SHAN CULTURE 

 Shan  have their own language, literature  , belief, dress, festivals and practices, which they proudly called “Shan culture  .” However it is difficult to say whether it is an “Authentic Shan Culture  ” or “Buddhist Practices.” For instance, the novice ordination festival  (y.B;omifbv.if;) normally held in March is, as claimed by the Shan, a  Shan culture. It fact it is a Buddhist customs to make their sons becoming monks for a month in monastery to obtain merit for better future. Since Shan people have adopted Buddhism for almost two thousand years, all Buddhist practices have naturally and automatically become their culture.  Buddhist festivals, activities and practices are sometime identified or assumed or considered or claimed as Shan culture.[23]  Sometime they call it “Buddhist Shan Culture.” Shan people claim that Buddhism is Shan religion, Shan are Buddhists and Buddhism is Shan culture. People have been identified with religion. Thus it makes Shan very difficult to become Christian or belong to other religions.

 

Language

The Tai   people in different countries and places still have many words in common although changes in dialect and accents. There are common languages and terms   among Tai, Thai  , Lao  , Shan  , Dai   and Tai Ahom in spite of their separation for hundreds of years. For instance they all call “rice” as “kao” (c0fj), and the “spirit” as “Phe” (zD), “water” as “namm” (erfh)? The number, one (ekdifj), two (o.if), three (omrf), four (oDb), five ([Mj), six (=uf;), seven (qAwf;), eight (yFwfb), nine (u0fj), ten (odyf;) are the same. They also have similar dress and same method of cooking, dressing, life style and common food. Shan   language   belongs to the Tai   linguistic group, which also includes the Thai  , Lao   and Zhuang languages.[24]

            Shan   language   is different from other languages in Burma. In their own language the Shan call themselves Tai   (wB;) and their country Muong Tai (rldif;wB;) and their language Tai language (ugmrf;wB;). The Tai   languages are a subgroup of the Tai Kadai language   family.

Six Central Tai   Languages

1. Southern Zhuang (China)                         

2. Eastern Zhuang (China)

3. Man Cao Lan (Vietnam)                               

4. Nung (Vietnam)

5. Tày (Tho) (Vietnam)                                  

6. Ts'ün-Lao   (Vietnam)

One Northwestern Tai   Language                   

1. Turung (India)

Four Northern Tai   Languages                        

1. Northern Zhuang (China)

2. Nhang (Vietnam)                                      

3. Bouyei (Buyi) (China)

4. Tai   Mène (Laos)                                         

Thirty-two Southwestern Tai   Languages

1. Tai   Ya (China)                                      

2. Tai   Dam (Vietnam)

3. Northern Thai   (Lanna, Thai Yuan) (Thailand, Laos)

4. Phuan (Thailand)                                       

5. Thai   Song (Thailand)

6. Thai   (Thailand)                                         

7. Tai   Hang Tong (Vietnam)

8. Tai   Dón (Vietnam)                                       

9. Tai   Daeng (Vietnam)

10. Tay Tac (Vietnam)

11. Thu Lao   (Vietnam)

12. Lao   (Laos)

13. Nyaw (Thailand)

14. Phu Thai   (Thailand)

15. Isan (Northeastern Thai  ) (Thailand, Laos)

16. Ahom (India - extinct. Modern Assamese is Indo-European.)

17. Aiton (India)

18. Lü (Lue, Tai   Lue) (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar)

19. Khamti (India, Myanmar)

20. Khün (Myanmar)

21. Khamyang (India)

22. Phake (India)

23. Shan   (Myanmar)

24. Tai   Nüa (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos)

25. Pu Ko (Laos)

26. Pa Di (China)

27. Southern Thai   (Pak Thai) (Thailand)

28. Tai   Thanh (Vietnam)

29. Tày Sa Pa (Vietnam)

30. Tai   Long (Laos)

31. Tai   Hongjin (China)

32. Yong (Thailand)

Other Tai   Languages

Kuan (Laos)

Rien (Laos)

Tay Khang (Laos)

Tai   Pao (Laos)

Tai   Do (Vietnam)  

Shan   language   is a tonal language and written in a circular script called Shan script. Every variation in the voice and tone such as low tone, high tone, medium tone, short tone, long tone, intermediate tone makes differences in meaning. Altogether there are six basic tones; some have three variations according to whether the mouth is wide opened, closed or partially closed. Apart from what Rev. J. N. Cushing XE "Cushing"  calls opened, closed and intermediate tones, there are eight distinct inflexions of the voice in pronouncing words in the Lao   dialect, seven in the Khamti, and six in the Shan of Burma. The language, in all its known dialects, is rich and abounding in synonyms. 

 

Shan  Calendar and New Year

            The Shan   have their own calendar since ancient days started in AD 638. There are books in Tai   script for calculating solar and lunar eclipses.

