Intha people

The Intha ( အင်း သား လူမျိုး nec: sa: lu myui. , IPA: ɪɴðá lùmjóʊ, " people of the lake ", from in, "See" and tha "people " ) are part of a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group in the area of Inle lake. You are probably originally from the region of Dawei, as they speak a similar archaic dialect of the Burmese language.

Approximately 70,000 Intha live in the four cities on the shores of Inle Lake, in many small villages along its banks and on the lake itself, the entire area around the lake is part of the metropolitan area of ​​Nyaung Shwe. In the area there are also other Shan peoples as Taungyo, Pa -O ( Taungthu ), Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar. Most are devout Buddhists, and live in simple stilt houses of wood and woven bamboo. They are usually self-sufficient farmers.

Transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats or take now with larger boats with a long-tail motor, which is advantageous because of the small depth of the lake. The fishermen have been known to row with one leg, so they can see the vegetation particularly well under the water. Female rowers keep rowing but mostly in the hands while they are sitting cross-legged or with legs drawn up on the rear deck of the boat.

The characteristic musical instrument of the Intha is a particular form of goblet drum ozi with a length of 1.5 meters, a diameter of one meter and a broad foot. In addition to this huge drum, which must be held at an angle while playing, include large hump gongs and pair pool to the ensemble.