Kala Soe - Burmese historical stories

From the Literature and Library Division in 1934

The introduction mentioned in the first edition

Our ancestors sacrificed their lives and property for the sake of Burma with great courage. They loved the true Dhamma. They cultivated good thoughts and practiced good deeds. They brought good knowledge and good culture to enrich their minds.

That is why Burma still stands strong with its own name, Burma, its own culture, its own literature, and its own economy. This is the legacy that our ancestors left us, and it is the responsibility of us, the modern Burmese, to continue to prosper and carry on that legacy.

The stories in this book are a reflection of the courage, determination, and behavior of our ancestors. These stories have been selected and written from historical records and ancient documents. I would like to thank the members of the National History Advisory Group of this branch, Mr. Thakin Thaung, the principal of the Teacher Training School, and U Ba, the intellectual leader of the East Asian Youth Association, for their basic advice in writing.

Among the 49 old stories, U Ba Thaung wrote the following: When the soldiers of the Jwan Dynasty attacked Utsagae, The Burmese granary, The way the remaining soldiers came to the throne, King Alaungsi Thu, the minister of the palace, the palace of Inwa, the court of the king

U Ohn Pe (Taktoe) wrote the following stories: Pyu King Hti, Bo Min Thamein Kut Sa, Second Raja Sangha, Sagaing Sithu Kyaw Htin, Queen Shin Saw Pu, Dhammazedi King, the war between Bayintnaung and Naungyo, the war between Bayintnaung and Pyay Nai, Bayintnaung and Shan State, the punishment of Nga Zin Ka, the king of the west, and Maha Bandula.

U Wun wrote about the Burmese and Chin relatives, Maung Di, also known as Maung Thanlyin, the buffalo king, the history of the Moats, the Myo Saki of Dhanyawaddy, the Golden Pagoda of Bagan, the beginning of literature, the remaining soldiers and the Rajakumara, the same clans and tribes, the hero Dhammazeya, the martyr monk Shindisa Pamauk of Bagan, and the great scholar.

U Thein Han wrote about the Burmese calendar, Burma and Buddhism, the formation of the parliament, the three princes, King Yannaung, Tabin Shwe Htee, the coronation at Hanthawaddy, new literature, Prince Makkharaya, and the great Mindon.

In addition, literature and librarian

Burmese and relatives

U Wan

In ancient times, when the world was first created, there were forests, mountains, rivers, and streams on the earth. There were also springs in the fields. There were also elephants, horses, buffaloes, and cows. But there were no people yet. Therefore, the great guardian deity of the world laid a Burmese egg and a Chin egg in order to create humans.

The great god who protects the world placed the Burmese egg on a pile of cotton in the cotton field. Because the cotton was soft and warm, the Burmese egg grew stronger day by day, and when the time came, the Burmese baby hatched.

The earth guardian god placed the chick egg in a very safe copper container. However, copper is not as soft and warm as cotton. Therefore, the chick egg did not hatch for many days. Then the earth guardian god took the chick egg out of the copper container and floated it in the river.

In a pleasant place on the bank of the river, a bird was resting, facing the river. At that moment, it saw a large white egg floating by, picked it up, and placed it gently in its nest in the bamboo hut. Moreover, it guarded the egg as if it were its own egg every day and night, resting on the egg. In this way, the egg grew stronger day by day, and when the time came, the chick hatched.

Then the father, the great guardian god, gave the two brothers, Burman and Chin, cattle, elephants, and horses to work and eat. Burman got the cattle and cattle, and Chin got the elephants and horses. However, the younger Chin, the younger brother, was not happy in the river valley. He said that he wanted to live happily in the forest and mountains with the birds and animals, so he gave the elephants and horses to his brother Burman and went up into the forest and mountains. Burman, on the other hand, kept the elephants, horses, and cattle and stayed in the river valley. From that time on, the saying “Chin and Burman are close relatives. Burman and Chin are close relatives” appeared.