La fête de Taunbyon : le grand rituel du culte des naq de Birmanie (Myanmar)

The Taunbyon Festival: the Central Rituals of the Naq Cult in Burma by Bénédicte Brac de la Perrière The article describes and analyses the yearly naq festival held during the month of August in the village of Taunbyon, north of Mandalay. The festival is part of a larger festival-cycle in central Burma connected to the possession cult of the 37 naq. It focus on two heroes, the Muslim Brothers, who were executed near Taunbyon on the order of King Anawratha (1044-1077), the founder of the first Burmese Kingdom. By establishing a cult to the two liquidated heroes, King Anawratha transformed their spirits into naq and used their powers to protect the Taunbyon region. The festival is important not only for people of the region but also for professional mediums from all over Burma. Mediums performe dances and local people make offerings during the ceremonies as an homage to the naq. The King's transformation of the heroes into naq is also commemorated by the dignitaries of the cult, while villagers are impersonating the two brothers. For local people, the primary function of the commemoration appears to be to secure the fertility of their land. For the medium, the commemoration regenerates the powers of the naq images, which are vital in their possession practices. From a more general perspective, the festival tends to reaffirm the relation between kings and naq, a relationship built on the allegiance of the former rivals that became naq and determined by the king's Buddhist values. It also reflects the historical relationship between central power and local communities in Burma. Although the royal period ended in 1885, the festival continues to use the idiom of kingship, and it may still have a value for a central power referring to the authority of Buddhism to keep potentially divergent forces united.Brac de la Perrière Bénédicte. La fête de Taunbyon : le grand rituel du culte des naq de Birmanie (Myanmar). In: Bulletin de l'Ecole française d'Extrême-Orient. Tome 79 N°2, 1992. pp. 201-231