| Description |
Translation (Mike Tu Awng)
Ok, open that one too. When there is a fire, we, Kachin, are very peculiar about it. Maybe even a bit arrogant. It is a bit similar to thunder. When there is a fire, when a house is on fire, Sometimes, if a house is burnt down, it could affect to the neighbours' houses too. In the ancient time, the houses were quite apart. Yet, a burning house can affect other houses. When that happened, we did not ask for compensation, 'yaw chye' in Burmese or we did not say, 'give back the equivalence' for the damage because everyone was poor at those times. So, even if we asked for it, it would be in vain. In their village governing laws, it did not say, "you have to compensate" when your house and your neighbour's houses get burnt. Everyone loses the same in the fire. However, we need to make a burning sacrifice to Nat spirit. You need to cover the expenses. Sometimes, if three houses get burnt, they all cover the expenses together. When a house got burnt, Kachin people knew that it was because of 'wind spirit'. We gave a burning sacrifice to 'wind spirit'. When we made a burning sacrifice, there was a person in history. There was a character called 'mother of fire'. People made clothes out of bamboo sheath for that character. They made hat, and they put it on that character with bamboo sheath, which was very soft. You know They put those clothes made of bamboo sheath on the 'mother of fire' character, then the whole village chased after it. When being chased, that character also ran to a place called 'pyingyang'. to a river, to a swamp. They all chased it as it ran to the swamp. Then, they buried the bamboo sheath clothes that the 'mother of fire' wore in the mud. They buried it there. In the villages, there used to be a person who could run very fast. It was a custom. That chosen person also knew that it was for the sake of the community that he/she should act as 'mother of fire'. That person acted for all but needed to be able to run fast. And other people chased him/her. That place could be That place could be a mile far, or half the mile, or could be two miles far, they chased him to that place. On that day and the day, we offered a burning sacrifice, people had to refrain themselves from going outside. They had to stay home and abstain from food. Then, what they did next was that there is a kind of tree called 'sin lai', it is this big It is a very hard and mature type of tree. Here could be branches and here could be leaf, leaf and leaf. You could draw a picture. It is good to draw a picture. They took that tree trunk and put it up. After putting it up, they used a type of vine from the forest then, they pulled it kike a string. The medium recited like, "E, fire, do not burn things down next time." They cut it like this and the other one got it. That was what was called 'bad news'. In Kachin word, it is called 'bad news.' In Burmese, "tadin soe" 'tadin soe' In English, "bad news" It was considered bad news when they heard, "E, that person's house got burn, or this person's house got burnt." It was talked about by everyone. Then, the ones whose house got burnt, they became more pressured and stressed. To prevent that, they drove away the bad news on the day when there was fire. However, if there was a fire, it was done only once, unlike thunder strike. A burning sacrifice is made only once, and it's done. And, this Kachin people were very disciplined in those times. They were not glorious like your Japanese kings but they were very disciplined. It was said that it was not allowed to make wild fire nor burn a forest. I will tell you Sir, if there is a wild fire or burning forest in this world, like what happened in America, in Australia it is very scary. Alright, if a house is on fire, it is treated differently in our place. It will not be burnt even if you do it purposely. Only some parts will get burnt. Only where there are less trees and very hot places can get burnt. But it will not get burnt in the deep forest. It will not get burnt even if you start a fire. Because all the