The List of Burmese Nats: Spirit Worship That is still the Integral Part of Life in Myanmar

In the previous post, Part I, we looked at 19 out of the 37 Nats that exist in Myanmar today. Nats are still worshipped to this date, and major festivals such as Taungbyon are dedicated to Nat worship, where spirit mediums enter a trance and become the Nats, giving advice on various matters of life.

Let’s continue by looking at the remaining 18 of the 37 Nats of Burmese mythology.

20. Medaw Shwezaga

She was one of the queen consorts of King Saw Mon Nit of the Pagan Dynasty. The mother of Shwe Sitthin, she died of heartbreak over the sorrowful death of her son.

21. Maung Po Tu

He was a tea trader and was killed by a tiger during his way to Shan State. He is considered the guardian deity of traders and businesses.

22. Yun Bayin

Also known as Mae Ku, he was the king of Lan Na from 1551 to 1564, a kingdom in Northern Thailand today. He was later forced into exile, which eventually led to his death.

23. Maung Minbyu

He is often associated with the crown prince Minye Kyawswa, the son of King Minkhaung I of Ava. He was killed by his father for displaying martial prowess too early in life. He is venerated as one of the greatest warriors in Burmese history.

24. Mandalay Bodaw

He was a nobleman who tended, taught, and looked after the Shwe Hyping brothers during their childhood. Deemed as one of the reasons for their deaths, he tried to run away but was caught. He was then executed and deified as a Nat.

25. Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw

He and his brother, Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw, are worshipped at Myanmar’s largest Nat festival, the six-day annual Taungbyon Festival. Worshippers of these Nats avoid the consumption of pork, as they believe Shwe Hpyin’s father, Byatta, was an Indian Muslim.

26. Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw

The brother of Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw, they were warriors who served under king Anawrahta. They were executed by the king for neglecting their duty to provide a brick each for the Taungbyon Pagoda.

27. Mintha Maungshin

He was a grandson of King Alaungsithu of Pagan and the son of Min Shin Saw. While still a young novice monk, he fell from a swing and died.

28. Htibyuhsaung

He is associated with King Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu, the father of Anawrahta. He was deposed and forced to become a monk by his stepsons. He died four years after his son Anawrahta ascended the throne.

29. Htibyuhsaung Medaw

She was the grandmother of king Anawrahta of the Pagan Kingdom and died of an illness. She is often portrayed in Burmese mythology paintings with her hair knotted and dangling.

30. Pareinma Shin Mingaung

Also known as Kyiso, he was a king of the Pagan Dynasty from 1021 to 1038. He was the son of King Nyaung-u Sawrahan but was raised by King Kuhnsaw Kyaunghpyu. After King Kuhnsaw overthrew King Nyaung-u, he married Nyaung-u’s three chief queens, two of whom were pregnant and later gave birth to Kyiso and Sokkate. When they reached manhood, they forced their stepfather, King Kuhnsaw, to abdicate the throne and become a monk.

31. Min Sithu

He is the Nat representation of King Alaungsithu. He is remembered as a king who travelled extensively throughout his realm, built monuments, and nurtured Theravada Buddhism.

32. Min Kyawzwa

He is a representation of multiple historical personalities. One account says he was the son of King Theinhko of the Pagan Dynasty, who was murdered by his brother. Another account says he was an adviser to King Alaungsithu and died an alcoholic. Another portrays him as the crown prince of Ava, who fell in action in the Forty Years’ War. Min Kyawzwa is the guardian of drunkards and gamblers.

33. Myaukhpet Shinma

She is a representation of the wet nurse of King Tabinshwehti and died in childbirth. Known as the Lady of the North, she is often portrayed as a young woman, but sometimes also as an elderly woman.

34. Anauk Mibaya

Meaning the Western Queen, she allegedly died of shock after seeing Min Kyawzwa on a magic stallion in a cotton field.

35. Shingon

Known as the Lady Humpback in Burmese mythology, she was a maid of King Thihathu of Ava and accompanied him to the battlefront. She died on her return to the capital of Ava.

36. Shingwa

She was the sister of Mandalay Bodaw and was killed together with her brother for hiding the brothers Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw and Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw. She was the daughter of King Pallikara, possibly of the Pala Dynasty of Bengal.

37. Shin Nemi

Known as the “Little Lady with the Flute” from Burmese mythology, she is one of only two Nats confirmed to have died in childhood, the other being Mintha Maungshin. She is the daughter of Thonbanhla and died at the age of two, out of grief over her mother’s own death.

The Nats from Burmese mythology symbolise the immortality of ancestors in Myanmar. Humans living in communities have always looked to unseen forces, such as ancestors and spirits, to help protect them from illness, bad luck, and misfortune. This belief lies deep within human psychology, the need to feel heard and protected by those they hold dearest to their hearts.

Comment on which Nat you would like us to explore more in future posts.

If you’re interested in Southeast Asian mythology, read 3 Untold Mysteries of Batu Caves That Are Shocking