The
Bamar (; , also called
Burman), are the dominant
ethnic group of
Burma, constituting approximately 68% (30,000,000) of the population. The Bamar usually have straight black hair, and a relatively light skin tone (although intermixing makes skin tone vary).
The Bamar are frequently called simply
Burmese, but this term is ambiguous as it can also refer to a citizen of Burma who belongs to a different ethnic group (
Karen,
Shan,
Kachin,
Mon, etc.). In general, the people of Burma use "Myanmar" to describe persons of all ethnic backgrounds in Burma.
Language
The
Burmese language, the official language of Burma, is widely spoken by many of the ethnic minorities as well as the majority Bamar. Its core vocabulary consists of Sino-Tibetan words, but many terms associated with Buddhism, arts, sciences, and government have derived from the
Indo-European languages of
Pali and
English. The
Rakhine, although culturally distinct from the Bamar, are ethnically related to the Bamar and speak a dialect of Burmese that includes retention of the sound, which has coalesced into the sound in standard Burmese (although it is still present in orthography). Additional dialects come from coastal areas of
Tanintharyi Division, and include Myeik (Beik) and
Dawei (Tavoyan). English was introduced in the 1800s when the Bamar first came into contact with the British as a trading nation and continued to flourish under subsequent colonial rule.
Origins
The Bamar are of
East Asian descent, and speak a
Sino-Tibetan language (related to
Tibetan, and more distantly to
Chinese). They migrated from the present day
Yunnan in China into the
Ayeyarwady river valley in
Upper Burma about 1200-1500 years ago. Over the last millennium, they have largely replaced/absorbed the
Mon and the earlier
Pyu, ethnic groups that originally dominated the Ayeyarwady valley.
Distribution
The Bamar are most numerous in Burma, constituting the majority ethnic group. Many have settled in Europe, particularly in
Great Britain. The Burmese diaspora, which is a recent phenomenon in historical terms and began at the start of
World War II, has been mainly brought about by a protracted period of military rule and reflects the ethnic diversity of Burma. Firstly, the
Anglo-Burmese following Burmese independence in 1948 began moving to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and North America, to be followed by the Bamar themselves. It is by no means confined to the West; Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Korea and Japan are also popular destinations. Burmese settled in Australia, New Zealand and the UK tend to be overwhelmingly of Anglo-Burmese origins.
Culture and society
The Bamar traditionally wear sarongs, known in Burmese as
longyi (). Women wear a type of sarong known as
htamain (), while men wear a sarong sewn into a tube, called a
longyi, or, more formally, a single long piece wrapped around the hips, known in Burmese as a
paso (). Formal attire often consists of gold jewellery, silk scarves, and jackets. On formal occasions, men often wear cloth turbans called
gaungbaung () and
Mandarin collared jackets called
taikpon (), while women wear blouses. Both genders wear velvet sandals called
Mandalay pa nak (), although leather, rubber and plastic sandals (, lit. Japanese shoes) are also worn. In cities and urban areas, Western dress, including T-shirts, jeans and sports shoes or trainers, has become popular, especially among the younger generation. Talismanic tattoos, earrings, and long hair tied in a knot were once common among Bamar men, but have ceased to be fashionable since after
World War II; men in shorts and sporting ponytails, as well as both sexes with bleached hair, have made their appearance in
Yangon and
Mandalay more recently, especially in the anything-goes atmosphere of the Burmese New Year holiday known as
Thingyan. Westernization mostly comes via
Japan and
Singapore. The Bamar of both sexes and all ages also wear
thanaka, especially on their faces, although the practice is largely confined to women, children and young, unmarried men. Western makeup and cosmetics have long enjoyed a popularity in urban areas. However, thanaka is not exclusively worn by the Bamar, as many other ethnic groups throughout Burma utilize this cosmetic.
Bamar cuisine contains many regional elements, such as stir-frying techniques and curries which can be hot but lightly spiced otherwise, almost always with
fish paste as well as onions, garlic, ginger, dried chilli and turmeric.
Rice (
htamin) is the staple, although
noodles (
hkauk swè),
salads (
a thouk), and
breads (
paung mont) are also eaten.
Green tea is often the beverage of choice, but tea is also traditionally pickled and eaten as a salad called
lahpet. The most well-known Bamar-originated dish is
mohinga, rice noodles in a fish broth. Dishes from other ethnic minorities (Shan, Chinese, Indian) are also consumed.
Traditional
Bamar music consists of an orchestra mainly of percussion and wind instruments but the
saung gauk (), a boat-shaped harp, is often symbolic of the Bamar. Modern Bamar music is typically Westernized, with influences particularly from American
country music. However, rap and hip-hop have also gained popularity. Traditional Bamar dancing is similar to Thai dancing, and is known as
yodaya aka (, lit. Thai dance). Puppetry is also a popular form of entertainment and is often performed at
pwés, which is a generic term for shows, celebrations and festivals. In urban areas, movies from both
Bollywood and
Hollywood have long been popular, but more recently Korean and Chinese films, especially DVDs, have become increasingly popular.
Rites of passage are also of cultural importance to the Bamar. These include
shinbyu (), a novitiation ceremony for Buddhist boys, and
na htwin (), an ear-piercing ceremony for girls.
Buddhist festivals and holidays are widely celebrated among the Bamar.
Thingyan, the Water Festival, which marks the beginning of the Burmese New Year in April, is one such example.
Thadingyut, which marks the end of the
Buddhist lent, is celebrated with the Festival of Lights in October.
Kathina or robe offering ceremony for monks is held at the start of Lent in July and again in November.
Religion
A nat ein in Downtown Yangon
The majority of Bamar are
Buddhists of the
Theravada tradition. People are expected to keep the basic
five precepts and practise
dana (charity),
Śīla (morality), and
bavana (meditation). Most villages have a monastery and often a
pagoda maintained and supported by the layfolk. Annual pagoda festivals usually fall on a full moon day, and robe offering ceremonies for monks are held both at the beginning and after the
Buddhist lent which coincides with the
monsoons, and during which
uposatha (sabbath) is generally observed once a week. Children used to be educated by monks before secular state schools came into being. A
shinbyu ceremony by which young boys become novice monks for a short period is the most important duty of Buddhist parents. Christian missionaries had made little impact on the Bamar despite the popularity of missionary schools in cities.
The Bamar practise Buddhism along with
nat worship which predated Buddhism. It involves rituals relating to a pantheon of 37 Nats designated by King
Anawrahta, although many minor nats are also worshipped. In villages, many houses have outdoors altars to honor nats, called
nat ein (), in addition to one outside the village known as
nat sin () often under a
bo tree. Indoors in many households, one may find a coconut called
nat oun up the main post for the
Eindwin Min Mahagiri (; lit. "Indoors Lord of the Great Mountain"), one of the most important of the Nats.
Naming
The Bamar typically use the day of birth (traditional 8-day calendar, which includes
Yahu, Wednesday afternoon) as the basis for naming. Letters from groups within the
Burmese alphabet are designated to certain days, from which the Bamar choose names. They are chosen as follows:
In the past, the Bamar typically had shorter names, usually limited to one or two syllables. However, the trend of adopting longer names (4 or 5 for females and 3 for males) has become popular. Bamar names also frequently make use of Pali-derived loan words.
See also
