Item details
Item ID
KK2-0007
Title Nat na hpan (Types of the spirit) with English translation
Description Translation (by Mike Tu Awng)
When it comes to the "Nat" or the spirit, there are generally two kinds. "Natgun" or the guardian spirits, and "Shawa nat" or the common spirits. "Shawa nat" or the common spirit are worshiped by all. What Nats are included in the common spirit? In the common spirit, there are thunder spirit, "Mu nat", wind spirit, "Nbung nat", fire spirit, "Wan nat", and "Madai nat" are included. In addition, "Sawn nat", "Jahtung nat", "Sahka nat", "Nampum nat", "Lamun nats", and "Sapawt nats" are included in the common spirit. Anyone who wants to worship can worship these spirits. And then, there are two types in "Shawa nat" or the common spirit, namely spirits from above, and spirits on earth. In the spirits from above, there are the thunder and wind spirits. The "Shinla" and "Ndawn" spirits are included in the spirits from above. And then, in the spirits on earth, there are the "Sawn" spirit, and "Lamun" spirit. The "Jahtung" spirit, or evil spirit, is included in both spirit from above and spirit on earth. The "Jahtung" spirit is a relative of the thunder spirit. It is in both; spirit from above and spirit on earth. The "Sawn" spirit and "Lamun" spirit are spirits on earth. They are spirits on earth. Anyone can worship these common spirits. But, "Kumgun" or guardian spirits are not included here. Lahtaw clan has separate ones. Lahpai clan has separate ones too. Ancestors were Nats, "spirits" long ago. We, Magawng clan, has our own guardian spirits, too. In the "Kumgun" spirits in a family, there are some people who have ten "Kumgun" spirits in a family. Some have six, and some have five "Kumgun" spirits. Some have four, and some have only two of it. We have four. Our ancestors had four "Kumgun" spirits. They all have names. Names are given. And, in the "Kumgun" guardian spirits, there are also two types. "Nhtawt daw ai" means making Nat spirits as a guardian spirit for a family. A designated place is made in the house for the spirit. But spirits without patronizing, or normal spirits are kept outside the house. "Kumgun nat" spirits are clarified as two types. How do we perceive about these spirits? For those who do not think deeply, they just worship them as if it is nothing. However, for those who take Nats seriously, they think that Nats can only protect the physical body. After a person has died, the soul has nothing to do with the Nat spirit. Before a person dies, the Nat spirit can either destroy or protect the person, or can give wealth to people. No one can stand on the way when the Nat spirit destroys. Or the Nat can protect and give wealth. It is thought that the Nat spirit has these three powers. All the "mu" or thunder spirits are included in it. So are the guardian spirits. After death, it is said that they, Nats too, cannot do anything either. The souls, they do not own this physical body any longer. The theory at that time was even much better than Israeli’s theory. It was higher. Let’s talk about Israel. Even though Israel is very advanced today, their ancestors in the past offered lamb sacrifice to their God. Kachin people knew God even before that. The God we Kachin people knew wanted nothing from people, except integrity, and honest mind. They didn’t offer anything. During BC, Israelis even killed and sacrificed people. That’s why philosophy of the Kachin people was higher than of Israelis’ in the olden times. God exists. Existed since before. That’s why, when a person dies among Kachin people, the soul belongs to God. Yeah like that. When it comes to religions, we also need to think about it seriously. For every human being, there are heaven and hell. What does it mean? Is it heat? It is the same in East and West. Japan has it too. Japanese are the clans of kings, who were thought to be clans of the sun. However, kings are like God. That’s why, Chinese, Japanese and Korean regard highly of life after death. They regard very highly of their ancestors’ souls. Kachin people regard highly of souls too. But, souls don’t belong to Nat spirits but God. Chinese people are not on the same level with Kachin when it comes to the concept about Nat. Even though Chinese people do not have a religion, they pray to the sky Nat, they call upon the sky Nat. So, they must worship something. For Japanese, when we talk about the king, everything is done. And, among Kachin people this is about worshiping the Nat spirit. Generally what you need to know is that Kachin have various Nats, they are tribes with many Nats spirits. Then, there are two types namely "Shawa nat", or common spirits, belonging to many. And for personal, for one’s own family, there is "Natgun” guardian spirit. In the common spirits, there are "Mu nat" thunder spirit, "Nbung nat" wind spirit, "Madai nat" that dances Manau dance, and "Jahtung nat". And then, in "Kumgun" guardian spirits on earth, there are "Sawn spirit", "Sapawt spirit". These are the personal guardian spirits on earth. They are the guardian spirits. And, in worshiping Nats, "Ntsa nats" spirits from above are given special consideration. Materials such as bamboo strings, leaves, dry fish they use when offering sacrifice to Nat spirits need to be very clean. When they worship spirit from above, they give special consideration. This is about "Nat" spirts. This is a summary on "Nats" spirits.