First Waxing Moon of the First Lunar Month, Lern Seign, (vldefqAifrfgb0ef;ekdifj) is considered Shan   New Year Day according to Shan Calendar. There are three supposing reasons about the existence of Shan New Year.

1. The Shan   Kingdom   of Muong Mao   was founded in 450 Buddhist Era (BE).

2. The Abbot of Man Hai, SeLan, had written that in the year 450 BE there was the assembly of 150 learned Buddhist monks where they re-wrote the three divisions of Buddha’s doctrine (i.e. the Buddhist Synod).

3. Sao Khun Sai @ Sao Khun Hong, the son of the King of Muong T’sen (modern Yunnan) (rldif;oFef) with his four followers went to fetch the Buddha’s doctrine in the land of Phar Tang Phar Taw and returned home in the 450 BE in the time of new harvest.

That is why Shan   calendar year (yD@wB;) is based on the 450 BE.

The Shan   year is equal to Buddhist calendar year (Burmese   year) minus 450 years.

For example, 2545 (Buddhist year) - 450 = 2095 (Shan   year) = AD 2001 

 

Festivals

Shan   are festival   loving people. For the Shan   life is meaningless without festival  . There are festivals all year round in Shan States. Traditional ceremonies take place throughout the year. Most of these festivals are related to Buddhist calendar and very similar to Burman’s festivals.

Mid December – Mid January ( vldefqAif )

Shan New Year day (vldefqAifrfgb0ef;ekdifj) celebration in early December.

Moe-Byae Festival. Full-moon day of Pyatho (Moe-byae, Shan State  ) 3-day festival   ending January 1. The traditional crossbow contest is the main highlight of this festival.

During cold winter months, after the rice has all been harvested from the field, people make stuffing-cooking rice (khao lam mok) (c0fjvmrfr.uf) inside bamboo sticks and cook it by putting under burning charcoals. People also make sticky rice cake (khao boak) (c0fjykufh). If it is mixed with sesame seeds it is called Khao Tam Nga (c0fjwrfiM;).

Mid January – Mid February ( vldefurf )

The people celebrate the tradition "tradition"  of Khao Ya Goo (c0fj,MbulU) by giving out red sticky rice parcels. They make it with steaming sticky rice and mixing it with sugar cane, coconut and peanuts. They take the rice cakes to the temple to make offerings and also give them out to their friends and neighbors.

Mid February – Mid March ( vldefomrf )

Baw-gyo Festival. 10^th waxing day of Tabaung (Hsibaw, Shan State  ) 5-day ceremony ending Mar 1. There are boat races on Dote-hta-wa-di river.

Monkhood festival   or novitation ceremony (Poi Sang Long) (y.B;omifbv.if;) which is the ordination of young Shan   boys as novice.

Mid March – Mid April ( vldefoDb )

Pindaya Cave Pagoda Festival. 11^th waxing day of Tabaung (Pindaya, Shan State  )

5-day ceremony ending March 19. This is a typical Taungyo pagoda festival   where different ethnic minorities can be seen celebrating in their colorful garb.

Pindaya Shwe Oo Min Pagoda Festival (Pindaya, Shan State  ) in Pindaya, about 45 km, North of Kalaw, around the full moon day of Tabaung. During the festival   time thousands of devotees throng to the cave to pay homage.

The water-splashing festival   (Swan Nam) (y.B;o.ef;erfh? y.B;omif;usmefb) during which time the people splashing water to one another and to Buddha statute, prepare sticky rice food wrapped in banana leave (c0fjwlrfjulpfj) and make offerings to earn merit for the Buddhist New Year. Shan   people claim this festival as Shan culture   but Shan Christians in Burma see it as a Buddhist festival and do not allow its members to join festival.

Mid April – Mid May ( vldef[Mj )

Watering the Sacred Bo Tree Festival or Kason Festival held on the Kasone full moon day on the Buddhist calendar, the event marks the commemoration of the Buddha's birthday by pouring water onto the scared Bo tree, under which Guadama attained enlightenment and became the Buddha.

Taung-yo Torchlight Procession Festival in Pindaya, Shan State  .

The festival   of Sand Pagoda (Poi Kong Mu) (y.B;u.if;rl;oBm;) takes place during which time the people collect sand and take it to the temples to make little Kong Mu (pagoda) in the temple grounds during the time of the full moon and they all join together to make merit.

Mid May – Mid June ( vldef=uf; )

The people make offerings to the village spirits at various sites throughout the area.

Mid June – Mid July - ( vldefqAwf; )

Nayone Festival of Tipitaka.

The festival   of offering alms (Poi Kap Som) (y.B;umyfjo.rf;) is held to make offerings of specially prepared food to the older people who are spending the Buddhist Lent months in the temples.

Mid July – Mid August ( vldefyFwfb )

Dhama Sakya Day. This day commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon to his five disciples.

