I have a good friend in Thailand who enjoys telling Jingpho stories. I don’t remember the story exactly anymore, but one related to how the Kachin learned the dances for the Manau festival. I think it involved a boy who was raised by his grandmother and was left under a tree while she worked. He grew up knowing the language of the birds from the tree, and this later allowed him to win the hand of a chieftan’s beautiful daughter. The birds taught them the Manau dances as a celebration.
I could be mixing up stories there, though I’m sure at least one story had the Manau dances being learned from the birds. Is anyone else familiar with this story (or stories), or what the mythological origin of the Manau is?
Anon…
Im afraid that what you have heard and seen about the Q are from those antics. It sounds like a kind of belief and religion…one who are not, of coz become antics…those who cherish opposite, of coz…whatever they could be…nothing interesting AT ALL.
Imagine IF there could be a referendum on this issue…what the result it could be, can you imagine?
Or just ‘brand’ the royalist by ‘modernist’ view?
I think now we should see Kingship in terms of culture too IF
you still believe in cultural diversity.
Im not sure about recent Sulaks case some said about.
But once he’s not guilty when the junta in 90s charged him.
And you have to remember that before Sulak was supporter of Thaksin regime, same as old seniors who called him ‘black water bauffalo KNIGHT~
And how the regime bcame? How Thai people who loves democracy with ‘its spirit’ were ‘hijacked’ by the former regime?
I’m happy that these guys should make up their minds now.
[…] New Mandala blog discusses Thailand’s attempts to charge Google with lèse majesté. Thailand’s government tried unsuccessfully to get Google owned YouTube to drop clips mocking […]
“Why is Sulak in the pay of the junta??” Because Surayud promised him he would get rid of his lese majeste charge? Sulak already complained that, so far, Surayud had not done as promised.
This is certainly a useful reference for interested New Mandala readers.
Somewhat surprisingly, Leach has very little of substance to say on the topic of Manau, and doesn’t claim to have seen a “genuine example”. In Political Systems of Highland Burma (1954: 119), he explains the situation:
The symbolism of a manau would clearly be of the greatest relevance for this study. Unfortunately I have never had the opportunity to see a genuine example; the only manau I was able to see were severely bowdlerised versions put on as a spectacle for the benefit of visiting government officers. Existing accounts of manau…are more or less meaningless.
A second thought…. Maybe they are going to rebel and spill the beans on this junta! Maybe they’ll reconsider their own roles in the coup and the disaster that has followed it. Maybe.
Srithanonchai is correct, this was reported as being an event paid for by the military-backed government. Kraisak looked so uncomfortable last time, with the spinmeister Sondhi mouthing off next to him, so it will be interesting to see his performance this time. Why is Sulak in the pay of the junta??
Another question is why does this junta feel that it has to work so hard at protecting a monarchy that they claim is revered by all in Thailand (except those nasty Thaksin people)?
“The other communal ritual [the first is the one the author calls “numshang”] -the “manao zunggo”, the biggest ritual festival of the Jingpo- was specially dedicated to the “madai nat”, the spirit of walth and the great guardian. It was not routinely held because it was a costly ritual, requiring seven to nine cattle, tens of pigs, and hundreds of fowl as sacrifices; […] These great rituals became infrequent after 1958, and finally disappeared during the Cultural Revolution. After the Cultural Revolution, the festival was officially declared the nationality holiday of the Jingpo and fixed on New Year┬┤s Day on the traditional Chinese calendar. The celebration of the holiday is formally organized and held in the county towns or the prefectural capital. None of the original nat-offering meaning remains”
The quote is from the book “The Jingpo. Kachin of the Yunnan Plateau” (1997, pp. 1), by Zhusheng Wang -a comprehensive study of one Jingpo village in Dehong based on his PhD dissertation. Leach has obviously written about these festivals, but I did not have time to check yet -just hope someone finds the reference useful
I would like to be enlightened on applied anthropology and how important it is in the society.As a matter of fact I’m a third year anthropology student in the unversity of Cameroon,and being a third year student,I have decided to specialise in ANTHROPOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT.I also wish to be updated on current news and events based on this field.If possible be informed on any new job opportunity anywhere for this field.Thank you
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What a Manau looks like
I have a good friend in Thailand who enjoys telling Jingpho stories. I don’t remember the story exactly anymore, but one related to how the Kachin learned the dances for the Manau festival. I think it involved a boy who was raised by his grandmother and was left under a tree while she worked. He grew up knowing the language of the birds from the tree, and this later allowed him to win the hand of a chieftan’s beautiful daughter. The birds taught them the Manau dances as a celebration.
I could be mixing up stories there, though I’m sure at least one story had the Manau dances being learned from the birds. Is anyone else familiar with this story (or stories), or what the mythological origin of the Manau is?
Has the coup been good for democracy?
Anon…
Im afraid that what you have heard and seen about the Q are from those antics. It sounds like a kind of belief and religion…one who are not, of coz become antics…those who cherish opposite, of coz…whatever they could be…nothing interesting AT ALL.
