Birman Legend

The Sacred Cat Of Burma

In a temple built on the sides of Mount Lugh, there lived a very old priest. This priest had a long golden beard which is said to have been braided by the God of Song-Hio. His life was dedicated to the holy service of Tsun-Kyan-Kse, the goddess with the saphire blue eyes. This goddess supervised the transmigration of souls, allowing some to live again in a holy animal. The priest's favourite cat, Sinh, was always sitting near him. Sinh was a white cat with yellow eyes. The cat's ears, nose, tail and extremities were dark.

One night a group of bad men came to the temple and murdered the priest. In a bound Sinh jumped to the throne and sat at the head of his dead master. As the cat sat, the bristly white hair on his spine suddenly became a golden yellow and his golden eyes became blue. The part of his paws touching the dead priest remained white.

Legend has it that when a priest dies, his soul transmigrates into the body of a cat, upon the cats death, the transition of the priests soul into heaven is completed. The story states that the cat refused food for the next seven days and died, knowing that only with his death could he take his master to heaven. After this, all the temple cats had a golden mantle and their gold eyes turned blue.

To this day Birmans have a golden mantle, white feet and blue eyes.

 

 

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