MYANMAR

MYANMAR/ BURMESE LITERATURE

The literature of Myanmar spans over a
millennium. Burmese literature was
historically influenced by Indian and Thai
cultures, as seen in many works, such as
the Ramayana. The Burmese language,
unlike other Southeast Asian languages
(e.g. Thai, Khmer), adopted words
primarily from Pali rather than from
Sanskrit. In addition, Burmese literature
has the tendency to reflect local folklore
and culture.
Burmese literature has historically
been a very important aspect of
Burmese life steeped in the Pali
Canon of Buddhism. Traditionally,
Burmese children were educated by
monks in monasteries in towns and
villages. During British colonial rule,
instruction was formalized and
unified, and often bilingual, in both
English and Burmese known as
Anglo-Vernacular.
THE CLASSICAL
LITERATURE OF
MYANMAR
 THE CLASSICAL LITERATURE OF MYANMAR

The earliest forms of Burmese literature were on

stone engravings (kyauksa) for memorials or for
special occasions such as the building of a temple
or a monastery. Later, palm leaves were used as
paper (peisa), which resulted in the rounded
forms of the Burmese alphabet. During the Bagan
Dynasty, King Anawrahta adopted Theravada
Buddhism as the state religion, and brought many
Pali texts from Ceylon.
 THE CLASSICAL LITERATURE OF MYANMAR

These texts were translated, but Pali remained the

literary medium of the Burmese kingdom. Non-
fiction and religious works prevailed during this
period although Ka gyin, a war poem by a
monarch, was an early form of this genre in
history. As literature grew more liberal and secular,
poetry became the most popular form of literature
in Myanmar.
 THE CLASSICAL LITERATURE OF MYANMAR

The flexibility of the Burmese language, because of

its monosyllabic and tonal nature, and its lack of
many consonantal finals allowed poetry to utilise
various rhyming schemes. By the 1400s, four
primary genres of poetry had emerged, namely
pyo (poems based on the Jataka Tales, linka
(metaphysical and religious poems), mawgoun
(historical verses written as a hybrid of epic and
ode), and eigyin (lullabies of the royal family).
Courtiers also perfected the myittaza, a long
prose letter.
 THE CLASSICAL LITERATURE OF MYANMAR

Monks were also influential in developing

Burmese literature. During this time, Shin Maha
Thila Wuntha wrote a chronicle on the history of
Buddhism. A contemporary of his, Shin Ottama
Gyaw, was famous for his epic verses called Tawla
that revelled in the natural beauty of the seasons,
forests and travel.
 THE CLASSICAL LITERATURE OF MYANMAR

After the conquest of Siam by the Toungoo

Dynasty, Thailand became a Burmese colony. This
conquest incorporated many Thai elements into
Burmese literature. Most evident were the yadu
(yatu), an emotional and philosophic verse and the
yagan, which imitated the themes of the yadu
genre. Some parts of Laos and Cambodia also
became Burmese colonies during Second Burmese
Empire.
THE CLASSICAL LITERATURE OF MYANMAR