Myanmar 37 The Kachin tribes

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Myanmar
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The Kachin Tribes
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Myanmar is an ethnically diverse nation with 135
distinct ethnic groups officially recognized by
the Burmese government. These are grouped into
eight "major national ethnic races. There are
approximately one hundred languages spoken in
Burma. Burmese, spoken by approximately 65 of
the populace, is the official language and the
primary language of instruction. Kachin State is
in the extreme north of Burma and shares borders
with China and India. There are six different
ethnic sub groups each has its own colourful
traditional dress as demonstrated in
the photograph of the children, and each has its
own dialect but Jinghpaw is the lingua franca.
Formerly animists, the vast majority of Kachins
have converted to Christianity since missionaries
first arrived in the mid nineteenth century. But
animist practices still survive eg in the Manau
Festivals which originated as part of the Nat
or spirit worship of the past. The Manau dance is
a huge celebratory dance around the Manau
structure, which follows symbolically the steps
of the ancestors when they migrated to Burma from
the Qinghai Tibet plateau. The dance can last
anything from 1-3 hours up to 4-8 days!
The Manau varies in its decoration, but the basic
designs are diamond shaped and curved lines. The
top and bottom is usually painted with pictures
of the sun, moon and earth, and the topmost side
is cut, shaped and painted in the form of a
birds beak
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From their folklore, language and culture, it is
clear the Kachin originated in Tibet. By the time
the British in 19th century colonial Burma first
became aware of them, in the far north of that
newly conquered territory, the Kachin had
expanded southwards into the highlands of what is
today known as Kachin State. Because of the
aggressive, warlike behavior of the Kachin, the
relation ship between the Kachin and most other
people groups was uneasy. Each Kachin chief
considered himself independent and under no
foreign domination, which resulted in strained
relations with the Burmese. The Burmese look down
on the Kachin as wild men from the hills.
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These forest-clad mountains, deeply fissured by
river valleys, have rich mineral resources,
including alluvial gold, rubies and sapphire, and
the jadeite (imperial green jade) historically
revered as the stone of heaven in China.
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During the 90 years of the British Raj, the
Kachin began to adapt to their changing
circumstances. Their society did not disintegrate
under the impact of the new political
dispensation, and the arrival of powerful forces
from distant regions fermented growth. American
Baptist missionaries brought medicine, education,
and above all literacy. A gifted linguist, the
Swedish-American Ola Hanson, still revered by the
Kachin, devised a writing system modeled on the
Western alphabet in order to print a Kachin
translation of the Bible.
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Over time, prompted by their martial traditions,
young Kachin began to volunteer to serve in newly
organized army and police units recruited by the
British. This vocation continued through World
War II, when both the Americans and the British
raised Kachin units to oppose the Japanese. They
fought a highly successful guerrilla campaign
against over-extended Japanese supply lines,
making a vital contribution, along with the
Chindits, to the destruction of the Japanese
advance into India. Their contribution earned
them the accolade the Gurkhas of Southeast
Asia. In fact, just as the Gurkhas kukri forms
part of their traditional ceremonial uniform, so
the Kachin shortsword, or dah, is still carried
upright by the male Kachin as part of their
ritual costume as they dance the manau
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the Kachin shortsword, or dah, part of the ritual
costume
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Dha (also spelled dah or dhaw) is the Burmese
word for "knife." The term dha is conventionally
used refer to a wide variety of knives and swords
used by many people across Indochina A Kachin
Dah or sword is an important feature or the
Manau Dance and is held upright by the dancer. In
Kachin culture the sword or knife is the most
unique and indispensable tool of life. With this
knife, land is cleared for cultivation, trees
felled for timber to build house and vows are
exchanged with the Kachin dah as witness in
betrothal ceremonies much as a Bible is used in
Christian ceremonies. It was also with this
sword that Kachin nationalists revolted against
colonial rule. So it is no wonder that the Kachin
sword features so prominently in the most
important of the Kachin Manau festivals
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But most important of all these swords are
heirlooms handed down through the generations.
They form the dowry at a wedding ceremony and the
parents of the newly-wedded couple exchange the
family sword as a wedding gift. This serves the
forging and recognition of a new relationship.
Thus by tradition the Kachin sword is the emblem
of kinship.
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The Kachin are renowned for their weaving skills.
A woven shoulder bag and a silver sword in a
sheath are essential components of a typical
Kachin man's dress (these two articles for the
men represent protection and provision) while
women decorate themselves with silverware that
covers half of their torsos.
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Brighton Museum
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The myth accounting for the origin of the manau
describes how the sun god summoned to his court
the earthly community of birds, led by the
hornbilla king black bird (probably a
raven)and ordered them to dance for his
entertainment. In later times, the birds are then
said to have taught the Kachin the same dances
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Black and white hornbill feathers adorn the
elaborate headdresses of the lead dancers, while
their costumes also feature images of various
birds, including the peacock. The elaborate
ceremonial is an art form that expresses the
quintessence of the pride the Kachin have in
their history and culture.
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The Manau dance which is a tradition of the
Kachin peoples is celebrated to worship and
propitiate the "Lamu Madai", God of the Spirits.
The divine God Lamu Madai is believed to be the
creator of the Universe and the Manau
Celebration is a tradition ritual conducted with
various aims in worship of this divinity.