Transcription (by Ja Seng Roi)
Nat, ntsa lam gaw hpan lahkawng re. "nat gun, shawa nat" shawa nat, shawa nat ngu ai gaw yawng jaw ai. Ndai shawa nat hta gaw hpa lawm ai i, ngu yang, Mu nat lawm ai. Nbung nat lawm ai. Wan nat lawm ai. Madai nat lawm ai. Sawn nat lawm ai. Jahtung nat lawm ai. Sahka nat lawm ai. Nampum lawm ai. Lamun lawm ai. Sapawt lawm ai. Sha wa nat. Ndai kaw nang jaw mayu ai kadai ratim jaw ai. Reng she ndai shawa nat kaw bai lahkawng nga ai yaw. Ntsa nat hte ga nat ngu ai nga ai. Ntsa nat hte ga nat. Ntsa nat ngu ai hta gaw Mu lawm ai. Nbung lawm ai. Sinla ngu ai lawm ai. Ndawn nat ngu ai lawm ai yaw. Ntsa nat. Reng she, ga nat ngu ai kaw sawn nat e, lamun nat. Ndai jahtung gaw ntsa de lawm, ga de mung lawm re da yaw. Jahtung nat gaw. Ndai mu hte mung jinghku re da. Ntsa de mung lawm ai. Ga de mung lawm ai. Dai kaw na ndai sawn nata ni, Lamun nat ni, ndai ni gaw ga nat. Dai gaw shawa nat rai sa. Ndai shawa nat. Yawng jaw ai. Reng Kumgun nat ngu ai gaw ndai kaw n hkrum ai. Lahtaw na mung, tat tat re. Lahpai na mung tat tat re. Mi kaji kawoi nat tai re nmu i. Anhte magawng ni na mung tat tat, tat tat. Re, re nta htinggaw ngai kaw ndai kumgun nat ngu wa "shi" lu ai mung nga ai yaw. kru lu ai mung nga ai. Ma-nga lu ai mung nga ai. Mali lu ai mung nga ai. Lahkawng sha lu ai ma nga ai. Anhte gaw mali lu ai. Moi jiwoi ni mali lu ai. Reng ndai ni na ming yawng jaw da. Mying jaw da. Reng she ndai e, kumgun nat chingnang e, kopai nat kaw mung hpan lahkawng nga ai. Nhtawt daw ai, Kumgun shatai ai ngu ai wa hpe gaw nta kata kaw natsin galaw ya ai. Dan rai nhtawt garai n daw ai, nat sha re ai ngu ni hpe gaw le ndaw de tawn da ai. Nat hpan hkawng garan da ai. Kumgun ngu ni gaw. Reng she ndai nat ni na gara hku myit la i, nga yang she ndai hpa n myit jaw jaw ai ni gaw dai hku sha jaw ai. Raitim, atsawm myit yu ni myit ai shaloi gaw Nat ngu ai gaw hkrum hkrang hpe sha makawp maga lu ai. Masha si mat ai hpang wenyi tune bar ma ma seng daw bu. garai n si yang Shi gaw jahteng sharun chye ai. Makawp maga chye ai. Sut jaw chye ai. Gadai ma n nga lu ai. Jahten sharun chye ai. Makawp maga ai. Sutgan jaw chye ai. Ndai, dagaw masum lu ai ngu hku sawn la ai re lu. Dai kaw yawng mu nat ni yawng le i. Kumgun nat ni mung. Si wa hpang gaw shanhte ma bama matat naing bu ngu ai rai ma lu. Wenyi bai gaw. Tu daw ma pai daw bu. Ndai kaw hkan da. Dai hku, teawri dai majaw ya na Ishare ni htan grau tsaw ai law. grau tsaw ai. Ya Ishare ni gaw, ya tsun ga le, Ishare ni gaw mana maka ya kung ai nga tim, moi shanhte kaji kawoi ni Sha-gu hkung ga san Karai hpe naw ai wa Jinghpaw ni gaw htaw Karai ngu moi kawn na chye Karai ngu shanhte chye Karai gaw hpa n ra ai. Masha nang kaw na dingman ai, dinghpring ai myit masin sha ra ai. Hpa ma n jaw ai. Ya Ishare ni gaw masha pi sat jaw ai gaw moi BC prat hta. Dai majaw dai ni Jinghpaw ni hte Ishare ni atwe ahkaw nga yang, Jinghpaw ni grau tsaw moi na. Karai ngu htaw nga ai. Moi kawn nga ai. Re majaw, Jinghpaw ni na gaw masha ngai si mat jang wenyi gaw htaw Karai hte seng sai. Dai kaw e, E, an ma grai myit yu ra ai law. Ndai bada ye ngu ai. Shinggyim masha sha-gu hta ngarai hte nekban ngu ai nga yaw, myen hku na le. Hewen hte ndai hpa nga kun, hit la. Ndai nga ai. Ding dung, ding yang re. Japan hta mung nga ai. Japan ni gaw Hkawhkam ni a she na amyu re le. Raitim, dai Karai hku rai nga. Re majaw, si ai hpang na hpe grai shareng ai gaw Miwa, Japan, Kawriya ni gaw. Htaw kaji kawoi wenyi hpe grai shareng ai. Jinghpaw ni mung shareng ai. Raitim, nat hte n pai sai. Htaw Karai hte, Miwa rai jang, Jinghpaw ayu asa hpe n dep ai. Miwa ni barda ye n nga ai nga tim, Kawng kyin nat e, Kawng kyin nat e she nga ai gaw Miwa ni tahku hku daw kawkwoi