they form a continuum? What is certain is that there are fundamental differences between Buddhism and the spirit cults. Whereas the spirit cults are mostly interpreted as dealing with the mundane world, with wealth and success within it, Buddhism takes primary aim at the supramundane world. In Myanmar, attitudes to spirits vary. At one extreme are the professional preoccupations of the mediums (natkadaw, "wives of nats"), the propitiation and offering of the nats by their clients, and the preoccupation with nats by heads of state, ministers, and civil servants. Many Burmese, however, merely give their respects so that the spirits are peaceful and do no harm. Few, however, will ignore nats altogether in Myanmar.
Further Reading
Rodrigues, Yves. (1992) Nat-Pwe: Burma's Supernatural Sub-Culture. Gartmore, U.K.: Kiscadale.
Spiro, M. E. (1967) Burmese Supernaturalism: A Study in the Explanation and Reduction of Suffering. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Temple, Sir Richard Carnac. (1906) The Thirty-Seven Nats: A Phase of Spirit-Worship Prevailing in Burma. London:
W. Griggs.
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