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MYANMAR LITERATURE

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. 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 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. 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. 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. As the Konbaung Dynasty emerged in the 1700s, the Third Burmese Empire was founded. This era has been dubbed the "Golden Age of Literature". After a second conquest of Ayutthaya (Thailand), many spoils of war were brought to the Burmese court. The Ramayana was introduced and was adapted in Burmese. In addition, the Ramayana inspired romantic poems, which became popular literary sojourns among the royal class. Burmese literature during this period was therefore modelled after the Ramayana, and dramatic plays were patronised by the Burmese court. Monks remained powerful in Burmese literature, compiling histories of Burma. Kyigan Shingyi (1757-1807) wrote the Jataka Tales incorporating Burmese elements, including the myittaza. During the First Anglo-Burmese War (1823-1826), more solemn and muted moods exuded from Burmese literature, including lyrical music.

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