The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-18
BURMAH's PHoONGYEE BYAN.
Queer burial Ceremonies Where
Every One Gets Drunk.
From the Times of Burmah.

FROM the lines OF bQTUlan.
A "Phoongyee Byan" corresponds to
an Irish wake. The gilded coffin con-
tanning the coffin of the deceased Phoong-
zee priesO in layers of pulverized char
coal is placed with a great deal of pomp
and much circumstances on a platform
twenty-five feet above the ground In the
center of a large rectangie in some open
space near the village In Sinbyugyun
the bed of the brook, west of the village,
serves this purpose e1cellently. Later
on the people drink the water of the
brook. This platform is occupied,
long as the show lasts, by young men
in different stages of intoXication and
with faces Enthusiastically parti-colored.
They spend their time bowling, dancing,
beating drums, clashing cymbals, and in
dulging in obscene jests, bestowing at in
terVals most extravagant expressions Of
sorrow on the dear and sacred departed,
all with no more apparent object than to
raise laugh a mile around.
AT one corner of the rectangle is a huge
pyre of bamboo, shaped like nothing in
particular and pasted over with the gau-
diest of gaudy wall papers. On this the
corpse is eventually cremated, the ashes
being collected in an urn for deposit in
the Kyoung to which the Phoongyee be-
topped pagoda. Ranged on the four sides
high in the foundation for an umbrella
topped pagoda. Banged on the four sides
Of the rectangle are sheds occupied by
Phoongyees from the neiShboring vii
ages. The pupils of each OF these Phoon-
gyees bring a ''pyathat," towering
Structure of the ever useful bamboo, with
a sort of shelf on the top to hold cot
fin, presumably to do honor to the de-
has its Kyoung, the higher the degree
of the deceased priest the larger the num-
Der of "pyathatsp
The taboots are of different shapes,
some like elephants, others like China
men, One enterprisng village furnished
a Burmanized version or an English lady
not forgetting the sunshade Another VIII
lagos exhibitor that is what they re-
solve themselves into-was a Chin, all
made with a little shelf to hold the coffin.
The Myook in some cases sadoW, nigh
nr;est / suppose occupies a shed on the
side of the rectangle. opposite the pyre.
AT a given signal, the beat of deep
toned gong, the taboots are brought, one
nv one from their places 10 the shed
~ ne phoongyee Byan president, having
taken on its way the coffin from the plat
form (the coffin being more or less secure
Nv fastened to the ''pyathats }. may add
that the villagers who carry the pya-
tbats,' generally form themselves into
hand of dancers called 'hanpwe."
Almost every one in Burmah is familiar
with fine contortions of hand and body that
constitute The Burman dance, so ] will
NOT infltct you with a description of the
details of the ''hafls, beyond mentioning
~, one hatch are known as the hap dab
MA ma ga 'eno1ber as The chiefly ham The
noe thi daW ham, and so on. Well ar
rived at The pranclpai shed' me band OF
dancers arrange themselves before the
"Dva-that and begin sensuous dance to
a Fcnor.ls that goes with Tilt, and Is sim
nv Irresistible 10 the gay Burman, the
len meanwhile being hustled in its perch
~ Ne hearers sway 10 and fro in wild
.6,.tbn, to The weid music. After al the
ii,..Et.aibots" have had their turn. the body
- taken out of the coffin and burned, and
a,.orv one goes home jov'a}ly drunk. ! do
. ", TTrStend 10 know how things are done
~ othpr narts of Burmah, but this Is how
90 rfen done In Salin and Sinbyugyun.
et,1ae-eif f,ee fights, ending n broken heads.
80 rlare between villagers carrying
.3,Vathats" There is some mystic rivalry
d re Grst time I saw "byan" here /
,,.al,obt In interestingly savage; the second
10 5sav5.se on.Y, and ! have never been
not form . combination with sufficient at
trections for me. The township officer, Mig
-. - slSSen was Very much IN evidence DUR
~ ~ nroccedsngs, and has earned tee
rhonks AZ the happy few who got out OF
W. melee scot free from "dokes' and
i.i5obe / should reckon the police were
-1ul.S1sb 70 keep order, bGt they themselves
e.atoosssd ~ be kept in order, as the majority
If Them were as drunk as iisA. one o. the
es,er3i ans OF the peace fcli foul Of a ''pya-
ttbstf and almost pulled il to bits. to the
80 Of The phcOngyee proprietor, who
cc,,ld not understand the onslaught as bis
S,t,rIls we're going along peaceably enough
Wnv viii The poice get ofupk on the lew
oscasiors IN which hey are caleb uron 70
10 eeberg Tie not uncommon spectacle in
,bese iureres az a preternafuraly sober
lneiieernan siageering along wih a. hope
iseefv drunken yillager al the end OF
.rhafn mas always seemed 70 me Inc tess
practical illustration OF the n1nTo OF
speech known as irony.