![Kinnon Wat Phra Kaew 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Kinnon_Wat_Phra_Kaew_02.jpg)
A kinnara is a celestial musician, part human and part bird, who are musically
paradigmatic lovers, in
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
and
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
. In these traditions, the ''kinnaras'' (male) and ''kinnaris'' (female counterpart) are two of the most beloved mythological characters. Believed to come from the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
, they often watch over the wellbeing of humans in times of trouble or danger. An ancient Indian string instrument is known as the
Kinnari vina
The ''kinnari vina'' (Sanskrit: किन्नरी वीणा) is a historical veena, a tube zither with gourds attached to act as resonators and frets. It was played in India into the late 19th century and was documented by two European arti ...
. Their character is also clarified in the ''
Adi Parva'' of the ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
'', where they say:
They are featured in a number of Buddhist texts, including the
Jataka tales
The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is ...
and
Lotus Sutra
The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...
. In
Southeast Asian Buddhist mythology, kinnaris, the female counterpart of kinnaras, are depicted as half-bird, half-woman creatures. One of the many creatures that inhabit the mythical
Himavanta
Himavanta ( th, หิมพานต์; ; ) is a legendary forest that is said to be located at the hill of Himmanpan Mountain or the Himalayas which is derived from the Sanskrit word ''Himālaya'' ( हिमालय 'abode of the snow'). Hi ...
, kinnaris have the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the wings, tail and feet of a swan. They are renowned for their dance, song and poetry, and are a traditional symbol of feminine beauty, grace and accomplishment.
Edward H. Schafer
Edward Hetsel Schafer (23 August 1913 – 9 February 1991) was an American historian, sinologist, and writer noted for his expertise on the Tang Dynasty, and was a professor of Chinese at University of California, Berkeley for 35 years. Sc ...
notes that in
East Asian religious art, the kinnara is often confused with the
Kalaviṅka
Kalaviṅka ( sa, कलविङ्क ''kalaviṅka''; Pali: karavika; ''Jiālíngpínqié''; ja, 迦陵頻伽, Karyōbinga, ko, 가릉빈가; vi, Ca Lăng Tần Già; my, ကရဝိက် karawik; th, การเวก, Malay: ''karawe ...
, which is also a half-human, half-bird hybrid creature, but that the two are actually distinct and unrelated.
Burma
![Shan peacock dance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Shan_peacock_dance.jpg)
In Burma (
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
), kinnara are called keinnaya or kinnaya ( ). Female kinnara are called keinnayi or kinnayi ( ). In
Shan, they are () and () respectively.
Burmese Buddhists
Burmese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia
* Burmese people
* Burmese language
* Burmese alphabet
* Burmese cuisine
* Burmese culture
Animals
* Burmese cat
* Burmese chicken
* Burmese (hor ...
believe that out of the 136 past animal lives of Buddha, four were kinnara. The kinnari is also one of the 108 symbols on the footprint of Buddha.
![Flag of Kayah State](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Flag_of_Kayah_State.svg)
In Burmese art, kinnari are depicted with covered breasts. The
Myanmar Academy Awards
The Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards are presented annually to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Burmese Film Industry of Myanmar. The awards ceremony has been held annually since 1952. Each winner is pr ...
statue for Academy Award winners is of a kinnari. The kinnara and kinnari couple is considered the symbol of the
Karenni
Karenni may refer to:
* Karenni people
* Karenni language
* Karenni State, former name of Kayah State, Myanmar
* Karenni States
The Karenni States, also known as Red Karen States, was the name formerly given to the states inhabited mainly by ...
people.
Cambodia
In
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
, the kinnaras are known in the
Khmer language
Khmer (; , ) is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Khmer people, and the official and national language of Cambodia. Khmer has been influenced considerably by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious registers, throug ...
as kenar (, ; or '). The female counterpart, the kinnari (; ), are depicted in Cambodian art and literature more often than the male counterparts. They are commonly seen carved into support figurines for the columns of
post-Angkorian architecture. Kinnari are considered symbols of beauty and are skilled dancers.
The Kenorei is a character archetype in the repertoire of the
Royal Ballet of Cambodia
The Royal Ballet of Cambodia ( km, របាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ) is a dance company of Cambodia, famous for its luxury of costumes, accessories, gold and silver, accompanied by a beautiful soft dance.
It is a dance th ...
, appearing as mischievous groups that have a strong allurement. A classical dance titled
Robam Kenorei
Robam Kenorei ( Khmer: របាំកិន្នរី) or Robam Kenor is one of Cambodian traditional dance depicting a group of benevolent half-human, half-bird creatures dancing in a lotus pond that frequently performed in the Royal Ballet of ...
depicts kinnaris playing in a lotus pond.
India
![South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses-Page No](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/South-Indian_Images_of_Gods_and_Goddesses-Page_No.253-Kinnari_Ramesvaram.jpg)
In Hindu mythology, kinnara is described as half-man, half-horse, and half-bird. The Vishnudharmottara describes Kinnara as half-man and half-horse, but the correct nature of kinnara as Buddhists understood is half-man and half-bird which is different from the
centaur-like Kinnaras of the Hindu mythology. They are mentioned along with
Devas
Devas may refer to:
* Devas Club, a club in south London
* Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter
* Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist
* Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club
* Devas (band), ...
