Learn About Legendary Creatures As You Travel in Burma

With the red stone and gold leaf of its ancient temples, the verdant abundance of its forests and the kaleidoscopic bustle of its cities, travel in Burma is a visual treat. Look beyond this colourful exterior and you'll glimpse a world of ancient myths and legends. Much of what you see on the surface is connected to age-old stories, from the architecture of temples to the land itself, featuring beings from Hindu and Buddhist cosmology as well as animist tradition. Here are some of the creatures from legend and folklore that you might hear about.

Chinthe
A powerful lion-like creature, sometimes depicted with dragon parts or human faces, Chinthes are one of the most prominent mythical creatures that can be seen as you travel in Burma, as paired statues of them often serve as temple guardians. They also appear on the currency. One story of how they came to protect temples tells how a princess married a lion and bore him a child, but left the lion and brought up her son without a father. The boy, when older, killed the lion without realising it was his father, and only later found out - so he placed a statue outside a temple in honour of the lion.

Naga
A sacred being with tremendous powers that is found in most Indian and Southeast Asian traditions, the Naga is a great serpent-like creature that can be benevolent as well as dangerous. They are creatures of the earth, with the ability to swim in the ground as if in water, as well as the ability to fly and shape-shift. Look out for sculptures of them flanking temple steps, as you travel in Burma.

Galon
Another being that appears throughout the mythology of south and southeast Asia is the Garuda, which takes on different names in different countries - here it is called the Galon. Stories of Nagas and Galon often intersect, as they are traditional enemies, and can sometimes be seen fighting in statues and pictures. A great bird with the upper torso of a man, and a beaked human face, the Galon is a being of the air, which is why the Nagas prefer to swim in the ground, where the Galon cannot attack them.

Belu
Often translated as ogres or demons, the Belu are dangerous spirits: human-like beings with long fangs who play an antagonistic role in many stories. They are a Burmese variant of the Rakshasas of Hindu tradition, and appear in tales of the Buddha as well as the Burmese version of the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana. The best chance of seeing a Belu when you travel in Burma is to look for a traditional masked dance or puppet performance of these stories. They can change their shape, and exist in several subcategories including benevolent Belus and man-eaters.

Jude Limburn Turner is the Marketing Manager for Mountain Kingdoms, an adventure tour company who run tours enabling people to enjoy travel in Burma. Operating in Asia for over 20 years, they now offer treks and tours worldwide, including destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Central and South East Asia.

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