Burmese Sketches - Khamkoo

BUBMESE SKiETCHES. i^r^
December 1555 A.D., the Hanthawadi Sinbyuyin, the Branginoco
of the early European writers, reached Pagan in the
course of his progress through his newly conquered dominions,
and witnessed the festival held in honour of the Mahagiri
uat and his sister. Noticing that intoxicants and sacrifices
of white buffaloes, white oxen, and white goats were being
made to the nats, he commanded that such a practice should
henceforth cease, because it was opposed to the humanitarian
doctrines of Buddhism, and because it would entail suffering
in hell on those who practised it. In 1785 A.D., Bodawpaya,
the great-great-grandfather of the last King of Burma had new
golden heads of the nafs made, and these were replaced in
1812 A.D. by the same King with larger and more finished
heads of the same metal, weighing in the aggregate, about 2J
lbs. The Mahagiri 9icUs became the communal spirits of the
Burmese nation as well as the family spirits of the King. To
this day, a shrine dedicated to them may be seen under the
** Centre of the Universe " in the Palace at Mandalay.
The apotheosis of the next 7iats in the Pantheon, viz, the
brothers Shwepyinnyinaung, follows on similar lines. About
the beginning of the eleventh century A.D., Anawratazaw, King
of Pagan, had in his service a Kala adventurer from the
Talaing kingdom of Thaton. This man married a Baluma^ or
ogress of Popa, and two sons were born to him, who were
respectively named Shwepyingyi and Shwepyinnge. When
these two brothers were grown up, they took service under the
King ; and when the latter led an expedition to China to secure
a holy tooth of Gotama Buddha, which was enshrined there,
they accompanied him. The Chinese Emperor appears to
have treated the Burmese King with some contempt, and to
have refused to hold any communication with him. Thereupon
the two brothers, who led a charmed life, and who could
make themselves invisible, entered the Emperor's palace at
night, drew three lines with lime on his body, and retired after
writing on the walls enjoining him to meet the Burmese King.
In consequence of this mysterious writing, the two rulers met
in a friendly way and entered Into a compact of amity and
concord. In the meantime, however, the holy tooth had dls*
appeared miraculously, and Anawratazaw returned home
suffering from the pangs of disappointment. On the return
journey, Shwepyingyi and Shwepyinnge incurred royal displea-
sure, by omitting to supply their quota of two bricks for building
the Sudaungbye Pagoda, and were executed at Kyawzin,
sU miles to the north of Mandalay. At the same place,