,
Gandharvas
A gandharva () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they are ...
,
Charanas,
Siddhas
''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual ...
, and
Apsaras
An apsaras or apsara ( sa, अप्सरा ' lso ' pi, अक्चरा, translit=accharā) is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hinduism and Buddhist culture. They figure prominently in the sculpture, dance, litera ...
in mythological texts. The figure of Yaksha with a horse head illustrated in Bodh Gaya sculptures in however a kinnari as the Jataka illustrating it treats her as a demi-god. According to the Jatakas, kinnaras are fairies and are shown as going in pairs noted for mutual love and devotion. In the Chanda kinnara Jataka the devotion of the Kinnarai to her wounded kinnara husband brings Indra on the scene to cure him from the wound. The kinnaras are noted for their long life.
The Jatakas describe the kinnaras as innocent and harmless, hop like birds, are fond of music and song, and with the female beating a drum and male playing on lute. Such harmless creatures are described in Jataka No.481 as being caught, put into cages, and thus presented to kings for their delight. In Jataka No.504, we have the autobiography of a kinnara who describes the kinnara class as human-like the wild things deem us; huntsmen call us goblins still. The kinnaras can sing, play the flute and dance with soft movements of the body. Kalidasa in his Kumara Sambhava describes them as dwelling in the Himalayas. kinnaras lived also over the hills of Pandaraka, Trikutaka, Mallangiri, Candapabbata, and Gandhamandana (Jataka No. 485). They were tender-hearted and Jataka No. 540 refers to the story of the kinnaras nursing a human baby whose parents have gone away to the woods. Yet, we find that they were looked upon as queer animals and were hunted, captured and presented to the kings as entertainment. Flowers formed their dress. Their food was flower pollen and their cosmetics were made of flower perfumes.
The depiction of kinnara in early Indian art is an oft-repeated theme. The ancient sculptures of Sanchi, Barhut, Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Mathura, and the paintings of Ajanta depict kinnaras invariably. Frequently, they are seen in the sculptures flanking the stupas. In this case, they hold garlands or trays containing flowers in their hands for the worship of the Stupas. Sometimes, the kinnaras appear in the sculptures holding garland in right hand and tray in the left hand. They also appear before Bodhi-Drumas, Dharmacakras, or playing a musical instrument. As such, the portrayal of kinnaras in early Indian sculpture art is very common.
Indonesia
The images of coupled kinnara and kinnari can be found in
Borobudur
Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur ( id, Candi Borobudur, jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ, Candhi Barabudhur) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indone ...
,
Mendut
Mendut is a ninth-century Buddhist temple, located in Mendut village, Mungkid sub-district, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The temple is located about three kilometres east from Borobudur. Mendut, Borobudur and Pawon, all of which are ...
,
Pawon
Pawon (known locally as Candi Pawon) is a Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia.
History
Located between two other Buddhist temples, Borobudur ( to the northeast) and Mendut ( to the southwest), Pawon is connected with the other two temp ...
, Sewu, Sari, and
Prambanan
Prambanan ( id, Candi Prambanan, jv, ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ, Rara Jonggrang) is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the P ...
temples. Usually, they are depicted as birds with human heads, or humans with lower limbs of birds. The pair of kinnara and kinnari usually is depicted guarding
Kalpataru
Kalpavriksha () is a wish-fulfilling divine tree in Indian religions, like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Its earliest descriptions are mentioned in Sanskrit literature. It is also a popular theme in Jain cosmology and Buddhism. ...
, the tree of life, and sometimes guarding a jar of treasure. A pair of Kinnara-Kinnari bas-reliefs of Sari temple is unique, depicting Kinnara as celestial humans with birds' wings attached to their backs, very similar to popular image of
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
s.
There are bas-relief in
Borobudur
Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur ( id, Candi Borobudur, jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ, Candhi Barabudhur) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indone ...
depicting the story of the famous kinnari,
Manohara
Manohara is the kinnari (half woman, half bird) heroine of one of the Jataka tales. Typically referred to as Manohara and Prince Sudhana, the legend appears in the Divyavadana and is documented by stone reliefs at Borobodur.
This story features i ...
.
Philippines
In the pre-colonial Philippines, the Kinnara or Kinnari are symbolic of androgynous beauty and of a lover's devotion, ethereal beauty, and one's undying devotion towards a lover. Pre-colonial gold pieces have been found depicting such otherworldly beauty.
A golden image of Kinnari was excavated in
Surigao at around 1981. It is a gold artifact that symbolizes the feminine beauty for it is a half-woman, half- bird, and a religious significance for it encapsulates grace and accomplishment.