de. Japan ni chyawm gaw Hkawhkam wa hpe nga jang ngut sai. Rai na, ndai e, Jinghpaw ni na nat jaw ai ngu, dai hku rai sai. Rai na ya ntsaw lam sara nang chye ra ai lam gaw Jinghpaw ni nat grai law ai amyu re. Nat grai law ai amyu. Dai kaw na she lahkawng re ai. Shawa nat. Amya ne seng de shawa nat. Tinang e na, tinang dinghku ngai nat gun, ndai nga ai. Shawa nat ngu ai hta, Mu nat, Nbung nat, Madai nat le, manau galaw ai madai nat. Jahtung nat lawm ai. Rai na ndai. e, kumgun ga nat te gaw, Sawn, Sapawt, dai kapai kumgun ga nat ni, ndai ni rai malu. Rai na, nat jaw ai shaloi mung ndai ntsa nat ngu ai ni hpe gaw grau shareng ai. lang ai pali ni, lahpaw ni lang ai nga jahkraw ni grai san seng ra. Ndai ntsa nat hpe jaw ai gaw. Grai shareng ai rai malu. Nat gaw dai hku rai malu. Nat e na dai ram re. Achyin chuk gaw.
Origination date 2020-01-05
Origination date free form
Archive link https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/repository/KK2/0007
URL
Collector
Keita Kurabe
Countries To view related information on a country, click its name
Language as given Jinghpaw
Subject language(s) To view related information on a language, click its name
Content language(s) To view related information on a language, click its name
Dialect Standard Jinghpaw
Region / village Northern Myanmar
Originating university Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Operator
Data Categories primary text
Data Types Sound
Discourse type narrative
Roles Keita Kurabe : depositor
Magawng Gam : speaker
DOI 10.26278/5fa2c5817eddc
Cite as Keita Kurabe (collector), Keita Kurabe (depositor), Magawng Gam (speaker), 2020. Nat na hpan (Types of the spirit) with English translation. EAF+XML/MPEG/VND.WAV. KK2-0007 at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.26278/5fa2c5817eddc
Content Files (3)
Filename Type File size Duration File access
KK2-0007-A.eaf application/eaf+xml 74.5 KB
KK2-0007-A.mp3 audio/mpeg 6.04 MB 00:06:35.345
KK2-0007-A.wav audio/vnd.wav 217 MB 00:06:35.326
3 files -- 223 MB -- --

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Collection Information
Collection ID KK2
Collection title Kachin culture and history told in Jinghpaw
Description Recordings of Kachin culture and history in Jinghpaw. These materials were collected by Keita Kurabe, Gumtung Lu Awng, Sumdu Ja Seng Roi, and Labang Tu La as part of community-based collaborative fieldwork in northern Myanmar between 2017 and 2020. A total of 263 stories with 263 ELAN files, 263 transcriptions, and 15 translations are currently available (September 20, 2021). Transcriptions were contributed by Gumtung Lu Awng, Sumdu Ja Seng Roi, Galang Lu Hkawng, Hpauhkum Htu Bu, and Keita Kurabe. Stories were translated by Nbanpa Rita Seng Mai, Maran Seng Pan, Dumdaw Mike Tu Awng, Nhkum Htoi Awng, and Keita Kurabe.

For Kachin oral literature, please refer to:
https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/KK1

Our research was made possible under the support of JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP17H04523, JP20K13024, JP20H01256, Linguistic Dynamics Science 3 (LingDy3) from Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), and JSPS Program for Advancing Strategic International Networks to Accelerate the Circulation of Talented Researchers "A collaborative network for usage-based research on lesser-studied languages."
Countries To view related information on a country, click its name
Languages To view related information on a language, click its name
Access Information
Edit access Keita Kurabe
View/Download access Keita Kurabe
Data access conditions Open (subject to agreeing to PDSC access conditions)
Data access narrative
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