Chinthe

''Chinthe'' ( my, ခြင်္သေ့ (); mnw, ဇာဒိသိုၚ် (); shn, သၢင်ႇသီႈ ()) is the Burmese word for 'lion'. The leograph of ''Chinthe'' is a highly stylized lion commonly depicted in Burmese iconography and architecture, especially as a pair of guardians flanking the entrances of Buddhist pagodas and '' kyaung'' (or Buddhist monasteries).

Natural lion

In contrast to popular foreign beliefs, the ''Chinthe'' is not a mythical creature but instead an entirely natural lion, although often associated with Buddho-Burmese myths.

The Burmese leograph is related to other stylized lions in the Asian region, including the ''sing'' (สิงห์) of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and the ''simha'' (සිංහ) of Sri Lanka, where it is featured prominently on the Sri Lankan rupee. It is also related to East Asian leographs, such as the guardian lions of China, '' komainu'' of Japan, '' shisa'' of Okinawa and Snow Lion of Tibet.

Origins

The story of why the lions guard the entrances of pagodas and temples is given in the '' Mahavamsa'':

The princess Suppadevi of Vanga Kingdom (present day Bengal) had a son named Sinhabahu through her marriage to a lion, but later abandoned the lion who then became enraged and set out on a road of terror throughout the lands. The son then went out to slay this terrorizing lion. The son came back home to his mother stating he slew the lion, and then found out that he killed his own father. The son later constructed a statue of the lion as a guardian of a temple to atone for his sin.

In Burmese culture

The leograph of ''Chinthe'' appears as an element of Burmese iconography on many revered objects, including the ''palin'' (Burmese royal throne) and Burmese bells.

Predating the use of coins for money, brass weights cast in the shape of iconic animals like the ''Chinthe'' were commonly used to measure standard quantities of staple items.

In the Burmese zodiac, the lion sign is representative of Tuesday-born individuals.

The leograph is featured prominently on the successive post-independence State seals (including the current State Seal of Myanmar) and most paper denominations of the Burmese kyat, and its statues are found as guardian statues of most pagodas and temples.

Gallery

File:Bagan-Ananda-220-Chinthes-gje.jpg, Leographic statues line the rooftop at Bagan's Ananda Temple
File:Bagan 2019 10.jpg, Close-up of the stylized lion head, Ananda Temple
File:Bagan Bronze Bell (7566104478).jpg, Temple bell in Bagan, Myanmar
File:Bagan-Dhammayazika-20-Loewe-Ministupa-gje.jpg, Lion statue on Dhammayazika Pagoda, Bagan, Myanmar
File:Chinthes guarding Mandalay Hill.JPG, A pair of whitewashed lions guard the entrance to Mandalay Hill
File:So Hla Waing 2.jpg, Chinthe of So Hla Waing in Bagan, Myanmar
File:Suspension of the Mingun Bell.jpg, Chinthe atop the Mingun Bell

Relation to Second World War Chindits

During the Second World War, the British Brigadier Orde Wingate was given command of forces charged with long-range penetration operations behind Japanese lines in Burma. At the suggestion of Captain Aung Thin of the Burma Rifles, Wingate decided to call this force "The Chinthes" (The Lions),Duckworth, L.B (1945). Your Men in Battle: The Story of the South Staffordshire Regiment- 1939-45. Michigan, USA: Express and Star. p. 17. a name which became corrupted to "The Chindits" and was so recorded in the annals of World War II.

See also

* Asiatic lion
* Chinese guardian lions
* Shisa
* Shishi
* Singh
* Lion dance

Notes

References

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Burmese culture
Sculptures of lions
Lions in religion