Today, we will take a look at “The Frog Maiden,” a Burmese “Cinderella” story and use it to discover old animist beliefs that once flourished in Myanmar (Burma). We dive deep into the world of Burmese mythology and trace the evolution of Burmese rain-spirits and thunder-gods, following them all the way back to their humble origins as tribal frog totems. 

We look at tribal customs surrounding “frog drums,” a shamanic instrument used in parts of Myanmar to help communicate with rain spirits. These drums link the frog to both the myths and rituals of some of the oldest inhabitants of Myanmar and give us good insight into the symbolism of the frog as seen through a pan-Burmese lens.

We connect this to current practices related to Thingyan (Burmese New Year) which, to this day, is a time of year still steeped in old traditions such as water-throwing celebrations and hair-washing rituals. We link this to the cultural and spiritual significance of hair in Myanmar as well as in other parts of the world and look briefly at an old mythological Burmese ogress who entices a frog to help delouse her hair. We tie this into other mythological deities such as the Inuit goddess, Sedna, whose hair is connected to her shamanic and spiritual purpose as a " bringer of abundance."

We end the episode by looking at pre-cognitive dreams including how to identify them and how to work with them on a practical level.

This concludes our foray into the “collective unconscious” of Myanmar.

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A NOTE ON THE FOLKTALE

"THE FROG MAIDEN" from the 1948 publication "Burmese Folk-Tales" by Maung Htin Aung.

Abridged and re-written by Dina Luna.


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"Row Row Row Your Boat" By SoundRoseStudio

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