Thailand
![Kinnari at Phra Meru of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Kinnari_at_Phra_Meru_of_HRH_Princess_Galyani_Vadhana.jpg)
The kinnari ( th, กินรี), usually spelt 'kinnaree' as noted below, in Thai literature originates from India, but was modified to fit in with the Thai way of thinking. The Thai kinnari is depicted as a young woman wearing an angel-like costume. The lower part of the body is similar to a bird, and should enable her to fly between the human and the mystical worlds. The most popular portrayal of kinnaree in Thai art probably the golden figures of kinnaree adorned the
Wat Phra Kaew
Wat Phra Kaew ( th, วัดพระแก้ว, , ), commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex c ...
in Bangkok, which describe a half-maiden, half-goose figure.
The most famous kinnari in Thailand is the figure known as ''Manora'' (derived from
Manohara
Manohara is the kinnari (half woman, half bird) heroine of one of the Jataka tales. Typically referred to as Manohara and Prince Sudhana, the legend appears in the Divyavadana and is documented by stone reliefs at Borobodur.
This story features i ...
), a heroine in one of the stories collected in "Pannas Jataka" a
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
tome written by a
Chiang Mai Buddhist monk and sage around AD 1450–1470.
This is supposed to be a collection of 50 stories of the past lives of the
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
, known to Buddhists as the
Jataka
The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, th ...
. The specific tale about Manora the kinnaree was called Sudhana Jataka, after Prince Sudhana, the
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schools ...
who was also the hero of the story and the husband of Manora.
Tibet
In
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
, the kinnara is known as the Miamchi () or 'shang-shang' () (Sanskrit: civacivaka). This
chimera
Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to:
* Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals
* Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilici ...
is depicted either with just the head or including the whole torso of a human including the arms with the lower body as that of a winged bird. In
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
Mantrayana traditions of
Mahayoga Mahāyoga (Sanskrit for "great yoga") is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Mahāyoga is held to emphasise the generation stage (o ...
Buddhadharma, the shang-shang symbolizes 'enlightened activity' (Wylie: phrin las). The shang-shang is a celestial musician,
and is often iconographically depicted with cymbals. A
homonym
In linguistics, homonyms are words which are homographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of pronunciation), or homophones ( equivocal words, that share the same pronunciation, regardless of spelling), or both. Using this definiti ...
ic play on words is evident which is a marker of oral lore: the '
shang
The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and f ...
' () is a cymbal or gong like ritual instrument in the indigenous traditions of the Himalaya. The shang-shang is sometimes depicted as the king of the
Garuda
Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda ...
.
See also
*
Kalaviṅka
Kalaviṅka ( sa, कलविङ्क ''kalaviṅka''; Pali: karavika; ''Jiālíngpínqié''; ja, 迦陵頻伽, Karyōbinga, ko, 가릉빈가; vi, Ca Lăng Tần Già; my, ကရဝိက် karawik; th, การเวก, Malay: ''karawe ...
*
Kinnara Kingdom
In the Mahabharata, Kinnara Kingdom is referred to the territory of a tribe called Kinnaras. The Kinnaras, along with other exotic tribes, were inhabitants of the Himalaya mountains. In the epic Mahabharata the Kinnaras are described as half-man ...
*
Centaur, half-human half-horse creature from
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...
similar to a kinnara
*
Satyr
In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, σειληνός ), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exa ...
or
Faun
The faun (, grc, φαῦνος, ''phaunos'', ) is a half-human and half-goat mythological creature appearing in Greek and Roman mythology.
Originally fauns of Roman mythology were spirits (genii) of rustic places, lesser versions of their c ...
, half-human half-goat from
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these representa ...
that resembles the kinnaras in behavior
*
Harpy, a half-human half-bird mythological creature from the
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...
that resembles the kinnara
*
Siren
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisc ...
, another mythological creature also from the Greek mythology that resembles the kinnara and the Harpy
*
Swan maiden and related tales of a mortal man who falls in love with a magical bird-woman, such as Prince Sudhana and Manohara
References
{{reflist
Further reading
* Degener, Almuth. "MIGHTY ANIMALS AND POWERFUL WOMEN: On the Function of Some Motifs from Folk Literature in the Khotanese Sudhanavadana." In Multilingualism and History of Knowledge: Vol. I: Buddhism among the Iranian Peoples of Central Asia, edited by JENS E. BRAARVIG, GELLER MARKHAM J., SADOVSKI VELIZAR, SELZ GEBHARD, DE CHIARA MATTEO, MAGGI MAURO, and MARTINI GIULIANA, 103-30. Wien: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, 2013. www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1vw0pkz.8.
* Jaini, Padmanabh S. "The Story of Sudhana and Manoharā: An Analysis of the Texts and the Borobudur Reliefs." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 29, no. 3 (1966): 533-58. www.jstor.org/stable/611473.
Buddhist deities
Buddhist gods
Buddhist legendary creatures
Burmese legendary creatures
Cambodian legendary creatures
Indonesian legendary creatures
Legendary birds
Mythological human hybrids
Non-human races in Hindu mythology
Thai legendary creatures
Tibetan mythology
Avian humanoids