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Jewish Tradition
in U Nu’s Land
Premier V NU’s recent visit to Israel and the enthusiasm
which he has shown for “that wonderful little country." as
he called it. has created a new interest in Burma and endeared
the Burmese in Jewish hearts. Very few, however, have been
aware of the fact that one of the most powerful groups in
Burma bases its religious beliefs on Jewish traditions, adding
(mother touch to the mystery surrounding the ten lost tribes
of Israel. The folioicing article by Prof. Desai of Delhi tells
the story of this group known as the Karens and numbering
about two million souls.—EDITOR
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Out of 17 millions of the people
m Burma, the Karens number about
two millions, numerically being
second to the Burhams. They mi-
mated into the country perhaps
earlier than did the Tibeto-Bur-
inans. They settled principally in
Burma, but numbers of them
found a home also in Siam. The
only exclusive Karen country is
the hill region of the Toungoo
di\ ision.
The Karen language is Sinitic,
belonging to the Simamese-Chinese
sub-family. It is monosyllabic. Till
the arrival of Christian mission
aries they had no script and so
possessed no literature. All tra
dition, songs, prayers, etc., were
handed down from generation to
generation by word of mouth. A-
rnerican Baptist missionaries in the
19th century invented a Karen
script which is really an adapta
tion of the Burmese script. They
translated the Bible into Karen
and published it. There is now a
growing Karen literature.
The Karens are broken up int)
many tribes but there is great
similarity of dialect and traditions.
( >n the whole, however, they arc
wanting in social solidarity. Be
sides agriculture, they engage in
hunting, fishing, spinning, weaving,
mat-making and basketry. Karens
in modern Burma have in large
numbers taken service in the armed
'Oid Police Forces. In the Railroad
■uid Goverment offices in hospitals
md educational institutions. Be-
ore the Japanese invasion of Bur-
na in 1942. American missionaries
'o>d a university institution in Ran
goon. called the Judson College,
which was once called Karen Col-
• ge. The Karens are a lovable
People, very hospitable, marked
jy simplicity and verity: 'A dour
industrious people with solid char
acter and honesty.' They are amen
able to discipline, and under the
British they conducted themselves
very acceptable in the armed for
ces. Karen women have distinguish
ed themselves as nurses both in
homes and in hospitals. They aie
great lovers of music, and both
men and women have excellent
The Southern Israelite
voices. They have taken to Euro
pean tunes and can sing most
charmingly. They are very fond of
drums, the possession of bronze
drums being a sign of wealth and
importance with them. The national
costume of men consists of short
black trousers and a tunic. Women
wear a petticoat, and over it a
tunic more prettily made than used
by men.
The ancient religion of the
Karens was animism, that is, the
fear and worship of spirits. The
vast majority of them still hold to
it .mingled with elements of Budd
hism. They believe in three dis
tinct moral and religious concept
ions: 1) ‘Pgho’ is an impersonal
power or force. Perhaps they mean
by it the spirit and the soul. 2
the spirits in nature which should
be feared and propitiated; 3) the
Y’wa (Jewish) tradition.
Their conception of Y’wa inter
esting features in their history.
Y’wa is really Yaveh or Jehovah
of the Hebrews. They have stories
of creation and the fall of men
through eating the forbidden fruit:
but instead of two trees there are
seven, only one of them being evil
and defiling. Stories of the flood
and of the division of mankind
at Babel are also preserved by
them. They have indeed the He
brew tradition, but there is no trace
of anything Messianic in their folk
lore. Y’wa is the Eternal God,
while Karen is his eldest son. The
tradition is that they once had ‘The
Boob’ containing their beliefs and
the truth concerning Y’wa; but due
to the unbelief of their elders it
was lost. Y’wa himself had given
the book to them, so that the loss
was a grievous sin. They have al
so a prophesy that the White Broth
er would bring this lost book to
them. Here are some verses on the
book:
The book of the ages was rooted
by the pigs
At first the women neglected it;
The men also did not look at it
If both men and women had
studied it,
All the world would have been
happy.
Our book of Gold that Y’wa
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