Conference misery::feline_v1

442.0. "Birman Cats: The Legend" by PUZZLE::CORDESJA () Thu Jan 08 1987 18:31

    I decided that I wanted to promote the Birman breed so this file
    is devoted to the discussion of this mysterious cat.
    
    What follows is the Legend of the Sacred Cat of Burma as taken 
    (without permission I might add) from the book "The Birman Cat"
    by Vivienne Smith.
    
    The sacred cats of Burma, with their sapphire blue eyes and beautiful
    markings, hide an intangible secret as to their history and origin,
    and we can only surmise by legend and hearsay as to their clandestine
    background.  Here, then, is the legend of our beautiful Birmans.
    
    In a temple built on the sides of Mount Lugh, lived in prayer the
    very holy Kittah Mun-Ha, great Lama holy of holies, the one of which
    the God, Song Hio himself, has braided his golden beard.  Not a
    minute, not a glance, not a thought of his life was not dedicated
    to the adoration, comtemplation, and holy service of Tsun Kyan-Kse,
    the Goddess with the sapphire eyes, the one who presided over the
    transmigration of souls, the one who permits the Kittahs to live
    again in a holy animal for the duration of it's animal existence,
    before taking again the haloed body with the full and holy perfection
    of the great priests.  Near him was meditating Sinh, his dear oracle,
    an all white cat whose eyes where yellow, yellow from the reflectionof
    the golden body of the Goddess with the heavenly eyes...Sinh, the
    cat to advise, whose ears, nose, tail and extremities of his legs
    were dark like the colour of the earth, mark of the stain and impurity
    of all that touches or can touch the ground.
    
    Now, one night, as the malevolent moon had permitted the murdering
    Phoums who came from hated Siam, to draw near the sacred place,
    the Grand Priest Mun-Ha gently entered death, having at his side
    his divine cat, and under his eyes the despair of all his overwhelmed
    Kittahs...It was then that the miracle came about - the only miracle
    of immediate transmigration:  in a bound, Sinh was on the golden
    throne and sat on the head of his sagged master.  He leaned on that
    aged head which, for the first time, was no longer looking at its
    Goddess.  And as he sat stiffened before the eternal statue, one
    saw the bristly hair of his white spine become suddenly golden yellow.
    His golden eyes became blue, large and deep as the eyes of the Goddess.
    As he was gently turning his head to the south door, his four paws
    which were touching the old skull became a dazzling white, up to
    the place that the silk of the holy garments were covering.  And
    as his eyes were turning from the south door, the Kittahs obeying
    this commanding look, which was full of serenity and light, hurried
    in the frist breeze to close the heavy bronze doors.
    
    The temple was saved from profanation and pillage - Sinh, however,
    had not left the throne and on the seventh day, without having made
    a move, facing the Goddess, eye to eye, he died - mysterious and
    hieratic, carrying on to Tsun Kyan-Kse the soul of Mun-Ha, too perfect
    for the earth...
    
    And when seven days later, the assembled priests consulted before
    the statue to decide on the succession of Mun-Ha, all the cats of
    the temple ran up, and all were dressed in hold with white gloves
    and all had changed to deep sapphire the yellow of their eyes, and
    in complete silence they surrounded the youngest of the Kittahs
    so thus the reincarnated ancestors were designated by the will of
    the Goddess.
    
    The legend also has it that when a priest dies, his soul was
    transmigrated into the body of the cat and upon the cats' death
    the priest's soul's transition into heaven had been accomplished
    - and according to Major Russell Gordon (an Englishman serving with
    the British troops in the Far East in 1898) "But woe also to he
    who brings about the end of one of these marvelous beasts, even
    if he did not mean to.  He will suffer te most cruel torments until
    the soul he has upset is appeased."
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    A cat of mystery and legend, the Birman is a color pointed cat with
    long silky hair and four pure white feet.  It is strongly built,
    elongated and stocky, neither svelte nor cobby.  The distinctive
    head has strong jaws, firm chin, medium length Roman nose with nostrils
    set low on the nose leather.  There should be good width between
    the ears, which are medium in size.  The blue, almost round eyes
    are set well apart, giving a sweet expression to the face.
    
    The coat is long, silken in texture, with heavy ruff around the
    neck, slightly curly on the stomach.  The fur is of such a texture
    that it does not mat.
    
    Sorry to have carried on at such great length, but I am very interested
    in the promotion of this breed.  I would like to see their minority
    status change.  If anyone has any questions about the breed please
    bring them up.  I hope there are others out there who share my
    enthusiasm for these gorgeous cats.
    
    
    

    The legend was probably invented by a cat! It would certainly encourage
    the sort of treatment cats appreciate.

    There are actually many variations on this legend but this is my
    favorite for that very reason!