The Danu people () are a government-recognized ethnic group in Myanmar (Burma), predominantly populating the areas near the
Pindaya Caves in
Shan State
Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...
. They speak the
Danu language, which is closely related to
Burmese.
Etymology
The name ''Danu'' derives from the
Pali
Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
term , which means "archer" or "bow."
The term is a reference to the legend of Prince Kumarabhaya, whose bow and arrow rescued seven princesses trapped in the caves by a giant spider.
Origins
Some oral traditions trace the ancestry of the Danu to the intermarriages of
Burmese men and
Shan women in the 16th century, coinciding with the expansionist policies of
King Bayinnaung, who oversaw the establishment of Burmese administrative posts throughout the kingdom, including in Shan city-states.
Notable Danu people
*
Aung Myat - former Chief Minister of
Shan State
Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...
References
Ethnic groups in Myanmar
Buddhist communities of Myanmar
Sino-Tibetan-speaking people
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