The Waso Festival, commemorating the Buddha’s first sermon, this festival   also marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent. Monks are given new robes and other requirements to tide them through the months ahead.

Mid August - Mid September ( vldefu0fj )

Phaung Daw Oo Festival and Thadingyut Festival of light is held for 3 weeks during September/October. It is the biggest event in the Shan States. It is also a celebrations to mark the end of the Lent season. In the evening people make processions carrying hand made castle like structures to the temples or else place them outside their homes to bring merit to their families. During these ceremonies there are music and dancing. The dancing is done by dancers dressed up as mythological creatures such as the mythological half-bird-half-human (ginaree) (elufh) and the mythological yak (wl0f;) which is held by two dancers, rather like a pantomime horse.

Mid September – Mid October  ( vldefodyf; )

The festival   of Hen Som Go Ja ([mifjo.rf;auM;qMb) (y.B;c0fj0MboMb? y.B;n.ufb0Mb) is celebrated in commemorating of the welcoming the Buddha coming back from heaven where he went to visit his mother during the Lent season. It is held to make offerings to deceased relatives who have already passed away. 

Mid October – Mid November  ( vldefodyf;nAwf; )

InLe Festival. 1^st waxing day of Thidingyut (Inlay, Shan State  ) 18-day festival  . Four Buddha statues are ceremoniously tugged clockwise around the lake on the royal barge by leg-rowing boats. They return home on 3^rd waning day. Leg-rowing boat races are held throughout the event.

Mid November – Mid December ( vldefodyf;o.if )

Tazaungdaing (Tazaungdine) Festival is held over 3 days in mid November and is another festival   of light. A spectacular fire-balloon competition is held in conjunction with the festival. These huge balloons are made of local Shan paper or rags, and are of different sizes and shapes, some human, some animal, some just fanciful products of imagination.  

 

Hospitality

Shan   are very hospitable people. They always open the doors of their home to visitors, passerby or strangers. Even though they have never met or known each other before they offer a place to rest or stay for a night or two or even for a week. They believe that taking care of the guest is good deed and can earn great merit. At least the visitors or strangers are offered a cup of cold water or hot green tea when they come into the house. Stranger who has happened to be at home at mealtime is always invited to the table. When a stranger comes after mealtime, the visitor is always asked if he has had his meal. If not yet, the host use to prepare meal for the visitor.

Leslie Milne said, “A poor Buddhist nun whom I thus treated, she was so grateful that for days she supplied me and my servants with vegetables and fruit. Her gratitude also taking embarrassing form of coming to say her prayers – presumably for me – in my bed room when I was dressing.”

A small bamboo stand on the side of the road covered with a tiny thatched roof shading water pot is a common scene in Shan   village. Women and girls use to fill the water pots with water every day. The water is freely available for passerby. They have been taught that a cup of cold water given to tired and thirsty wayfarers brings much reward in the future life. 

 

Tattooing

            Tattooing proper had been practiced in most parts of the world though it was rare among populations with the dark skin color and absent from most of China (at least in recent centuries). Various people believed that tattooed designs could provide magical charm, protection against sickness or misfortune. Some considered tattooing could make people having power, free from evil and danger. Some might even think as a beauty. Some tattoo were useful as identity of a person’s race, rank, status, or membership in a group. Tattoos had also been found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies dating from about 2000 BC. After the advent of Christianity, tattooing was forbidden in Europe but it persisted in the middle east and in other parts of the world.

            Tattooing was a culture   that existed in the Shan   for centuries since they were in mainland (China). Shan believed that, because of wars, they were going to be separated from one another and scattered all over the world. In order to be able to recognize one another in the future they started tattooing one another as an identification mark. That’s why tattoo can be found on the body of Shan, Tai   Ahom, Thai  , and Laotians.[25]  It is somehow an identification of the Shan   race. Whenever people see tattoo on his body he is recognized and accepted as a person belong to Shan race. A Shan boy was considered to have reached manhood when he has been tattooed. When a boy reached the age of 11 or 12, the earliest age, a tattoo artist was invited to tattoo his body and limbs with designs of animals, flowers, geometric patterns or the Tai   written script.[26]

In the past all male must have tattoo. Without tattoo he was not considered a matured man or brave man but considered as immature and coward. Women did not like a man who had no tattoo. There was a saying, “Yellow leg, get back away from our fields, otherwise our spirit of the field will flee.” In those days a man with no tattoo can hardly find a wife. Some tattooed from neck to ankle covering the whole body. Some only had tattoo on arms and small tattoo on the chest and back. The tattooing instrument is a single split needle set in a heavy brass socket or a few needles tightly tied together. No ink but the bile from the gall of bear was used in tattooing the skin. Women seldom tattooed unless they were crossed in love.[27] Tattooing is still practicing now but many young generations have abandoned it. 

