Thonbanhla
Thonbanhla (Burmese: သုံးပန်လှ, [θóʊɰ̃ báɰ̃ l̥a̰]; lit. 'Beautiful in Three Ways') is the fifth of the official 37 nats in the Burmese pantheon. She is often associated with extraordinary beauty, tragedy, and divine transformation.[1]
According to legend, Thonbanhla was the younger sister of the nat Maung Tint De (also known as Maung Tintala). After her family was involved in a dispute, she fled to Rakhine, where the Rakhine king adopted her as his daughter. Later, she married King Smim Htaw Yama of Utthala and gave birth to a daughter, Shin Mi-hnè. On a journey to Tagaung to visit relatives, she fell ill and died at Tapa Taung Ri, west of Inwa, and was then deified.[2][3]
Some legends state that after her death, her daughter Shin Nemi (also called Shinnae Mi) missed her so deeply that she too died as a child in Daung Ri village, becoming a nat herself.[4]
Depiction
Thonbanhla is typically portrayed standing atop an ogre who bends over a dais supported by an elephant. Her hair is braided into a topknot. She places her right hand on her chest and lets her left arm fall gracefully by her side. In some depictions, she stands on a giant elephant-shaped seat, with a detailed headdress and ornamental features symbolizing her nobility and sorrow.[1]
References
- ^ a b Hla Thamein. "Thirty-Seven Nats". Yangonow. Archived from the original on 2006-06-24. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ 37 Kings and Spirits, U Kan Min
- ^ Myanmar Encyclopedia, Volume (13) Three Seven Kings
- ^ Myanmar Encyclopedia, Volume (13) Three Seven Kings