THE PEOPLE
Have you ever thought how the character of the various races of the
world is more or less determined by the nature of the country of their
origin? Rugged mountains and a hard climate produce people of a
similar severity of type, and, on the other hand, one naturally looks
for poetry and music in a people so pleasantly and romantically
situated as are the Italians. In the same way the Burmese are pretty
much what their country has made them. The land is so very fertile
that almost anything will grow there, and Nature provides food for the
people with the least possible effort on their own part. The climate
is also damp, warm, and enervating, so that one would not expect to
find among its inhabitants much energy or decision of character. Their
beautiful religion also makes them kind and gentle, and their
isolation, which, as I have pointed out, separates them from the
neighbouring countries, has left them almost entirely undisturbed by
the activities of the greater world. In fact, on account of their
easy-going and contented nature, the Burmese are often called the
"Irish of the East," and I am afraid it must be said that the men are
rather lazy, and, like their prototypes in some parts of Ireland,
leave most of the work to the women.
As a rule, the Burmese women are industrious and clever at business,
most of which is conducted by them, while the men are more fond of
sport of all kinds than employment. All, however, are gentle in
character, light-hearted, and merry, and like to repeat in their
clothing the beautiful tints of their forest flowers and
gaily-coloured birds and butterflies.
It is not surprising, therefore, that among the alien races so busily
engaged in the trade of Rangoon the Burmans should be overshadowed and
rather lost to sight; and though in Rangoon itself there are many
streets occupied entirely by them, it is in the quieter surroundings
of the suburbs that the Burman appears to advantage.
Many little Burmese villages surround Rangoon, where, half buried in
the trees and creepers which envelop them, the quaint dwellings lie
more or less secluded from the road. All are built of timber or
bamboo, and have nothing in their design to make them noticeable.
Among them, however, are occasional "kyoungs," or Buddhist
monasteries, which are much more ornamental and striking. Like their
other buildings, the "kyoung" is constructed of timber, and stands
upon a wooden platform raised from the ground some four or five feet
by thick posts, which are usually carried through the balustrade which
surrounds the platform, and terminate in a carved head, steps leading
to the stage upon which the monastery is built. These "kyoungs" are
very curious in design, the walls, doors, and windows being
ornamented with carving, while their succession of roofs, one above
the other, often rise to a great height. To afford shade to the
platform below, the roofs project considerably beyond the walls, and
the ridges of each are decorated with carved woodwork representing
their "nats" and "beloos," as they call their good and evil spirits,
and the ends of the eaves terminate in a very striking ornament
supposed to represent the peacock, which, as you will see from the
picture, gives the building a very quaint appearance indeed. Sometimes
the monasteries are gilded, and the doors and wall-panels inlaid with
looking-glass, tinsel, and other glittering material, which makes them
appear very gorgeous in the sunlight.
These monasteries are occupied by Buddhist priests, who teach the
children of the neighbourhood, or instruct the pilgrims who visit them
in the beauties of their religion, of which I shall have something to
tell you presently. All the priests have shaven heads, and wear a
simple robe of cotton, dyed to a bright yellow by the juice of the
cutch-tree. Gentle and hospitable themselves, they lead the most
simple lives. All the food they eat is given by the people, and it is
a very picturesque sight to see the daily procession of priests and
novices, each carrying a bowl in which to receive the offerings of
food so willingly given by the inmates of the houses they visit. No
request for alms is ever made, nor any word of thanks spoken, for such
gifts are freely offered by a people who believe in their religion,
and do so as an "act of merit."
Close by the monasteries are the "zeyats," or homes for wandering
pilgrims. Though their roofs are ornamented in the same way as the
"kyoungs," they are more simple in appearance, and often have one side
entirely open to the air. Built primarily for pilgrims, anyone may use
them, and often a belated traveller is very thankful to take advantage
of their shelter against the night dews or tropical rains.
Another striking feature of their architecture is the "pyathat," or
spire of five or seven roofs, each smaller than the other, which
finish in what they call a "ti," or umbrella of wrought iron
ornamented with flowers, and from which little bells and cymbals swing
and tinkle in the breeze. These spires, however, are only erected over
sacred buildings or the palace of a King.
[Illustration: A REST HOUSE.]