 

Sickness and Medicine

            In the old days traditionally Shan   believed that there were ninety-six diseases affecting the body of human. Shan used to blame Phe (spirit) for their sickness and disease. Shan   used many herbs as medicines in treating diseases extensively for hundred of years since they use to live in the forest, hill and jungle without knowledge of western medicine. They used to go into the jungle, the field and find the medicinal leaves and roots for treating ailment. Sometimes they spend days in the jungle to find herbs. They had many formulas in making herbal medicine. Some of the animal parts and bones were also used as medicines. They knew how to identify between eatable food and poisonous food. They sometimes made use of poisonous food to create poison in catching wild animals.

            Sometimes the barks of certain trees were boiled and given to the sick as remedy to certain disease. Sometimes bark was pounded between stones and dry powder was used to sprinkle on wounds for healing. Sores and wounds were sometimes bathed with kerosene oil and alcohol.  Shan   recognized the fact that some diseases might be contagious or infectious and they burned the clothes of any person who had died of such disease. If a serious epidemic occurs in a village the sick were often left to the care of by a few old people and the other inhabitants left their homes and build huts for themselves in the jungle and lived there until they thought the danger was over. If the epidemic had been very severe many died in the village, people deserted their village and rebuilt new village on new site. Epidemics were sometimes thought to be caused by certain bad spirits.  Offerings were placed for those bad spirits at the road side to feed them and appease them not to strike the village. A pole with a swivel attached was also erected close to a path so that the demon might be caught as it passed by.

            Massage was a general relief and cure for all complaints and it was as often done with the feet on the back and thigh and with the hands on the neck and arms. For snakebite a string was tightly tied above the wound. After some one had sucked the poison out from the wound, a paste made of pounded spiders was laid upon the bite. They believed it counteracted the poison. Opium was commonly used as local application to relieve pain. The flesh of bats was considered good for asthma but it must be thoroughly cooked. Bones of tigers grounded into powder were given as a tonic to any one recovering from a severe illness to restore strength. The claws of bear were used as charms against sickness. Scraping on the leg or arm with the tusk of a wild boar was considered a cure for stiffness or rheumatism of joints. The claws of tiger or leopard were in great demand for charms to make children brave. The powdered horn of a rhinoceros was one of the most expensive remedies for all diseases. Tiger flesh dried in the sun, powdered, and eaten by small children could prevent them from having fits or convulsions. Tiger’s bones soup was good for dropsy, beriberi and other swelling diseases. Shan   also used western and Chinese medicines whenever available.

            Some believed that the seat of life changing its position from day to day. It might be in the hand today and tomorrow in the head and the next day in the arm. That was very serious if someone happened to cut his foot when the seat of life was visiting the foot. He was most certain to die. Some healers used to ask the time and date of birth of the sufferer before giving treatment because some treatment depends on the day and the time of the birth of patient. Shan  , in the past, had no knowledge of surgery. A favorite practice XE "practice" , when all other remedies failed to bring relief, was to puncture the skin of the patient with a hot needle to let out the blood and the evil spirit would leave. It is easy to win confidence of the people if one knows something about medicine and can help the people in illness. [28]

 

 Making Covenant

            In the old days keeping promises was a very serious matter for Shan   people. Agreements were sometimes sealed in a curious manner. One custom XE "custom"  of keeping or making promise was “drinking water of faithfulness.” The promise was repeated verbally over water, which was stirred with a dagger or the point of a sword and the water was then drunk, half by one man and half by the other, both calling on heaven and earth to witness the agreement. Another way was by writing an agreement, and then burn it and the ashes were sprinkled on water and each man swallowed half, saying before he drinks, “May I become very ill or die in a violent death if I do not hold good this writing.” A common oath was, “May I become a beast in my next life”[29] They use to swear to sky or pit when making verbal promise.

 

 Cultivation and Farming

            Shan   people like living on high plateau and places where there are plenty of water. Farming was their main occupation. Rice was the staple food. Shan   used buffalos in ploughing rice field and used cows in pulling the cart. Before starting farming a stone of the spirit was place in the middle of the field until harvest time. After harvest a small portion of the crops was offered to the stone and then stone was brought back home. In the old days, rice grown by family was for family consumption only. However nowadays farmers are making money by selling rice from their field. They kept the rice enough for their family for the whole year before another harvest. Apart from growing rice Shan   also grew vegetables and fruits.

