Page:The Mythology of All Races Vol 12 (Egyptian and Indo-Chinese).djvu/432

344 great formality to its new home, a log being still pointed out there to prove the truth of the legend. The Mahāgiri Nāts, when they were properly housed and treated with consideration, gave up aggressive destruction, attacking only those who directly offended them. The King ordained that an annual festival should be held in their honour in the month of Nayōn (May-June), and this was celebrated regularly for many centuries. In 1785 King Bodaw Payā presented two golden heads to the shrine to be kept by the official in charge of the Pōppā neighbourhood, and these were brought out and exhibited to the people every year on the occasion of the festival. When the feast came round, the golden heads were carried to the spirit temple. The officials and the people from all the country round about gathered and marched in procession with bands of music and dancers at their head, while Ministers of State were also specially deputed from the Court to attend the feast with State offerings. When the shrine was reached, the heads were placed on the altar, the traditional propitiatory rites were performed, and after the day was over the heads were restored to the proper official.

When Burma became entirely British territory, the two golden heads were taken to Pagān and kept in the Treasury for some years. Thence they were removed to the Bernard Free Library in Rangoon, where they may be still be seen, but the special festival on Pōppā Hill has been abandoned.

The Mahāgiri Nāts were of great service to King Kyanyittha, both before and after he succeeded to the throne of Pagān. In recognition of this he issued an order that all his subjects should honour these two Nāts by suspending a votive coco-nut in their houses, and this has been done ever since, although the brother gets all the credit in many places, being formally recognized as the Eing Saung Nāt, the household spirit. The coco-nut will be found hung up in every Burman house, not merely in Upper Burma, but even in Rangoon. It is usually set in a rectangular bamboo frame, and over the top of the coco-nut