Mro-Khimi people(Part 2)

Religion and Beliefs The ancient Mro-khimi people worshiped traditional spirits. Later, most of them practiced Buddhism. There are also Christians. Buddhists also offer their traditional spirits. Traditional spirits are guardian spirits, They are guardian spirits. In the matter of deity worship, the village people seem to believe in a traditional deity called “KNIQKHOEQMAQ”; as special gods. Some Mro people who converted to Buddhism still maintain elements of the ethnic Nat devotion. The Mro ethnic tradition describes a group of Nats (or spirits) referred to as the Yoyar Nats as the original or first Nats to exist, with each Yoyar Nat having a certain area of responsibility or control. These Yoyar Nats are respectively called “Eain Sout Nat” (spirit of the home), “ Yar Sout Nat” (spirit of the land or agriculture), and the primary Nat who was called “KNIQKHOEQMAQ” (creator of the world and of the Khimi people). The belief in KNIQKHOEQMAQ was transitional for the conversion of some Mro to belief in the singular deity of Christianity. The term “KNIQKHOEQAMAQ” is a combination of two words in the traditional culture of the Mro-khimi people, In the Mro-khimi language, “SUN”; is called “KANI”; and “KHOEQMAQ”; is interpreted as the Universe. “KNIQKHOEQMAQ” Kani Khutma”(eng); means the creator who owns the sun and the universe. It is because they are making a noise. However, only if there are problems or illnesses among the Mro-khimi people, they ask for “KANI KHUTMA”. In the stories of creation, KOEQMRIKOEQMRAN created “KHUTMARIKHUTMERIN”; said that the old woman and man were created from the dust of the earth. During the reign of King Dasara (AD 485), Rahoila, Ahpaungla the chief of the Mro-khimi, was sent to search for the statue of Mahamuni, which had been missing for many years. In that chronicle, it was recorded that “Mro Kwae Mwae/ Kwae Mwae Mro”, it can be known that the people of the Mro-khimi believed and worshiped Buddhism even before. The first Christian religion of the people of the Mro-khimi was from Mi Chaung region. In April 1932, a villager from the Mi Chaung area of Palatwa Township accepted Christ and was baptized for the first time. In 1960, in July, the Gospel of Mara entered the Mro-khimi people. There are still some villagers who offer traditional spirits.