            Life began early in Shan   village. The women rose up at cockcrow early morning before dawn to prepare the rice for the morning meal. The thud, thud, thud sound of pounding paddy in the kitchen about five o’clock in the morning was just like a sound that makes a wonderful alarm clock for the whole village. The men folks rose up a little later. They ate breakfast, took tools and departed from the house for the whole day work in the field or jungle and returned home at sunset. They paddock the buffaloes or cows they had tended the whole day in lower ground of the house, took bath, ate their evening meal, and retired to bed or puffing tobacco and drinking a cup of green tea or alcohol, talking and chatting round the flickering fire for a while before going to bed. They used to talk about the buffaloes, cows, or water in the field. Economic or politic were not common topics. They cooked late and ate late in the evening. Usually dinner time started at 9 PM and finished at 10 PM.  

 

Method of Farming

            Tai   people group was the first in history to plant rice and use a furrow to plough.[30] The seeds of rice are first of all soaked in water until it sprouts and then sown in small nurseries previously prepared by ploughing. At the end of thirty days they were pulled out from the soil with the root attached and transplanted into the field, which was previously ploughed and filled with water. The seedlings were set one foot apart in straight lines. It’s back aching work to bend down and plant the plants all day long in the field but impromptu folk songs sung by planters helped them pass the time and pain. Sometimes it became enjoyable moment.

            Both men and women helped in planting. They worked all morning till sunset with a short break for meal during the day. They wore big hats usually made of bamboo cover, was tied tightly under their chin to prevent from falling off the head. The big hat acted as umbrella and protect their head and body from the sun and rain. Some covered their back with a coat made of leaves to protect them from the rain. They did not stop working even though it was raining. They wrapped their lunch from home in banana leave and brought it to the field. They ate cold meal without reheating. Planting time usually ended in July. In November the waving grains turned golden as it was ripen and ready for harvest. The most enjoyable time was harvest time. The reaping began in November or even as late as December. The grains were cut by sickle and the swathes were tied together to make sheaves. The sheaves were then heaped up to make the large stacks. After reaping was over the sheaves were left in stacks for two or three weeks before threshing. Threshing was usually done by hands but if there was a large quantity it was thrashed by buffaloes by stamping round and round through the paddy as it lied in heaps on the threshing floor covered with bamboo mat.  After thrashing the oxen carried the grain from the field to the village in large baskets, two baskets on each ox. Paddy was stored in big bamboo baskets, which were seven or eight feet high, tightly plastered inside and outside with clay to prevent from insects and rats.  The rice of the first ears that were threshed was cooked by steaming and carried to the monastery and offered to the monks as an offering.

            Empty rice fields after harvest were used again for planting either sugarcane or paddy. Shan   also cultivate various spices and seasonings such as onions, garlic, lemon grass, white and black pepper, fennel, basil, chilies, coriander, horseradish, roselle, parsley and mint. Shan   also raise pigs, cattle, poultry, ducks and elephants. Hunting is another traditional activity for the Shan with crossbows, snares, bamboo traps, stone slings or gun.

 

 Handicrafts

            Shan   are skillful in handy craft especially in gold, silver, metal, ivory and weaving. With migration moving southwards to their present locations in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam they added some forms of Khmer and Indian influence to their own traditional inventory. Therefore, Tai   textiles fall into two groups; original and supplemental textiles. The former grouping includes clothing, decorative, religious and utilitarian textiles. Besides skill in silk weaving, Tai are also excellent basket weavers using strings of bamboo. A wide range of containers, baskets and traps of different sizes for different purposes are produced. [31] 

 

Food

            The main food of Shan   is rice. Shan people like sticky rice and all kind of cakes made of sticky rice. There are many verity of sticky rice cake such as Kao Boak (c0fjykufh), Kao Kep (c0fjcFyf), Kao Bong (c0fjy.if;), Kao Lum Mok (c0fjvmrfr.uf), Kao Dum Kao (c0fjwlrfjulpfj), Kao Soi (c0fjo.B;), Kao Sian (c0fjoAefj), Kao Muong (c0fjrlifj), Kao Moon Ho (c0fjrkef;=0fb) Kao Dum (c0fjwlrfj) etc.

            Other favorite foods for Shan   are; Toa Noa (Soya bean) (xl0fbe0fj), Toa Fu Phet (spicy Toa Fu) (xl0fbzl;zAwf), Phak Soum (Pickled leaves) (zuf;olrfj), Phak Kat Saw (stew mustard leaves) (zuf;umwfbaqM;), Lo (Bamboo shoot) (vl0fb), Phak Keng (boiled leaves) (zuf;uFif), Phak Kam (pea plant) (zuf;cmrf;), Bak (Pumkin) (uufh), Dean (Cucumber) (wFif) Pa Heng (Dry fish) (yM[Fifj), Noua Heng (Dry beaf) (eld0fh[Fifj), Mixed vegetable (oMj), Eatable tree leaves (+wfj), Nam Pit (Pounded eggplant in chilli pepper) (erfhzdwfh), Noe Sa (meat-salad) (eld0fhoMj), Pa Soum (sour-fish) (yMolrfj) kong Soum (Sour prawn) (ulifjolrfj), Noe Soum (Sour meat) (eld0fholrfj), Pa Zi (BBQ fish) (yMqDb), Noe Zi (BBQ meat) (eld0fhqDb), Pa Moke (Baked fish) (yMrluf), Bamboo-worm (rlifjrBh) and other eatable larva are also Shan favorite food. Shan do not like oily food. Shan like drinking tea (green-tea). All visitors were offered green tea at any occasion. Drinking alcohol is not a Shan culture   but they use to drink during eating meal, at festival   and celebration. Sour and spicy foods are also Shan favorite.