trees are green, roots and vines are green so they cannot be burnt. If there was a fire at a certain place, the person who started the fire was to one to make burning sacrifice. There were different areas governed by different groups like this place is governed by Lahtaw, that place is governed by Lahpai, and this place is governed by Maran. In the olden time it was like landlord. Yeah like that like landowner in your Japanese. Land owners in your country could be very glamorous but people here are not so popular but they have land. When that land caught wild fire, then the person who caused it would have to take responsibility. If that person did not take responsibility, he/she would be driven out from the village by the public. They said this as they drove out the person, "You idiot, why did you do it?". But, if there was a wild fire without anyone causing it, then, "Oh let it be". One pretended as if he/she didn't see it. However, if someone said, "That person did it" "A person from Lahtaw clan did it or person from Maran clan did it" then they had to take responsibility. His/her family memebers had to make burning sacrifice to Nat. They had to make burning sacrifice to 'wind nat'. If it's wild fire, it is 'wind nat'. It was considered that 'wind and fire' were one, 'wind nat' 'fire nat'. That was how it was done if there was a wild fire. And, the thing we talked about a while ago on the matter of a house being on a fire. One thing unique thing is that fire from that burning house, the fire used from this burning house is not a good one. People said, "We need to make a new fire," and they made bamboo string. There is a type of bamboo called 'madang' from which we make bamboo string. These bamboo strings are kept dried and they are very good to make bamboo baskets. We toast it dried and it is very strong. When we rub it, there is a vibration like 'hkret hkret hkret' that irritakes our teeth. Then, we rub it like this 'hkret, hkret, hkret'. That is the sound. The movement and the sound of that irritates our teeth. And that is very strong. Then, we make a mark here like this. Then, one on top like this. The other half we make it like a knife. Rub it, and on this side materials that catch fire easily are used. Those materials should be soft. There is also another type of tree. From that we get the tree skin which is like sheep wool. We put that wool like tree skin here and then Then, we need to rub it like this. And, if we keep rubbing it there will be negative and positive charges. Then, first born son, 'gam', second son, 'naw, third 'la' and fourth, 'tu' Then, there is first born daughter, 'hkawn, second, 'lu', third, 'roi', and fourth, 'htu' Two by two they keep rubbing it over and over again. then at one point, there is a fire here. Then, we make fire and it is shared to the whole village. These are just superstition which are not very relevant. It's their superstition. It could be true or it could not be true. However, it was also their custom that when a house was on fire, they needed to make a new fire. They rubbed it till it was done. They rubbed two strong bamboos. When there was a fire, then, it is all about fire. And, it was also very scientific. They worshiped nat spirit. And, there was a name for fire called 'shingram'. This 'shingram' fire could a fire by itself without any cause. They were very afraid of this 'shingram' fire. This actually was asteroid. That asteroid could fall from the space to down here. It rubbed or pushed the air so hard that it caught fire. That asteroid could fall to a house too. But, this kind of incident is very rare. I have only heard about it but I have never seen one. However, people said there were incidents like that. And they called that type of fire as 'shingram' fire. It was not a fire made by human beings. It fell from the space and people were to terrified of it. If that asteroid fell down to earth, they did not do anything. They just knew that it was very scary and they didn't have any explanation for that. There could be actual incident. Even if there was no