The List of Burmese Nats: Spirit Worship of Kings, Warriors, and Tragic Souls in Myanmar

When humans began to build civilisation, ancestor worship soon emerged to protect them. It is no different in Burmese mythology. Long before Buddhism and Hinduism entered Myanmar, local people believed in spirit worship, or Nat worship, to explain natural disasters, deaths, and misfortunes.

Today, Nat worship is still widely practiced in Myanmar and exists alongside Buddhism. According to Burmese tradition, King Anawrahta of the Pagan Kingdom officially recognised 37 Nats and integrated them into mainstream Buddhist practice as protective deities.

Shrines to the 37 Nats can be found across Myanmar, and many Burmese households inherit certain Nat worship traditions. Some houses may have two to three Nats, depending on which Nats were worshipped by either parent, and these are then inherited. The Nats are worshipped for guidance, protection, and luck.

Most Nats were once real humans who died violent or tragic deaths, causing their spirits to linger and become powerful over time. To appease them, offerings and rituals are still performed today.

Let’s look at the first 19 of 37 from the list of Burmese Nats and what they symbolise in local Burmese culture.

1. Thagyamin

King of the Nats and ruler of the celestial realm. Adapted from the Hindu God Indra, he overseers moral order and judges human actions from above.

2. Min Mahagiri

He was burned alive while tied to a ‘champak’ tree by the king due to fear of his strength. He is the chief of the household Nats, and it is said that the worship of Nats began with Min Mahagiri

3. Hnamadawgyi

Sister of Min Mahagiri, she leapt into the fire to save her brother but only managed to save his head. She later died of her burns and became a Nat. She is known for having a monkey companion, Shwe Min Wun.

4. Shwe Nabay

She was a beautiful woman who married a Naga spirit (half-human, half-serpent beings from Burmese mythology). One legend says that after consummating her marriage with the Naga, she died of a heart attack. Another version claims she is a Naga herself.

5. Thonbanhla

She is usually associated with extraordinary beauty, tragedy, and divine transformation. The king’s queen and concubines, jealous of her beauty, spread false stories claiming that Thonbanhla was actually very ugly and so large that she could not pass through the city gates. As a result, she was left outside the city walls and ignored by the king. She eventually died and became a Nat.

6. Taungoo Mingaung

Part of the royal family, he is usually associated with the viceroy Minkhaung I, who was brutally assassinated after being repeatedly hacked to death with a sword.

7. Mintara

He was the king of the Ava Kingdom for 7 months in 1400. He was assassinated seven months into his rule by his one-time tutor, Governor Thihapate of Tagaung.

8. Thandawgan

He is a representation of the historical Ye Thiha, a royal messenger of Minkhaung II, the viceroy of Taungoo. According to belief, he went into the forest to gather flowers, contracted malaria, and died.

9. Shwe Nawrahta

He is a merged personality of 2 historical Nawrahtas from the royal family. The first is Anawrahta of Launggyet, who was executed. The second is Nawrahta of Yamethin, who was drowned.

10. Aungzwamagyi

Burmese mythology states that he is the Nat representation of Aung Zwa, a commander in the service of Crown Prince Narapatisithu of the Pagan Kingdom, and the assassin of King Naratheinkha.

11. Ngazi Shin

He is associated with Kyawswa I of the Pinya Kingdom. His six-year reign restored unity in southern Upper Burma. He suddenly died in 1350 and came to be regarded as one of the Nats.

12. Aung Pinle Hsinbyushin

He was Thihathu, the king of the Ava Kingdom. He was assassinated in 1425 in a coup engineered by Queen Shin Bo-Me.

13. Taungmagyi

Also known as Sin Nyo, he is one of the two sons of Mahagiri Nat and Shwe Nabay. The king they were serving became fearful of their strength and forced them to fight each other to the death.

14. Maungminshin

The brother of Taungmagyi, he fought his brother to the death due to the king’s fear of their strength. Burmese mythology depicts him with 6 hands.

15. Shindaw

He was a young novice monk of Innwa, the ancient capital of the Burmese kingdom, formerly known as Ava. He died from a snakebite according to Burmese mythology.

16. Nyaunggyin

He was a descendant of the captive King Manuha of Thaton. He died of leprosy during the reign of King Anawrahta of Pagan.

17. Tabinshwehti

He was the King of Burma from 1530 to 1550 and the founder of the First Toungoo Empire. His military campaigns created one of the largest kingdoms in Burma, and he is one of the most celebrated kings in Burmese history.

18. Minye Aungdin

He was the husband of Princess Shwe Sin Tu. Burmese mythology says he died from excessive opium smoking and was later deified as a Nat.

19. Shwe Sitthin

He was the son of King Saw Mon Nit, the last king of the Pagan Dynasty. He is said to have died after being imprisoned by his father for neglecting his duties and engaging in cockfighting during wartime.

Nat worship remains an integral part of many people’s lives in Myanmar. The Nats of Burmese mythology are invoked by spirit mediums known as Nat Kadaw to seek advice and protection.

Stay tuned for Part II, where we will explore the remaining 18 of the 37 Nats of Myanmar.

If you’re interested in Southeast Asian myths, read Wat Arun: You Wouldn’t Believe the 2 Divine Sacred Forces Guarding It