Most beautiful of all their buildings is the pagoda, as their temples
are called, and most beautiful, perhaps, of all the temples in Burma
is the great Shwe Dagon pagoda in Rangoon. "Shwe" means golden, and
this beautiful bell-shaped pyramid, which rises 370 feet above the
mound upon which it is built, is entirely overlaid with gold. The
mound itself, which is of considerable height, is artificially made,
the earth having been carried there in order to form a fortress and a
pedestal for the shrine. These pagodas are constructed of solid
brickwork, in which is often enclosed some sacred relic. Originally of
small dimensions, generations of Kings have from time to time added
further layers of brickwork to the gradually increasing structure,
until to-day this stupendous Shwe Dagon pagoda stands before us so
immense and so beautiful as to be rightly considered one of the
wonders of the world. Around the base of the temple is a large
number of shrines, each lofty, beautified by carved woodwork and
towering pinnacles, richly embellished with gilding and coloured
inlay, and each worthy itself to be a separate temple. Fantastic
images and carved balustrades connect the various shrines with each
other and with the great temple itself, and from ornamental pedestals
spring conventional representations of the sacred tree of Buddha,
delicately wrought in iron. Tall flagstaffs, 60 or 80 feet high,
surmounted by emblematical figures or representations of the Brahminy
duck, float their long streamers in the wind, while the sound of
tinkling bells descends from the "tis" with which every pinnacle is
crowned. Surrounding all is a broad platform fringed with shops and
other buildings, for the Burmese love their pagoda, and many spend
their days here, and the necessities of life must be provided.
Nowhere in all Burma may a better idea of the Burmese be obtained than
on this pagoda platform. At all times of the day it is thronged by
people, not only from Rangoon, but from all parts of the country, who
come to pray or wonder at its beauty. At the shrines, in which are
always one or more images of Buddha, groups of devout Burmans pray.
Lighted candles burn before the images, while the worshippers, among
whom it will be noticed women predominate, bear flowers in their
hands, which before their departure they reverently lay upon the niche
in which the "Master" is enshrined.
These flowers and coloured candles are sold upon the platform, leading
up to which are several covered staircases, which form the best
bazaar in Rangoon, as in the shops on either side of the ascent almost
everything from jewellery and toys to food-stuffs may be bought. The
entrance from the street below is very striking. The flight of broad
steps leads to a gilded and painted pavilion, on either side of which
stand enormous leogryphs, the mythical guardians of the temple.
Passing through an archway embellished by figures of "nats" and other
imaginary creatures, a long succession of steps, covered throughout
the whole distance by ornamental roofs, leads to the temple above, and
at all times of the day is thronged by brightly-clothed pedestrians,
ascending and descending through the alternate gleams of sunlight and
cool shade of the bazaar. Nowhere else in Burma can the people be
better studied than here, all classes being represented, and it may be
interesting if I describe them more closely. Like their neighbours of
Siam and China, the Burmese are Mongolian in type, but, without so
pronounced a cheekbone and slanting eye as the Chinese, are more
pleasing in appearance. Indeed, the men are often handsome, and among
the women and young girls I have seen many of extreme beauty. While
the men are often sallow, the women are generally more ruddy in
complexion, and all have hair of an almost purple blackness. Their
clothing is bright and clean-looking. All wear a short jacket, usually
white, though ladies of the better degree sometimes adopt figured
velvets and other rich materials. The men commonly wear a "lungyi," or
short skirt composed of coloured silk or cloth gathered round their
loins, or the more elaborate "petsoe," which is made of coloured silk
and in which many yards of loose material twisted into a bunch about
the waist serves as an additional scarf or head-dress should it be
cold. Short socks and boots of European make are now unfortunately
commonly worn, while a silk scarf of bright colour tied round the head
completes the male costume.
The women are clad in much the same way, wearing a similar "lungyi"
and jacket or the more beautiful "temaine," a skirt of rich figured
silk, which is open on one side, exposing the leg up to the knee, to
which is added a broad fringe of darker material, which trails upon
the ground, giving it a more graceful appearance than the shorter
"lungyi." Wooden sandals are worn on the feet, while on their
shoulders is thrown a long scarf of delicately-coloured silk. Unlike
the men, the women wear no head-dress, but take great pride in their
hair, which is always glossy and well dressed, and almost invariably
is adorned by a comb or some choice flower. Endowed by Nature with
beautiful hands, they love to accentuate the point by a display of
jewellery, which, though sometimes worn to excess, is always _good_,
for the Burmese lady would scorn to wear a spurious gem. Pretty fans
or handkerchiefs are carried in the hand, while, like a halo
surrounding the head, dainty parasols, semi-transparent and
hand-painted, shield them from the sun. It is difficult to give any
true impression of such a Burmese crowd, in which every conceivable
variety of tint and texture is displayed, and permeating which is a
sense of universal gaiety and lightness of heart. It is like nothing
so much as a beautiful flower-garden, while the people themselves
would seem to be as free from care as the butterflies that hover above
the blooms.