Comments on: Guns and other weapons at a Manau festival

By: Manau festival in Myitkyina

Manau festival in Myitkyina — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 09:13:53 +0000

[...] Long-time readers may recall that I have previously written about a Manau festival here (and here and [...]

By: Manau analysis from Mandy Sadan

Manau analysis from Mandy Sadan — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:07:43 +0000

[...] The full extract (which runs to 37 pages) is available here. Readers are, as always, very welcome to post their comments and questions. Previous New Mandala discussion of Manau festivals is also available online. [...]

By: jonfernquest

jonfernquest — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:53:28 +0000

Thanks. Looking forward to reading it.

By: Mandy Sadan

Mandy Sadan — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:15:02 +0000

Jon, I’ll send a PDF to Nich to post on the site.

By: jonfernquest

jonfernquest — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:30:47 +0000

“If anyone is interested, I wrote a chapter on the early origins of this kind of manau festival in Burma ..Don’t want to fill the site here with loads of detail that everyone might not want but would be very happy to exchange info with anyone.”

I am interested. Probably many others too. It will probably several years, if that, before your new book is to be found in Thailand or Southeast Asia.

By: Mandy Sadan

Mandy Sadan — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:11:54 +0000

It’s my first time to this site – really interesting post and great site. If anyone is interested, I wrote a chapter on the early origins of this kind of manau festival in Burma in ‘Burma: Art & Archaeology’ T. Blurton & A. Green (eds), British Museum Press, 2002 and various other things, which explains a bit, Aiontay, about the ritual officers and their role and its transformations ( I spent a few years studying the ritual language used in Burma). Ho Ts’ui P’ing at Academica Sinica has also done a lot of work on the festival in Yunnan. Don’t want to fill the site here with loads of detail that everyone might not want but would be very happy to exchange info with anyone. Terrific photographs.

By: Daniel Powell

Daniel Powell — Mon, 14 May 2007 09:50:54 +0000

I too find this whole idea of toy guns at festivals very interesting. Last month I spent a few weeks photo-documenting Shan Poi Sang Long festivals here in Chiang Mai. I was amused as young boys had mock gun battles throughout the temple grounds, hiding behind naga statues with their pistols ready. In fact, on the eve of one Poi Sang Long, even some of the sang longs with freshly shaved heads were having one last machine gun battle before their ordination ceremonies. Interesting imagery. Thanks for bringing up this topic Nic!

By: chut

chut — Fri, 04 May 2007 05:57:28 +0000

I thought the BB (Bullet Balls) ones are made in China, no? Found a lot of them at Mae Sai market. The variety of them and the price in Manau make the Mae Sai market envies.

By: aiontay

aiontay — Thu, 03 May 2007 11:45:12 +0000

Sioux? OK, maybe they do look a bit like contemporary grass dancers at a contest powwow, or maybe grass dancers looking for a 49.

On a more serious note, I would like to see a discussion about these men, since in the old days they would have been the priests, prophets and ceremonial leaders. In contemporary Burma they are often Christian pastors and church leaders. Who are they in China? I notice they are wearing hornbill heads, or replicas of them, rather than just the feathers as you usually see.

By: Nicholas Farrelly

Nicholas Farrelly — Thu, 03 May 2007 08:07:57 +0000

Aiontay is, of course, right on the money with his description of non-martial uses of Kachin swords.

Amateur,

The men in snapshot 6 are, as you surmise, the ritual leaders of the Manau. They are central to the festivities and are involved in the formation dancing from beginning to end. If New Mandala readers are interested, I may make a post devoted to them in coming days.

Best wishes to all.