            Elderly Shan, male and female alike,   were found of chewing betel leave. The reason of chewing betel leaves was that they believed betel leave could make a person speak well, weightily, respectfully and effectively. Before chewing it they had to break away both ends of the betel leave because they believed that there was a spirit watching over betel leave.

 

Cooking

Tai have a typical common methods in cooking such as;

Cook with boiling water in opened pot (uFif@? aqM;)

Cook meat or vegetable in a covered big pot ( nkyfh)

Cook meat or vegetable in a covered small pot (n.yfh)

Mixed salad with any condiment by chopping up uncooked food and mixing it with meat as the main ingredient (ul0fjtvjoMj)

Cooked by baking under the hot charcoal or ashes (rluf;?n.uf;?nFyf;)

Cook in a bamboo place in the fire. (vmrf)

Cooked by steam (ekdifj)

Prepared dishes by pounding (wrf?e.uf;?ckdwfj)

Prepared by keeping it sour or fermented (r.if@?,Fef@)

Roasted on the fire or barbecued (qDb? ydifj)

Cook without any thing added (wlrfj?[kif)

Cooked by frying (cl0fj?om0f;)

Stew food, cook slowly and long on medium heat, simmer (n.ifb)

Soaked in liquid and eat (tqj)

Dip in liquid and eat (qrfj)

Mixed, knead together with any condiment, commonly with sour vinegar, and eat(vlj)

Keep in cold condition and allow it to become solid or coagulated and eat (wkkif) 

 

Dress and Costume

            Knitting and weaving are the skill of Shan   since 2000 years ago. They knitted and weaved their own clothes and made cloths. The original unique Tai   style, its designs, patterns and technical skill were seen in the clothing originally consisting of a woman’s skirt called “sint” (odefj) and man’s loincloth, hip wrapper long trouser. Shan   trousers are very wide and often they are made with the seat so near the ankles that they look like a shirt. The national dress of the Shan is a little bit different among the Shan living in different areas. They use to wear it on special occasion like Shan national day, ceremonial and festival   time. The traditional woman sint is made up of three bands, a waistband (=0fodefj), body (wl0fj) and lower border ([mifodefj), joined at waistband, mostly woven separately and patterned with different motifs. The body of sint has the broadest weft dimension. Traditionally, women wear tight-sleeved short dresses and sint. Unmarried young ladies use to wear flowers in their hair and dress in colorful shiny dress. The elder women wear a dark-blue skirt and black turban. Many women wear a silk girdle around their waists and wind their long hair into a bun at the back of their head, fixing it with a single beautiful crescent-moon-shaped comb. Men wear collarless tight-sleeved short jackets, with the opening at the front and long baggy trousers in light brown color. They wind white or yellow turban around their head. Men used to wear head-dress (turban), a bag sling on the shoulder and a sword on the other shoulder all the time. The Shan   were famous for their gold and silver chased work. Beautifully designed gold and silver ornaments, bracelets, necklaces, and jewel-headed cylinders in their earlaps were worn by the wealthier classes. Nowadays many Shan become more Burmanized and wear Burmese longyi. They wear their national costume at special occasion only. 

 

Martial Art

             Martial art (vBm;cFefh) is also one of Shan   cultures. Most of the young men learn martial art from their expert master. Parents encourage children to learn Shan martial art in sword, rod, rope and hands for self-defense but military government prohibits it. Old people who have learned the art used to pass 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 XE "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 feet off the ground to avoid the ravages of white ants. The interior was divided into two, a living room and a bedroom, with an open veranda in front particularly shaded by a fan-shaped roof, and reached by rickety steps set about eighteen inches apart. The floor and the walls were made of plaited bamboo. There was no chimney and the smoke found its way out through cracks in the bamboo wall or thatched roof.

