Welcome to part two of our case study on the Shan.
In this section, we will explore their culture and religion.
The main religion of the Shan is Theravada Buddhism, or the Buddhism of the fathers, which is mixed with Brahmanism and Animism. This is often associated with and/or connected to folk buddhism. There is no concept of an all-powerful, all-knowing God. There are four "gods," and a fifth one is expected.
The Shan believe in nats or spirits, which can cause good or evil in a person’s life and must be appeased. They also believe in reincarnation and that the good or evil done in one’s life will determine their status and fate in the next life. In order to atone for wrongs done, a person must participate in merit-building activities, such as suffering a punishment of some sort or doing good deeds such as giving to and worshipping the monks. The lowestform of life is to be an animal such as a dog or a cat, and the highest is to retire into a state of passionless peace.
All Shan boys about 12 years old enter the monkhood for a short period of time. Some become monks again later for a longer period of time. They believe that the way to happiness it to renounce the world and carnal desires. They also believe that the physical and the spiritual are closely intertwined.
The Shan have a rich cultural heritage and are a proud and sophisticated race. They are a gentle and peaceful people. Many of their customs are related to the Chinese and the Thai. They have their own centuries old literature, art, agriculture and history. Tattooing is common among Shan men. The tattoos are often Buddhist connotations or signs, placed there in an effort to ward off evil spirits and protect the person from danger. Tattooing is also considered a sign of manhood in Shan society.
Instead of shaking hands, the Shan usually greet with a "wai", or placing the palms together in front of the face. The one lowest in status should initiate the greeting. How high the palms are placed reflects the status of the person being greeted in relation to the person greeting. In addressing each other, the Shan use titles (such as "grandmother", "uncle", "little sister", etc.) to express the person’s status or relationship to others. It is not acceptable to show affection between the sexes in public.
There is a traditional Buddhist holiday every month. For example in mid-April there is Songkran (the Water Festival) that is celebrated by dumping buckets of water on anyone in sight. It is also the beginning of the Buddhist New Year. Chinese New Year is also celebrated in February. The candle-lighting festival takes place during the full moon of September. The purpose is to light candles to welcome the fourth god Goddama, who on that night came down from heaven to preach.
The clothing is usually colorful, women wear a wrap-around tube skirt called a longyi (or sarong) and snug fitting blouse, and traditionally wear their hair up in a bun. Men wear baggy trousers and a Chinese-style shirt, sometimes with a turban.
The Shan are clever silversmiths and weavers. They are also known for papermaking.
The staple food is rice with vegetables and meat, garlic and chili paste.
Shan society is a tightly structured hierarchy. Everyone has their place in the hierarchy, and it is important that they know where a newcomer fits in on that scale, as it sets the guidelines for the relationship.The village headman, called Bumong rules villages, and above him is the district headman, called Buheng. The headman has the right to judge everything and is usually an elder chosen by the people for his wisdom. Shan have a group (cooperative) identity, rather than an individualstic one. Families are closely knit and extended families live together. It is common to have many children. Monks and the monastery play a vital role in the village and are highly respected, teaching Buddhist ways and providing schooling for the children. There are several different leadership structures within Shan society: headmen, monks, the military, and saophas or princes. Men are dominant. In marriage customs, a boy’s parents ask a girl’s parents for permission to marry, and there is a dowry. Uneducated girls get married as young as 15 or 16. Educated people wait until they’re 18 or 20.
Most Shan are farmers (rice, vegetables, soybeans and fruit), some are miners (rubies and other precious stones) and tree cutters (teak). Old methods are used and little machinery is available. Before 1996 the Shan were responsible for up to 50% of the world’s opium production. After the surrender of their leader Khun Sa to the Burmese in Feb. 1996, the selling and growth of illegal opium has all but stopped among the Shan, who now have an active drug eradication policy. Khun Sa is now with the Burmese and is in charge of the opium production, often grown by various hilltribes. The Shan army is funded now instead by sympathetic businessmen (in Thailand) and by the remaining weapons and supplies from Khun Sa’s time.
In Burma the monetary unit is the kyat. In Thailand, the baht and in China the ren-men-bi.
