________________
MARCH, 1921)
TATU MARKS IN BURMA
93
Compared with tatu marks in the different provinces of India, the thick and heavy designs in use in Burma suggest a gradation. They can thus be classified in the following manner:
Those in the Indo-Aryan tract of Kashmir, Punjab and Rajputana are drawn in thin delicate dotted lines. Similar delicate delineation is in vogue in Gujarat and Kathiawar. In Bombay, and along the Western coast of India, the lines used for producing tatus are either dotted or linear and are as thick as a pin. In the Deccan these lines increase in thickness to that of a sparrow's quill. The Deccan, it may be noted, belongs to Risley's Scytho-Dravidian tract. Further south, and south-east, that is in Risley's Dravidian tract, the thickness of the lines used for producing tatu marks ranges from that of a sparrow's quill to that of a crow's. In Bengal tatuing is not practised in the cities. Instances are met with in the interior, particularly in the south-east.
These facts lead me to believe that the delicacy of the lineament of the tatu marks has some relation to the civilization and culture of the different races using them. The design drawn by the lower classes or castes are very clumsy and often extremely primitive.
Ethnologically, the tatu marks of Burma furnish a link of the ancient connection of the people with China. Some of the designs are copies of the astronomical figures of the Chinese zodiac, I believe I accidentally discovered this connection when I visited the Sagaing pagoda. I found there some paper flags exposed for sale (plate 1, flag A). I bought a number of them and took them to & Burmese astrologer. I asked him to explain what they signified, because many of them resembled the figures of the tatu marks I have collected. The following is the explanation of the flag :
The figure at the top, is a pagoda or the abode of the gods. The next figure is a Garudthe half-bird-half-man celestial charger of Vishnu of the Hindus. In Burma it is called Kalon. The Kalon represents Sunday in the Burmese calendar. The second animal next to Kalon, is a tiger called hso in Burma. It represents Monday. The third is a lion (bar. yanghu). It stands for Tuesday. The fourth is an elephant with or without tusks. The former represents the first half and the latter the second half (noon to midnight) of Wednesday. It is curious that this elephant is called Rahu, the name of one of the grahas of India—the ascending node. The fifth figure is a rat, Burmese nu, representing Thursday. The sixth is an ox, Burmese wo which stands for Friday, and the seventh is a sea dragon, Burmese topdi. It represents Saturday. The introduction of Rahu, the headless monster of the Hindu mythology, is noteworthy. In addition to these similitudes, I found that these animals represent the eight cardinal points of the compass. Then there is a curious folklore about them as regards their being well 'matched'. The selection of a wife, a husband, a friend, or a partner in business, has to be regulated with the help of these symbolic animals. The animal represented by the birthday of a man or woman has to be matched with the Animal representing the day on which the other party was born. Thus Sunday. Thursday, and Friday make one well-matched group ; Monday and Wednesday make up another group; Tuesday agrees with Saturday; and Thursday has to meet Rahu-the first or second half of Wednesday. First, when the elephant has tusks, and second when it has none. The inauspicious matches of the days of the week are (a) Sunday and Friday, (6). Tuesday and Thursday, (c) Monday and Saturday, and (d) Tuesday and Rahu. Finally. the ill-matched days are (1) Sunday and Tuesday, (2) Monday and Thursday, (3) Friday