fire in a village, there could be pieces of charcoal. They called it prosperity fire. In that environment, they had never seen asteroid like that. And, we, Kachin, did not know about the coal beneath the earth too. It was not sure if there is any of it but people could see pieces of charcoal in the village street. Then, they assumed that it must be asteroid from space. Yeah, regarding fire, it is like this. They did not say when they started using fire, or in what decade, in what year, They didn't say the exact word. But, it's found that in entire Kachin history, there has been the use of fire. They didn't mention about when fire was first found. Then, the next topic is.
Transcription (by Ja Seng Roi)
E, dai mung hpaw yu u, dar le, ndai wan hkru ai shaloi mung ndai jinghpaw ni loi mi chyi chye ai. Mu hte loi mi ni noi wa ai. Wan hkru jang gaw, nta wan hkat jang gaw. kalang lang gaw "na nta hkat ai majaw" , hting bu ni na mung yawng jahkat shalawm ai nga. Moi gaw nta loi mi ding ai nga ai le i. Rai jang masha na hkat dai nga. Hkat wa shaloi gaw yaw chye pe bar, dai hkat wa ai majaw bai jaw rit ngu, n re. Shing mung matsan nai. Shi mung matsan ai. Dai gaw tsun tim alaga re. Shanhte kahtawng up ai ni e u-pade hta, Na nta hkat manang wa hkat, yawng yaw n nga. Gadai mung maren sum sai i. Raitim mung nat jaw ya ra. Nat jaw ya ra. Nang shaw ra. Shaw yang gaw kalang lang gaw nta masum hkat wa yang gaw yawng kalang ta ma galaw ai. Nta hkat jang ma ndai jinghpaw ni gaw dai shani gaw nbung nat re ngu, nbung nat hpe jaw ai. Jaw na she ndai masha langai hpe moi na labau kaw rawng ai. Wan kanu ndai re ngu ai masha ngai zat sawng ngai nga ai. Dai hpe "hkrun kawp" ngu ai aw ra, kawa kawp le i, dai hpe nang hkan chwi chwi na nang hpugup mung, ndai kaw mung dai hku galaw ya. Hkrun kawp le, nang chye aw kawa kaw ning rai na grai kya ai baw. Hkrun kawp hpe chwi na she, ndai hku gup, yawng gup. Tina she wan kanu re ngu, mare ting shachyut dai. Shachyut yang shi ma le hprawng na le pyinyang ndai hka, shun le, shun taw de, dai de lagat bang wa hte yawng shachyut na, she e ndai shi hpun sa ai hkrun kawp ni hpe dai hpunyang kaw lup kau dat ai. lup kau ai. Dai gaw kahtawng hkan, buga hkan dai zawn re masha ngai ngai nga ai le. Lagat chyang ai. Asin ala re n mu i. Shi hpe mung, shi mung lu mu ye ngu ai ndai masha bungli galaw ai ngu ai hta galaw ya ai le. Lagat chyang ai ni rai ra. Shachyut dai. Re hpungyang dai gaw mai mi tsan yang tsan na. Mai wet tsan yang tsan na. Mai lahkawng tsan yang tsan na. Dai hku shachyu ai. E, dai shani mung dai wan hpe nat jaw kau ai shani ma na na ra. Nta kaw i tem, wan na ngu ai lani mi. Reng she hpang jahtum gaw shanhte gaw hpaw baw galaw i ngu she sin lai ngu ai hpun, ndai ram law ai hpun grai nga-ng ai baw hpun kinsa hpun nga. Nang kaw kwa, nang kaw lap lap na lap lap. Na pung swe yang gaw mai ai. Pung swe yang gaw mai gaw mai ai le. Sin lai dai hpe she jun da ai gaw. Jun da na she ndai ru shang ru ngu ai nam na wun ru, ri zawn re dai hte gang na gang Dumsa " e, hpang de, e, hkum hkat sa law wan, hkum hkat sa law" ngu na she dumsa wa dumsa na dai hpe prat re yang gaw htaw ra wa dang. Dai marawng ngu ai. Marawng. Ndai jinghpaw ga wawt hku marawng ngu gaw makawng tadin. Myen hku gaw tadin saw le. Tadin saw le Inglik hku gaw bet nyu ngu na rai nga le i. N kaja ai tadin le. "E, dai wa nta hkat dai da. Dai wa nta hkat dai da. Dai wa nta hkat dai da." Masha yawng yawng tsun. Aw ra ni gaw sik hpyi si mu grau grau myit ru le i. Dai zawn n rai na matu, dai wan hkat ai shani kalang ta, marawng sha deng kau ai. Raitim, dai wan hkat ai shaloi gaw kalang mi sha re. Mu hte n bung ai. Kalang mi jaw kau yang ngut sai. Reng she ndai Jinghpaw kachin ngu ai ni gaw tsi kan kana shi de naw. Nanhte e, moi na Japan hkawhkam ni zawn re n hkik hkam ai sha re. Tsi kan gaw amren re yaw. Shi gaw n mai nat ai. Wan n mai nat ai. Nang share mi kaw, raitim Sara ngai tsun na. Ya anhte mungkan hta kaw sharaw hkat ai, taw mi lawng nga. Amerika kaw byin ai, awsateliya kaw byin ai. Grai hkrit ra ai. Masha si, nta hkat. Anhte buga kaw dai hku