U Shin Gyi

In this Burmese name, U is an honorific, not a given name.

U Shin Gyi (Burmese: ဦးရှင်ကြီး, IPA: [ú ʃɪ̀ɰ̃ dʑí] or ရေငံပိုင်ဦးရှင်းကြီး, IPA: [jèŋàɰ̃ pàiɰ̃ ú ʃɪ̀ɰ̃ dʑí]; also Lord of the Sea or Conqueror of the Salty Sea) is a Burmese nat commonly venerated in the Ayeyarwady Delta region, as he is widely believed to be a benevolent guardian spirit of waterways.^[1] He is commonly depicted next to a tiger and crocodile, and is often holding a Burmese harp, as he was originally a harpist from Kasin village in Bago. According to one version of his story, while on an expedition to find food, U Shin Gyi and fellow lumberjacks landed on Meinmahla Island, and his harp-playing enticed two nat sisters, who did not allow the boat to depart the island until they were appeased. U Shin Gyi allowed himself to drown, pleasing the spirits, and in return he became a nat.^[2][3] A nat festival is held in his honor every March.^[4]

U Shin Gyi statue at the Kyauktan Kyauktan Ye Le Pagoda, seated next to a tiger.

References

1. Sadan, Mandy (2005). Skidmore, Monique (ed.). Burma at the turn of the twenty-first century. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaiʻi Press. pp. 90–111. ISBN 9780824828974.
2. . S.S.T (Myanmar) Co. Ltd. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009.
3. . ေ၀ယံဘုန္း. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011.
4. http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/myanmartimes/no52/timeout_4-1.htm^{[permanent dead link]}