"Oo Min Kyaw, Burmese God of Drinking," 3D model made with Cinema 4D, 2003



Oo Min Kyaw* is an important figure in Burmese folklore. He is one of the 37 nats, a pantheon of ancient ghosts that died strange and tragic deaths yet continue to play a role in the affairs of men. These Nats form the basis of a flamboyant and animistic cult in Burma. During my 2002 trip to Burma I focused on documenting these ceremonies and thus developed an affection for the Nats and their stories that motivated me to create this model.




The woman above, "Ma Than Daw," is a spirit medium who has entered into a trance at a ceremony of Nat Worship. Ma Than Daw also assisted me in acquiring some of the carved idols that are an integral part of the Nat Cult's ritual practices




This statue is thought to be about 40 - 50 years old. It's beyond the scope of this web-page to demonstrate that the style of carving is significantly different from that which is practiced today for Nat Spirit Idols, however that is a fact. There is some debate as to whether this idol represents Oo Min Kyaw, or another popular mounted demi-god, "Min Byu Shin". Regardless of that debate, this statue forms the basis of my CG character design of "Oo Min Kyaw".


Eventually Oo Min Kyaw will be the star of his own cartoon - the "Pagoda of Booze" in which the protagonist is distracted on the way to a mustache contest in India.

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*(trans. "Mr. Lord Kyaw - Kyaw is a Burmese name as common as "Joe" in English)