The ''manau'' ( my, မနော; zh, 目瑙纵歌) (pinyin-mù nǎo zòng gē) dance is a traditional ceremony common to the Kachin (or

Jinghpaw The Jingpo people ( my, ဂျိန်းဖော) are an ethnic group who are the largest subset of the Kachin peoples, which largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Myanmar's Kachin State and neighbouring Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonom ...

) people of northern

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 C. Wells, Joh ...

(Burma),

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

, China and

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares int ...

, India. Although the majority of Kachin people are

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, the ''manau'' has its roots in animistic religion. The ''manau'' ground where the ceremony takes place is the cultural center of Kachin communities. ''Manau''s can be held throughout the year, but the biggest ''manau'' dance, the ''sut manau'', is held in January. Many Kachin towns hold manau dances, with the largest celebrations taking place in Myitkyina, the capital of

Kachin State Kachin State ( my, ကချင်ပြည်နယ်; Kachin: ), also known by the endonym Kachinland, is the northernmost state of Myanmar. It is bordered by China to the north and east (Tibet and Yunnan, specifically and respectively); Sh ...

in Myanmar, in Laiza, the capital of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), and in Ruili, a center of Kachin culture in Yunnan, China.There is also a manau in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. A Manau is also held in Banmai Samakki, Thailand. During the ''manau'', a senior official leads a procession of dancers in circles around the sacred ''manau'' poles, which are decorated with diamond symbols and curved lines. Loud drums provide a beat for the dancers to follow. The ''manau'' leader (called ' in

) wears a traditional headdress decorated with hornbill feathers. Male dancers hold a traditional Kachin sword called a ''n'htu'' during the dance.

History

According to legend, Jingpo people came down from the mountain, Majoi Shingra, to Hkranghku Majoi. Before then, they didn't celebrate Manaus. Between AD.300 and 400, Jawa Rumja (Tingli yaw), the son of Pawng Yawng, married a Lamu madai girl. After that, Lamu madai led the first Manau.

Myitkyina Manau

One of the largest Manau dances is held in Myitkyina. Traditionally it is held in January, each year, but conflict in the region has meant that the manau is only held occasionally. The Myitkyina Manau is currently managed by the Burmese government, a situation that has led to boycotts of the event by many Kachins.Pangmu Shayi. DVB. January 16th 2015. Questioning This Year's Manau FestivalKachin culture group boycotts Manau festival in Myitkyina. Kachinland News. January 11th 2015. http://www.kachinnews.com/news/2719-kachin-culture-group-boycotts-manau-festival-in-myitkyina.html

References

{{reflist *Bertil Lintner, "The Kachins: Lords of Burma's Northern Frontier" *C. Gilhodes, "Kachins: Religion and Customs" Kachin people Circle dances Jingpo people Ritual dances