It seems that Ko Gyi Kyaw was a real person who lived in the village of Pakhan Ngae. Unfortunately for him, someone told King Anawrahata that he was a rival so, naturally, King Anawrahata had him killed. After this, Ko Gyi Kyaw became a nat.
We walked along quietly wondering what the day would hold. Would
nagadaws be dancing or maybe they would
not start for a day or two. A nagadaw is the human wife of a nat and they dance to a traditional
orchestra of drums and pipes to please him. When the dancing heats up the nagadaw goes into a trance and it is
then said that the nat is speaking
through her.
Old people, or those who are incapacitated in some way, sat
beside the path hoping the visitors would put something in their bowl. Many of
them were lepers without fingers or even hands, just a stump of a wrist. The
saddest of all was a woman who was blind as well.
We reach lots of little stalls on both sides of the path. Many
sellers go to one festival after another throughout the year: they rent a space,
set up shop and then take it down at the end of the pwe. Had we wished, we could have bought all kinds of farming
implements, toys, clothes, fabric and little metal cups and plates to take home
and put on the house nat altars.
Nagadaws
Photos by Win Kyaing
No comments:
Post a Comment