This article is about lions in Burmese culture (not mythical). For mythical or legendary creature with a human head and two lion hindquarters, see Manussiha.
In contrast to popular foreign beliefs, the Chinthe is not a mythical creature[8] but instead an entirely natural lion,[9] although often associated with Buddho-Burmese myths.
The Burmese leograph[10] is related to other stylized lions in the Asian region, including the sing (สิงห์) of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and the simha (සිංහ) of Sri Lanka, where it is featured prominently on the Sri Lankan rupee. It is also related to East Asian leographs, such as the guardian lions of China, komainu of Japan, shisa of Okinawa and Snow Lion of Tibet.
Origins
The story of why the lions guard the entrances of pagodas and temples is given in the Mahavamsa:
The princess Suppadevi of Vanga Kingdom (present day Bengal) had a son named Sinhabahu through her marriage to a lion, but later abandoned the lion who then became enraged and set out on a road of terror throughout the lands. The son then went out to slay this terrorizing lion. The son came back home to his mother stating he slew the lion, and then found out that he killed his own father. The son later constructed a statue of the lion as a guardian of a temple to atone for his sin.[11]
The leograph[10] of Chinthe appears as an element of Burmese iconography on many revered objects, including the palin (Burmese royal throne) and Burmese bells.[13]
Predating the use of coins for money, brass weights cast in the shape of iconic animals like the Chinthe were commonly used to measure standard quantities of staple items.[14]
In the Burmese zodiac, the lion sign is representative of Tuesday-born individuals.[15]
The leograph is featured prominently on the successive post-independence State seals (including the current State Seal of Myanmar) and most paper denominations of the Burmese kyat, and its statues are found as guardian statues of most pagodas and temples.
During the Second World War, the British Brigadier Orde Wingate was given command of forces charged with long-range penetration operations behind Japanese lines in Burma. At the suggestion of Captain Aung Thin of the Burma Rifles, Wingate decided to call this force "The Chinthes" (The Lions),[18] a name which became corrupted to "The Chindits" and was so recorded in the annals of World War II.[3]
^Shwedagon, Symbol of Strength and Serenity. Yangon, Burma: Yangon City Development Committee. 1997. p. 25.
^Myanmar-English Official Dictionary. Yangon, Burma: Department of the Myanmar Language Commission. 1993. p. 79.
^ abUnited States, Congress (1945). Hearings. Washington, USA: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 3.
^Archaeological Department of Burma (1902). Report on Archaeological Work in Burma. Yangon, Burma: Superintendent, Government Printing. p. 22.
^Session, I.A.H Congress (1996). Proceedings of the 4th Session of Indian Art History Congress. Virginia, USA: University of Virginia. p. 100.
^Arts of Asia: Volume 35, Issues 1-2. Virginia, USA: AOA Publications. 2005. p. 111.
^Ralph Isaacs, T.Tichard Blurton (2000). Visions from the Golden Land: Burma and the Art of Lacquer. Landon, England: British Museum. p. 169. ISBN9780714114736.
^Sergei Sergeevich Ozhegov, Irene Moilanen (1999). Mirrorred in Wood: Burmese Art and Architecture. White Lotus Press. p. 67. ISBN9789747534009.
^Bunyard, Britt A. (2000). Walking to Singapore: A Year off the Beathen Path in Southeast Asia. U.S.A: Writers Club Press of iUniverse. p. 401. ISBN9781469772981.
^ abSoutheast Asia Handbook. Michigan, USA: Moon Publications. 1994. p. 91. ISBN9781566910026.
^. myanmar-image.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-11. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
^Burma, Information and Broadcasting Department (1948). Burma's Fight for Freedom: Independence Commemoration. Yangon, Burma: Superintendent, Government Print. and Stationery. p. 119.
^ abcDr., Tin Mg Oo (2005). Aspects of Myanmar Culture. Yangon, Burma: Cho-Tay-Than Bookhouse. p. 28.
^Sir., James George Scott (1882). The Burman: His Life and Notions, Volume 2. London, England: Macmillan and Company. p. 94.
^The Atlas of Dream Places: A Grand Tour of the World's Best-loved Destinations. Konecky & Konecky. 2002. p. 214. ISBN9781568523576.
^Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1960). Ancient India. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass (MLBD). p. 497.
^Duckworth, L.B (1945). Your Men in Battle: The Story of the South Staffordshire Regiment- 1939-45. Michigan, USA: Express and Star. p. 17.
