Drunkard on a horse [above]; a woman prepares for the nat pwe. |
They all became nats in local lore, which records that the spirit of Maung Tint De appeared before villagers to tell them he had become a nat.
A family shrine was built at
Legend has it that Min Gyi and Min Lay were the children of the superhuman Byatta and a forest nymph, Mai Wunna, who lived on
The two brothers—also known as Shwe Phyin Gyi and Shwe Phyin Lay—became favorites of the king. But they fell out of favor when they neglected to join the rest of the king’s subjects in contributing a token brick and handful of sand for the construction of the “Wish-fulfilling Pagoda” in Taung Pyone, just north of
The king had the two executed for their negligence. Their spirits later appeared before the king and successfully pleaded for forgiveness, and they were allowed to stay in Taung Pyone, where annual festivities are held in their memory.
They joined a hierarchical pantheon of 37 nats that includes Maung Tint De and his family. All are immortalized in niches ordered by king Anawrahta to be placed in the Shwezigon Pagoda in Pagan.
The most important of the 37 are Thagyamin, “king of the celestials”, and four nats who guard the four cardinal points of the compass. All are associated directly with the life and death of the Lord Buddha.
One story relates how the Lord Buddha summoned Thagyamin to his death bed and put him in charge of his teachings. The celestial king was assigned four helpers—the custodians of the four cardinal points.
Thagyamin regularly sends a messenger down to report on how the custodians are managing their task. “He must know how things are going on down here and take action”, said Khin Myo Chit.
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