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| The Burmese Harp | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Burmese Harp |
| Names | Saung Gaund, Saung |
| Classification | String instrument |
| Developed | 9th–11th centuries |
| Developed in | Pagan Kingdom, Bagan |
| Related | Oud, Sitar, Korean gayageum, Chinese guzheng |
The Burmese Harp is a traditional arched harp originating in the Pagan Kingdom of present-day Myanmar. It occupies a central place in Burmese court music, liturgy, and folk performance, and has been adapted in modern compositions and ethnomusicological study. The instrument links to regional networks of Southeast Asian and South Asian musical exchange involving courts, temples, and colonial institutions.
The Burmese harp is known locally as Saung Gaund and appears in sources connected to Bagan, Mandalay, Inwa, Ava Kingdom, and Konbaung dynasty. It features prominently in royal ensembles that performed for figures such as King Mindon Min, King Thibaw Min, and patrons of the Konbaung court. European travelers like Marco Polo and colonial officials in British Burma recorded sightings alongside missionaries from Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and scholars associated with institutions like British Museum and Royal Asiatic Society.
Historically, the instrument's lineage traces to contacts between the Pagan Kingdom, Indian subcontinent polities such as the Pala Empire and Chola dynasty, and trade routes linking Srivijaya and Angkor. Inscriptions from Bagan temples and accounts by envoys of the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty note harp-like instruments alongside references to performers patronized by the Ava court and Taungoo dynasty. The British colonial period introduced ethnographers like A. P. Phayre and musicologists attached to Oxford University and Cambridge University who catalogued the Saung, while modern scholarship by figures at SOAS and the Smithsonian Institution has examined iconography in Ananda Temple and manuscripts preserved by the National Museum of Myanmar.
Traditional construction uses a curved hardwood body carved from trees found near Irrawaddy River tributaries, with a resonator covered in deerhide or silk imported historically via Martaban ports. Components and techniques show affinities with the Persian qanun, Indian vina, and instruments from the Malay Peninsula. Luthiers historically worked in guilds under royal patronage at Mandalay Palace and supplied ensembles for events in Shwezigon Pagoda and Mahamuni Buddha Temple. Tunings and string materials adapted over time from silk and gut to modern nylon and brass, reflecting trade with Rangoon and influences from manufacturers in Singapore and Hong Kong.
The Saung repertoire includes classical forms such as courtly dances performed for Anawratha-era rituals, devotional pieces in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism, and secular songs that circulated in bazaars like those in Bogyoke Market. Repertoire names intersect with works or genres tied to figures like U Min and poets patronized by the Konbaung court. Techniques employ right-hand plucking with thumbnail picks and left-hand damping; pedagogical lineages passed through masters who taught at institutions including Mandalay University and cultural troupes associated with State School of Music. Compositions have been arranged for Saung alongside pattala and hsaing waing ensembles and appear in archives with collections catalogued by UNESCO and researchers from University of Yangon.
The harp accompanies rites at major sites such as Shwedagon Pagoda and during festivals including Thingyan and Thadingyut. It functions in rituals connected to royal investiture ceremonies of the Konbaung dynasty, funerary processions in regions like Sagaing Region, and seasonal agricultural observances in villages along the Ayeyarwady River. The instrument appears in iconography associated with legendary minstrel figures in Burmese chronicles and is invoked in modern cultural policy documents from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture (Myanmar) and heritage programs sponsored by ASEAN initiatives.
Prominent historical exponents include court masters who served under King Mindon and later teachers such as U Tin and U Ba Than associated with performances at Mandalay Palace. 20th-century revivalists and educators taught at venues like Yangon University and founded ensembles that toured with support from cultural attaches at embassies in Paris, London, and Washington, D.C.. Contemporary virtuosi have collaborated with orchestras and festivals including WOMAD, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and ensembles curated by members of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre, and have been documented by broadcasters such as BBC World Service and NHK.
Since the late 20th century, the Saung has been the subject of revival projects involving NGOs, conservatories, and international exchanges among scholars at SOAS, Smithsonian Folkways, and the World Music Institute. Fusion projects have combined the harp with Western Symphony Orchestra arrangements, collaborations with artists from India, Thailand, and Japan, and experimental compositions premiered at venues like Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center. Ethnomusicologists from University of California, Berkeley and Australian National University have published field recordings used in curricular programs at Royal College of Music and archived in collections overseen by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage initiatives.
Category:Burmese musical instruments Category:Harps Category:Myanmar culture