January 07, 2023
chinthe, this, article, about, lions, burmese, culture, mythical, mythical, legendary, creature, with, human, head, lion, hindquarters, manussiha, burmese, tɕʰɪ, ðḛ, atìʔsaŋ, shan, sàːŋ, burmese, word, lion, leograph, highly, stylized, lion, commonly, depicted. This article is about lions in Burmese culture not mythical For mythical or legendary creature with a human head and two lion hindquarters see Manussiha Chinthe a Burmese ခ င သ IPA tɕʰɪ ɰ dḛ Mon ဇ ဒ သ ၚ cɛ atiʔsaŋ Shan သ င သ saːŋ si is the Burmese word for lion 2 3 The leograph 4 5 of Chinthe is a highly stylized lion 6 7 commonly depicted in Burmese iconography and architecture especially as a pair of guardians flanking the entrances of Buddhist pagodas and kyaung or Buddhist monasteries Lion statues surround the Independence Monument in Maha Bandula Park in front of Yangon City Hall Two lions guard the entrance to Shwedagon Pagoda 1 Contents 1 Natural lion 2 Origins 3 In Burmese culture 4 Gallery 5 Relation to Second World War Chindits 6 See also 7 Notes 8 ReferencesNatural lion Edit The lion is known as Chinthe in Burmese In contrast to popular foreign beliefs the Chinthe is not a mythical creature 8 but instead an entirely natural lion 9 although often associated with Buddho Burmese myths The Burmese leograph 10 is related to other stylized lions in the Asian region including the sing singh of Thailand Cambodia Laos and the simha ස හ of Sri Lanka where it is featured prominently on the Sri Lankan rupee It is also related to East Asian leographs such as the guardian lions of China komainu of Japan shisa of Okinawa and Snow Lion of Tibet Origins EditThe story of why the lions guard the entrances of pagodas and temples is given in the Mahavamsa The princess Suppadevi of Vanga Kingdom present day Bengal had a son named Sinhabahu through her marriage to a lion but later abandoned the lion who then became enraged and set out on a road of terror throughout the lands The son then went out to slay this terrorizing lion The son came back home to his mother stating he slew the lion and then found out that he killed his own father The son later constructed a statue of the lion as a guardian of a temple to atone for his sin 11 The lion symbol on the State seals 12 1000 Kyat paper moneyIn Burmese culture EditThe leograph 10 of Chinthe appears as an element of Burmese iconography on many revered objects including the palin Burmese royal throne and Burmese bells 13 Predating the use of coins for money brass weights cast in the shape of iconic animals like the Chinthe were commonly used to measure standard quantities of staple items 14 In the Burmese zodiac the lion sign is representative of Tuesday born individuals 15 The leograph is featured prominently on the successive post independence State seals including the current State Seal of Myanmar and most paper denominations of the Burmese kyat and its statues are found as guardian statues of most pagodas and temples Gallery Edit Leographic statues 16 line the rooftop at Bagan s Ananda Temple Close up of the stylized lion head 17 Ananda Temple Temple bell in Bagan Myanmar Lion statue on Dhammayazika Pagoda Bagan Myanmar A pair of whitewashed lions 13 guard the entrance to Mandalay Hill Chinthe of So Hla Waing in Bagan Myanmar Chinthe atop the Mingun Bell 13 Relation to Second World War Chindits EditDuring the Second World War the British Brigadier Orde Wingate was given command of forces charged with long range penetration operations behind Japanese lines in Burma At the suggestion of Captain Aung Thin of the Burma Rifles Wingate decided to call this force The Chinthes The Lions 18 a name which became corrupted to The Chindits and was so recorded in the annals of World War II 3 See also Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chinthe Asiatic lion Chinese guardian lions Shisa Shishi Singh Lion danceNotes Edit ခ င သ MLCTS hkrangse ALA LC khraṅse BGN PCGN chinthe chinthaytReferences Edit Shwedagon Symbol of Strength and Serenity Yangon Burma Yangon City Development Committee 1997 p 25 Myanmar English Official Dictionary Yangon Burma Department of the Myanmar Language Commission 1993 p 79 a b United States Congress 1945 Hearings Washington USA U S Government Printing Office p 3 Archaeological Department of Burma 1902 Report on Archaeological Work in Burma Yangon Burma Superintendent Government Printing p 22 Session I A H Congress 1996 Proceedings of the 4th Session of Indian Art History Congress Virginia USA University of Virginia p 100 Arts of Asia Volume 35 Issues 1 2 Virginia USA AOA Publications 2005 p 111 Ralph Isaacs T Tichard Blurton 2000 Visions from the Golden Land Burma and the Art of Lacquer Landon England British Museum p 169 ISBN 9780714114736 Sergei Sergeevich Ozhegov Irene Moilanen 1999 Mirrorred in Wood Burmese Art and Architecture White Lotus Press p 67 ISBN 9789747534009 Bunyard Britt A 2000 Walking to Singapore A Year off the Beathen Path in Southeast Asia U S A Writers Club Press of iUniverse p 401 ISBN 9781469772981 a b Southeast Asia Handbook Michigan USA Moon Publications 1994 p 91 ISBN 9781566910026 Image 5 of 20 myanmar image com Archived from the original on 2017 04 11 Retrieved 2010 09 17 Burma Information and Broadcasting Department 1948 Burma s Fight for Freedom Independence Commemoration Yangon Burma Superintendent Government Print and Stationery p 119 a b c Dr Tin Mg Oo 2005 Aspects of Myanmar Culture Yangon Burma Cho Tay Than Bookhouse p 28 Shwechinthe Birmans permanent dead link Sir James George Scott 1882 The Burman His Life and Notions Volume 2 London England Macmillan and Company p 94 The Atlas of Dream Places A Grand Tour of the World s Best loved Destinations Konecky amp Konecky 2002 p 214 ISBN 9781568523576 Majumdar Ramesh Chandra 1960 Ancient India Delhi India Motilal Banarsidass MLBD p 497 Duckworth L B 1945 Your Men in Battle The Story of the South Staffordshire Regiment 1939 45 Michigan USA Express and Star p 17 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chinthe amp oldid 1105515336, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