n re gaw. Nang nat ti mung n hkat ai. Nkau shara mi kaw sha hkat ai. Ndai jan alin yawng grai kahtet na sumpran na hkindu zawn re tu ai hkan sha hkat ai. Nam mali de gaw n hkat ai. Nat ting n hkat ai. Shi gaw katsing re le i. Na nat tim, hpunru ni grai katsing ai. N hkat ai. Dai shara ra kaw hkat wa jang, dai sharaw nat dai wa galaw ra ai. Dai eriya ngai hte ngai maw, nang lahtaw ni ga, nang lahpai ni ga, nang kaw maran ni ga, dai hku shanhte gaw moi ga hte badetarit pung san re n mu i. E dai hku. Nanhte Japan ni nesarjyi zawn le. E, nanhte chaw gaw mana maka hkik hkam mai le. Ndai wa gaw hkik gaw n hkik ai raitim, shi nemye nga ai. Dai kaw e sharaw hkat jang gaw gade nat dai re, dai wa galaw ra. N galaw jang mare kawn gawt kabai kau, shawa e. "Nang zawn re masha, hpa majaw sharaw nat dai i" dai hku re. Gadai mung n chye ai, shi chyu hkat wa yang gaw "a rai nu ga." N mu jahpai kau sai. Raitim, "dai wa re da. Lahtaw wa re da. Maran wa re da." nga kaw na gaw nang re. Shi nta dinghku ni galaw ra ai. Nat hpe. Dai shaloi gaw nbung nat rai malu ai. Nbung nat re wan hkat ai gaw. Nbung re. Nbung hte wan gaw ngai re ngu malu ai. Wan nat, nbung nat. Dai hku kaw na sharaw hkat yang. Reng she mina nta hkat ai shaloi langai mi htu chyar ngai gaw Ndai ya hkat wa kaw na wan, ndai kawn lang ai ni yawng wan na kaja ai. "Wan nnan galaw ra" ngu na she, shanhte ndai pali galaw baw kawa nga ai "madang" ngu. Ndai pali ni, ka ni wa na matu jahkraw da ai le. Dai gaw grai ja ai gaw. Kyin na she, shi hpyi grai ja ai. Ndai put dat jang e, shi e baibareshin na wa hpe gaya ai le. "Hkret hkret hkret hkret hkret hkret" nga ai le. Dai dai ning " hkret, hkret, hkret" ngu shap woi ndai n sen ne, luk sha mu nang wa de gaya wa ai. Dai grai ja ai. Dai hpe she nang kaw ning di loi mi nhtu jahkang. Dai di she ndai ntsa e langai chyen ngai hpe gaw e, chyen ngai hpe gaw nhtu zawn di ganyet dai gaw. Kanyet, nang ga gaw mi lawng loi de pitzi paw nu nu lay, aw ulai ngu hpun nga. Dai kaw hkut hkut hkut di yang sagu mun zawn re le. Ulai hpun kaw na. Dai shakap da. Ti na nang kaw na Ndai hku arut dai gaw arut hkrai arut, arut arut jang gaw la ndu hte num htu rai ra. Gam, naw, la, tu, hkawn, lu, roi, htu, dai marai lahkawng e di ai. Ganyet hkrai ganyet, ganyet chyu ganyet, ganyet,ganyet, ganyet re, kalang ta nang e pawk ai hte gaw di ma mi swe bi. Dai hpe bai wu di she mare ting bai gam lang. Ayu asa ngu gaw ba ma daw ma seng bar bu. Ayu asa shanhte na. Hkrak gaw rai yang she rai na. N rai yang n rai na. Ratim mung shanhte a htung, nta hkat jang wan nnan bai galaw la ai. Nbyin byin hkra ganye, dai kawa shaja lahkawng ganye dai. Dai langai nga ma lu moi na ni. Wan hkat dai shaloi. Reng wan na gaw dai hteng rai sai. Reng she, mana maka tikpan ni byin ai hpe shanhte gaw nat ni galaw ai ngu. Ndai shingram wan ngu ai nga ai. Shingram ndai gaw shi chyu alu alayawk shangu waw dik hkat tim hkat wa chye. Ndai hpe shanhte gaw shingram wan ngu, grai hkrit dai. Ndai gaw hkrak nga awka pyen le. Dai awka pyen ni htaw sapit de na hkrat bang wa, nang kaw na e, laehtu ne put daw mi pwar dwe chya da. Dai ma nta de hkat chye ai. Dar me dar daw shar par de. Pyaw dar be chyar de. Chanaw daw le matwe bu. Raitim, nga ai da. Dai hpe gaw shingram wan ngu. Shanhte. Lu dwe hpanti de mi ma hawk bu. Tu haw pin ka ne chya da. Grai hkrit dai hpe shanhte. Dai wa hkat jang gaw hpa ma n galaw ai. Grai hkrit dai baw re ngu dai hku hkrit dai. Nga gaw nga sam mai. Nta n hkat ai mare ka-ang hkan wan n-ga tawng chye kalang gaw. Dai hpe nhprang wan n-ga ngu tsun ai shanhte. Dai pat wun chyin kaw dai zawn re wan n-ga be ma mahtwet bu. Anhte Jinghpaw ni gaw le ga na chawk mi dwe ngu ma n chye ai gaw. Nga mi re n nga mi re n chye. Raitim, Kahtawng mare lam hkan kalang lang taw ai. Dai gaw htawra awka, htaw de na ni re hku nga. E, dai baw nga. Wan hte seng na. Wan hpe galoi kaw na lang hpang ai be hkit be nanit ngu ai mung ati achya n tsun ma. Raitim, wan lang ai shi a labau, Jinghpaw ni a labau, dashawk lung gaw wan lang ai hku gawn ma. Mi tsa twe de achawng daw mapyaw chya bu. Bai ya gawng sin gaw. |