Imagine IF there could be a referendum on this issue…what the result it could be, can you imagine?
Or just ‘brand’ the royalist by ‘modernist’ view?
I think now we should see Kingship in terms of culture too IF
you still believe in cultural diversity.
Thailand after the coup: Event at SOAS
Im not sure about recent Sulaks case some said about.
But once he’s not guilty when the junta in 90s charged him.
And you have to remember that before Sulak was supporter of Thaksin regime, same as old seniors who called him ‘black water bauffalo KNIGHT~
And how the regime bcame? How Thai people who loves democracy with ‘its spirit’ were ‘hijacked’ by the former regime?
I’m happy that these guys should make up their minds now.
Thailand after the coup: Event at SOAS
Thai whores on dislay in London!
Will the pimp (Chienchuang Kalayanamitr) be there too to handle special requests?
YouTube vs Thai dictatorship: The saga continues
Nothing he said is about bringing GOOGLE/YOUTUBE to justice ‘coz of lese majeste.
Lese majeste he said was ‘ cultural’…not legal.
Thailand after the coup: Event at SOAS
Better the devil you know than … uh… the one you know.
“…put on a happy face. The face of Myanmar”
[…] I have highlighted in the past, the self-censorship of tourism writing on Burma must give the generals reason to smile. […]
Thailand after the coup: Event at SOAS
Thanks for the explanation on Sulak. Seems like everyone prepared to sell their souls and deal with these devils.
A fairy story
Maybe, I take this sort of ideological dirt too seriously, but to me it is seriously nauseating, and completely irresponsible.
YouTube vs Thai dictatorship: The saga continues
[…] New Mandala blog discusses Thailand’s attempts to charge Google with lèse majesté. Thailand’s government tried unsuccessfully to get Google owned YouTube to drop clips mocking […]
Thailand after the coup: Event at SOAS
“Why is Sulak in the pay of the junta??” Because Surayud promised him he would get rid of his lese majeste charge? Sulak already complained that, so far, Surayud had not done as promised.
What a Manau looks like
Thanks Roger P.,
This is certainly a useful reference for interested New Mandala readers.
Somewhat surprisingly, Leach has very little of substance to say on the topic of Manau, and doesn’t claim to have seen a “genuine example”. In Political Systems of Highland Burma (1954: 119), he explains the situation:
Best wishes to all.
A fairy story
…the king came across a village that had almost no one living there.
The Sufficiency Village?! :O
YouTube vs Thai dictatorship: The saga continues
Phokai-udom’s quotes are ridiculous on so many levels!
My magic eight ball says: signs point to “Project for the New Thai Century” website opening soon!!!
Thailand after the coup: Event at SOAS
A second thought…. Maybe they are going to rebel and spill the beans on this junta! Maybe they’ll reconsider their own roles in the coup and the disaster that has followed it. Maybe.
Thailand after the coup: Event at SOAS
Srithanonchai is correct, this was reported as being an event paid for by the military-backed government. Kraisak looked so uncomfortable last time, with the spinmeister Sondhi mouthing off next to him, so it will be interesting to see his performance this time. Why is Sulak in the pay of the junta??
YouTube vs Thai dictatorship: The saga continues
Another question is why does this junta feel that it has to work so hard at protecting a monarchy that they claim is revered by all in Thailand (except those nasty Thaksin people)?
What a Manau looks like
here is the complete reference
– Zhusheng Wang, The Jingpo. Kachin of the Yunnan Plateau, Arizona State University, 1997
(the text is quoted from pages 184-5)
What a Manau looks like
here is a short comment by a Chinese specialist:
“The other communal ritual [the first is the one the author calls “numshang”] -the “manao zunggo”, the biggest ritual festival of the Jingpo- was specially dedicated to the “madai nat”, the spirit of walth and the great guardian. It was not routinely held because it was a costly ritual, requiring seven to nine cattle, tens of pigs, and hundreds of fowl as sacrifices; […] These great rituals became infrequent after 1958, and finally disappeared during the Cultural Revolution. After the Cultural Revolution, the festival was officially declared the nationality holiday of the Jingpo and fixed on New Year┬┤s Day on the traditional Chinese calendar. The celebration of the holiday is formally organized and held in the county towns or the prefectural capital. None of the original nat-offering meaning remains”
The quote is from the book “The Jingpo. Kachin of the Yunnan Plateau” (1997, pp. 1), by Zhusheng Wang -a comprehensive study of one Jingpo village in Dehong based on his PhD dissertation. Leach has obviously written about these festivals, but I did not have time to check yet -just hope someone finds the reference useful
Great job opportunities at ANU!
I would like to be enlightened on applied anthropology and how important it is in the society.As a matter of fact I’m a third year anthropology student in the unversity of Cameroon,and being a third year student,I have decided to specialise in ANTHROPOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT.I also wish to be updated on current news and events based on this field.If possible be informed on any new job opportunity anywhere for this field.Thank you