            Mats and cushions, pillows and blankets were usually piled up in a corner at day time and set up on the floor at night to sleep. Simple mat made of fine strips of bamboo or of a species of rush served as mattresses in summer and were replaced by home made cotton mattresses in the colder months. The posts of the walls were arranged in sets of three, five or seven as odd numbers bring luck. The post that was believed to be occupied by the spirits “Phe” (zD) was on the east side next to the corner post nearest the door. The guardian spirits of the house were supposed to occupy the portion of this post above the floor, malignant or evil spirits.[34] The spaces between each set of posts had specific names. The door of the house and the verandah was almost always at the south end. Some may put a charm on top of the main door to prevent entry of evil spirit. The lower part of the house was open, no wall, but pillars exposed to tie up cows or water buffalos. Animals such as buffalo, cow, pig and chicken were placed under the house in the lower storey. Shan had the most amazing belief that buffaloes tied up for the night beneath the house was good for the protection against mosquitoes because mosquitoes were attracted to the buffaloes rather than the inmates of the house. Lower compartment was also used as storage compartment for wood, rice or tobacco leaves. There was a step from ground to up stair ascending to verandah. Verandah was very useful for the family. They could sit and relax, had a meeting, dry up the clothes, doing washing, combing hair or even taking a bath on verandah.

Shan   used to have home dedication ceremony before moving into the new house. No one was allowed to live in the house before dedication. It was a celebration and a feast. Monks and elders were invited to say blessing and neighbors and friends were invited to celebrate with meal. At the same time people carried blankets, pillows, mats and other household things to the new house. When the owner of the house arrived to take possession he was welcomed by an old man, who said, “May your home be free from all misfortunes, may you never have anxiety or sickness, may no danger come near you and may your life be full of happiness.” After new home dedication, the fire was lit in the entrance room and it was not allowed to go out for seven days and seven nights. There was a high shelves built in the sitting room called “God’s Shelf.” Nothing except the Buddhist scripture, Buddha idol and flower’s pots were allowed to put on the shelf. Those who did not have Buddha idol put the picture of the monk or pagoda instead.

 

Newborn and Naming a Child

            In the old days Shan   women bore the child by themselves through natural process since there was no hospital. The mother or a wise woman (untrained but experienced midwife) used to give the necessary help at an infant’s birth. If labor was slow and difficult the helper gently massage the abdomen to assist delivery and warm water was given to the mother to drink. The warm water was not heated on the fire in the usual way but by dropping hot stones into it. This method of boiling the water was never done in normal circumstances unless the water was to be used for medicinal purposes. The umbilical cord of the baby was severed by a piece of newly cut bamboo skin, which had been sharpened for cutting. During the birth the husband did not stay in the room. He was, however, closed at hand to take care of placenta and umbilical cord after birth. The father first washed placenta and umbilical cord gently, then rolled them in a banana leaf, placed them with care in a deep hole, which he had been just dug under the steps of the house and buried the placenta under the earth. It was believed that by doing this way it was very important for the future health and happiness of the child. It was also important that the father should wear a smiling face while he was digging the hole and depositing the banana leaf and its contents. If he, at that time, looked angry, the child would be cursed with a bad temper when grew up. Burying the afterbirth under the steps of the house was also believed to bring more children to the family. If a child was born with the umbilical cord rounded his neck it was considered a sign of great good fortune. They believed that a baby that was born with moles on any part of the body except under the eye was thought lucky. It was considered fortunate to be born with two thumbs on the same hand. After the child was born the father and mother sleep in separate rooms for two to three months. A boy would bring more gladness into the family than a girl, as all Shan   believed that a man stands on a higher stage of existence than woman.[35]

            The mother washed baby every day with clean and warm water, nursed the baby carefully and breast-feed the baby every time when the baby cried. There was no set time for baby feeding. A newborn child was usually given name when a child was one month old. It was a ceremony with eating, singing, dancing and also blessing. The parents made a feast and invited their friends to be present. The food was cooked by the wise woman or helper who helped the mother when baby was born since the mother was not allowed to cook during one month of maternity period. When the guests arrived they went first to a large earthenware pot, which was filled with fresh water and into it they dropped their presents, usually a silver coin, sometimes rupees and even gold. Then they made nice little speeches to the parents saying, “May you live to see his children’s children and may his merit be greater than ten hundred thousand moons and suns.” When all the guests had arrived and all the presents had been dropped into the pot the water from it was poured over the baby. The wise woman put the money into the child’s hands saying, “Now you are a full month old, may you be healthy and happy and free from the ninety-six diseases.” Then the mother washed the hands of the wise woman and the baby was ready to receive the name. An old man or woman wound a white thread seven times round the child’s wrist and told him the name that had been chosen for him. It was believed that a white thread keeps baby safe from evil spirits. Seven was a lucky number. The coins given to the child were pierced and hung on a silver chain, which baby wore around his neck till he/she was six or seven years old. If the coins were too many for the chain some of them were given to silversmith who made them into anklets or bracelets for the child to wear. The first hair, which was cut off, was very carefully kept. It was put into a little bag and hung round the neck of the baby as a sure charm to prevent him from crying in the middle of the night. If the child was ill, the bag with the cut hair was soaked in water and the water from it was used to wash baby’s little body or he might have to drink it as a soothing draught.[36]

