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Beliefs & Superstitions

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Myanmar people are very superstitious and devoutly religious people. Listed are some superstitions that some Burmese people believe.

Superstitions

· You will lose your power if you go underneath a staircase.

· You will lose your power if you go under a pole or rope where women hang dry their longyis.

· You will have bad luck if you leave your shoes or slippers up-side down.

· Don’t hit the pot with a ladle after you stir the curry because it’s like hitting your parents head.

· Don’t keep broken glass or broken mirrors in your home.

· Don’t wash your hair within a week after a funeral in your neighbourhood.

· Don’t hit two lids of pots and pans against each other because a tiger may bite you.

· Don’t clip your nails at night because ghosts don’t like it.

· Don’t take kids to dark places because ghosts may possess them.

· Carrying some hairs of an elephant tail will avoid evil.

· On Mount Popa, on should not wear red or black or bring meat, especially pork, as it could offend the resident Nats.

· As soon as a baby is born, the mother avoids eating meat and fish and she also does not use soap.

From birth, boys and girls are treated differently. Names are usually given immediately after birth, but it is not out of the ordinary for the baby to be unnamed for many months. When a boy is born, a learned man is invited to wash his hair. The learned man places gold and silver coins in the cup that is used to wash the baby's hair so that he will grow up rich. Girls consider ear-piercing an important event to make themselves more beautiful.

At death, it is believed the deceased will travel in the afterlife. Therefore, the corpse is buried with a quarter in its mouth to pay for boat and bus fares. The family brings dirt from the funeral ground back home so that the dead know the way home. Seven days after death, a monk is called to tell the deceased that he can go any place he or she wishes to go from that day on.

Ear piercing Ceremony

The Burmese revere spiritual beings called the Nats, which they celebrate in their ceremonial plays, prayers, sacrifices, and dances. The Nats or Nathami (female) are believed to be very clever and possess immense power. They inhabit human bodies and exist in the trees, on top of mountains, in the ocean, and everywhere else. The Burmese cannot imagine what the Nats look like, but they fear them. The people give offerings to the Nats so that they will protect them.

The Burmese also honour the Naga, spirits that live at the bottom of rivers, seas, and oceans in places built from precious stones and pearls. They are the protectors of the water and land. The Naga have the advantage of being able to take the form of human beings, whereby the female Naga become beautiful women and marry powerful men in order to influence them.

The Burmese also believe in Bilus, the loner cannibals who are said to live in hidden places.