History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Shan people and their culture 19
on to younger generation secretly. Shan martial art is not for offensive but for self-defense purpose.
Many modern young men do not know Shan martial art anymore because of suppression and lack of
trainer-master. Some masters were persecuted for teaching martial art to young people. Some people
learned secretly at night in the dark either under small gasoline lamp or moonlight fearing of being seen
and arrested by authority. The master usually did not teach all the methods and secret of the art to the
learners. They used to keep at least one skill without giving to the learners for fearing that the learners
would rebel against them or attack them. Shan martial art was very similar to Chinese martial art Wu
Su. Men use to dance and show of their martial art skill during festive celebration.
Use of Bamboo
Shan use bamboo very extensively. There are more than one hundred species of bamboo in
Shanland. Bamboos are grown naturally in the forest and easily available. It is very useful in daily life
of Shan. From the skin to the inner most part of the bamboo nothing was left wasted. A house could be
built without a single nail but all from bamboo. No less than one hundred things can be made from
bamboo. For instance; water jar, rice bowl, cooking utensils, basket, boxes, storage burns, arrow, bow,
fishing rod, snare, robe, wall, written pad, cutting, spear, trap, boat, bridge etc. Woods are also used in
building houses but it is more expensive and many people cannot afford it. Slips of bamboo twisted into
string are used in fastening things. Wooden nails are used in fixing poles.
Shan are very particular when cutting bamboo. A propitious day is chosen, and the bamboos are
cut on a waning moon. When they carry bamboo from the jungle to the village they always carry it with
the root-end facing the jungle so that any evil spirit, which possibly dwells in the bamboo, will be able
to make good escape from the bamboo before reaching the village. On an average a Shan house built
with bamboo can last ten years but the thatch roof needs to be replaced every two years. Bamboo is
never used as firewood unless it has been splintered to small pieces or powder and dried up.
Shan House
Villagers and neighbors use to help one another in building a house. It was a very common
practice. It showed unity, community spirit, love and concern to one another. No pay was given but
meals were offered to those who helped build the house. Normally it took only a few days to build a
house by the whole village. Shan did not build their house casually. They asked time and day of the
birth of the owner (year is not important) and choose the right day and time to start building the house.
They believed if the house were built on the wrong day, not in accordance with the birth of the owner, it
would give the residents many problems, troubles and even calamities. If the builder was going to build
contrary to the day of the birth of the owner, more sacrifices had to be offered to the spirits to content
the spirits before building a house. 32
It had a peculiar of regularity and neatness. The ends of the Shan houses invariably facing north
and south and the edges of the roofs, leaf or thatch were being accurately trimmed. 33 Typical Shan
house had two storeys built of bamboo with thatch roof or leaves of teak. The wall, the floor, the pillar,
table, chair and everything in the house were usually made of bamboo. Long grasses were naturally
grown on the hillside in the forest. Such long dry grasses called thatch (cM;) were used in roofing the
house. Upper storey of the house was fenced with bamboo wall. There were bedrooms walled with
bamboo and a fireplace made of clay put in the middle of the sitting room. The flooring of the upper
storey of the house was also made of bamboo, supported by posts forked at the top to carry the floor
beams on which rest the bamboo joints for supporting the planking. The upper floor was built about six
32 Shan at home by Leslie Milne, published by White Lotus Co.; February 2001, p. xiv
33 A Thousand Miles on an Elephant in Shan States by Holt Samuel Hallett, published by W. Blackwood and sons , 1890,
p31