            If a woman was not able to have a child because of barren she was a deplorable state. It showed that either husband or wife or both had been sadly lacking in merit in previous lives. Shan   were baby lovers. Cruelty to infant or children was rare. Infanticide in any form was practically unknown. [37]

 

Maternity Period

            After giving birth, mother had to stay in the room with the baby for one month without leaving the room. She must dress up herself with warm clothes from head to toe to prevent from exposing to cold. A man usually did not go into the room within the first month after delivery because they believed that a man may loose his “spiritual power” if he went into the room who had just given birth to a baby. Mother of the baby was expected not to do any domestic work for thirty days. She did not even cook for her own meal. She was considered unclean during the month. Her mother or sister or other people cooked for her and her husband. Shan   woman who had many children seldom looked old and wrinkled because of quiet and rest time for one month after giving birth.[38]

            Mother was given plenty of boiled vegetable and egg during maternity period believing that she could produce more and healthy milk for the baby. A great ceremonial washing must be done for purification after one month. The process of purification was as follows:

The mother and father, the baby, wise woman and friend who helped delivered the baby, together went to a running stream. First the mother bathed herself from head to toe, standing in water, she washed her long hair for the first time in one month carefully and thoroughly. Then she washed her baby and poured water over the hair of her husband and the wise woman. Now she was purified and considered clean and may offer bananas and rice to the monastery and resume her normal household duties again.

 

Shan Name

            The name could be any name given by the parents or the elder as they desired. They do not have family surname. Sometimes the date and time of birth were taken into consideration in giving name. The name could be completely different from parents’ name. For instance, the father’s name is Kham Zet and the mother’s name is Seng Li. The child name can be Yuet Ngen. Yuet Ngen is the real name. Apart from the real name a person may have a prefix before the real name.

The prefix can be the followings depend on position, class, age, etc.

Sao (q0fj), Khun (ckef), Nang (emif;), Sai (qBm;), Maung (r.ifb), Saya (YoMb), Kein (cdif;), Lone (vkif;), Paw (ayMj),

Mae (trj), Pa (yMj), Nei (eBm;), Ya (,M@), Nong (e.ifh), Pi (yDj), Pu (ylb), etc.

For example;

“Kham Zet” is a real name.

“Sao Kham Zet” indicates that he is from a royal family.

“Khun Kham Zet” also indicates that he is from royal family.

“Nang Seng Kio” indicates that Seng Kio is a woman from royal family. However in modern time Nang is commonly used in the name of the ladies just to indicate that she is from Shan   race, not necessarily from royal family. Nang can be assumed as racial surname for Shan girls.

“Sai Kham Zet” indicates that he is adult young person from Shan   race. Sai can be assumed as racial surname for adult boys. It sometimes also means elder brother.

“Maung” is a common prefix Burmese   name meaning young man. Since Shan   has become more Burmanized the use of Burmese prefix is quite common.

“Saya Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is a teacher.

“Kein Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is an adult and respected person.

“Lone Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is an elderly person.

“Paw Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is respected as a father.

“Mae Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is a lady and also respectfully as a mother.

“Pa Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is an elderly mother.

“Nei Kham Zet” also means Kham Zet is old lady.

“Ya Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is an old lady.

“Nong Sai” means younger brother and “Nong Ying” means younger sister.

“Pi Sai” means elder brother and “Pi Nang” means elder sister.

“Pu Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is an old man.

“Khu Kham Zet” means Kham Zet is an expert.

Almost all the name of the Shan   people has the meaning. Many Shan   male use to have the name in precious metal such as Seng (oFif) (diamond), Kham (crf;) (gold), Ngein (ikdef;) (silver) and the high things like Sun (0ef;) (Wan), Leaun (vldefj) (moon), Lao   (vm0f) (star), etc. Shan   seldom change their names in normal circumstances. Some Shan   young men may change their names after their monk-hood with the prefix “Hsang” (q0fjomifb?rlefjqmif;).

Common traditional name among the Shan   were used by serial among siblings.

As for male;

Ai (nBmj) (eldest son),

Yee (,Dj) (second son),

Hsam (omrf) (third son),

Hsai (oBb) (fourth son),

Ngo (il0fh) (fifth son),

Nok (ekufh) (sixth son),

Nu (elU) (seventh son),

Noi (e.BU) (eighth son),

Lah (vMU) (ninth son),

Lun (vkdef;) (youngest or last), 

Koi (u..Bj) (youngest or last),

As for female;

Ye (a,j) (eldest daughter),

Ee (nDb) (second),

Ahm (nmrfj) (third),

Ei (nBb) (fourth),

O (nl0fj) (fifth),

Ok (nluf) (sixth),

Et (ndwf) (seventh),

Laik (vAufh) (eighth),

Lah (vMU) (ninth),

Lun (vkdef;) (youngest or last),

Koi (u.Bj) (youngest or last).