The Great Hornbill is the State bird of Chin
state in Myanmar.
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In the arena where the Manau festivities are to
be held, 12 emblazoned poles are erected of which
10 are fixed upright as colonnades and two are
laid horizontally at the base. The Manau sacred
pillars are the symbol of Kachin identity. The
two main middle poles stand for father and
mother. The pole with the symbol of the moon
represents the father and that with the symbol of
the sun is for the mother. The Ma-nau is said to
have originated from the coupling of the sun and
the moon as husband and wife
Kachin Man - manau lider
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This is why these two poles with the sun and the
moon are prominently designed and displayed. The
two poles on each side of the central poles stand
for sons and daughters. Then there are a couple
of poles flanking each side of the four erect
poles to form a kind of crucifix. These are the
sacrificial poles. According to ancient Kachin
mythology, the first ancestors of the Kachin
ethnic group, were Ja Nyi and Ja Ngai, an ancient
brother and sister. They are believed to be the
parents of the Kachin race. From the son of Ja
Nyi and Ja Ngai who married the daughter of the
King of Dragons are descended the second
generation of the Kachin ancestors. So the Kachin
people are the descendants of a mythical dragon
and an ancient brother and sister.
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Jinghpaw
Rawang
Kachin National Manau Park
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The pole with the dragon of the Manau sacred
pillars represents the origin of the Kachin race.
The pole with the design of a hornbill bird,
represents the master of ceremonies of the Ma-nau
celebrations.
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The patterns on the Manau poles depict the style
of movement, the route of an army of ants, birds
in flight, bulls fighting, fertile seeds
germinating and waves undulating. The Manau dance
movements follow the patchwork design on the
Ma-nau poles.
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The men wearing elaborate head gear who lead the
participating dancers are the masters of the
celebration and are called "Dum Sa". The masters
of the ceremonies, as dictated by custom, adorn
their heads with long and elaborate head
ornaments of a taxidermized head of a horn bill
and a few feathers of the peafowl. The reason is
that this very hornbill bird is believed to be
the pioneer and leader of the Ma-nau dance. Hence
the reason why the masters of the dance wear the
horn bill. They also wear a long garment in the
style of a crosier. This kind of attire was worn
exclusively by former Kachin chieftains known as
Duwa and Salang Wa. They were the only ones
privileged to wear these long robes.
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Peacock Pheasant the national bird of Kachin State
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Thus there are 7 principal Ma nau celebrations
each with its own aim. (1) Sut Manau (for
prosperity) (2) Padang Manau - (for victory) (3)
Ju Manau (for health) (4) Kumreng Manau (for
preservation tradition) (5) Shadip hpaw Manau
(for blessing) (6) Daw Jau Manau (in praise and
thanksgiving) (7) Hpaji Jan Mau Manau (for
enlightenment)
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(6) Daw Jau Manau (For praising and
thanksgiving)This occasion is for house warming.
Nowadays, the Kachin people hold such a
celebration even for a Church inauguration but
with modifications and adaptations to suit
Christian teaching. The ceremony is performed as
an act of gratitude to the Holy God of
Christianity and to ask for his blessings 
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Hpaji Jan Mau Ma-nau (For enlightenment) is
performed in adoration and thanksgiving for
enlightenment through education. Educational
qualifications and degrees are highly valued and
a Kachin national thanks God for his education
and intellectual development and for not being an
illiterate person. They also make a wish for
further education and to be free of ignorance.
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In actual fact, the Daw Jan Manau and Hpaji Jan
Mau Manau are late additions arising from the
introduction of Christianity
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It was only after conversion to the Christian
faith, that the Manau for praise and thanksgiving
and that for enlightenment were added to the more
conventional and traditional Manau ceremonies.
The object of homage in the latter two ceremonies
is God the Father.
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Other legend sais that in the beginning no one
knew how to dance. Only the sun nats knew the
secret, and when they danced they called the
birds to participate. The birds went to the sun
country to learn the dance. Returning, they saw a
Banyan tree with ripe fruit. The black bird,
skipping about, said, let us eat. The Npring
bird also began to dance and said, let us eat.
Thus, while partaking of the fruit, the birds
danced the dance of the sun country. Then,
imitating birds, a man named Shingra wa Gumja and
his wife Madai Hpraw (the white celestial woman)
learned the dance and introduced it among men.
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There are several variations to traditional
Kachin dress corresponding to the traditional
tribes.
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The word for God in Kachin is Karai Kasang. The
Kachin people believed that there is Karai
Kasang, someone beyond this creation, since in
the time of Nat worship (Spirit worship) before
they became Christians. Karai Kasang did not
demand anything from human beings. The Kachins
did not give any offering or sacrifice to Karai
Kasang. However, Karai Kasang is the merciful one
who is always ready to help the people in need
to do justice if one does injustice to others to
stand on the side of the poor, the orphan, the
widow and the weakest.  No one can see Karai
Kasang. Karai Kasang is, thus, a spiritthe Great
Spirit. The Kachin people do not call Karai
Kasang father or mother because Karai Kasang is
neither female nor male Karai Kasang is beyond
gender. Karai Kasang is not just transcendent but
also immanent. So, for Kachin people, Karai
Kasang is neither hierarchal nor patriarchal
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Presentation Sanda Foisoreanu
2014
Sound Traditional Kachin Dance