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Chinthe[a] (Burmese:ခြင်္သေ့ (IPA:[tɕʰɪ̀ɰ̃ðḛ]);Mon:ဇာဒိသိုၚ် ([cɛ̀atìʔsaŋ]);Shan:သၢင်ႇသီႈ ([sàːŋsi])) is theBurmese word for 'lion'.[2][3] Theleograph[4][5] ofChinthe is a highly stylizedlion[6][7] commonly depicted in Burmese iconography andarchitecture, especially as a pair of guardians flanking the entrances of Buddhistpagodas andkyaung (or Buddhist monasteries).
Contrary to popular belief, theChinthe is not a mythical creature[8] but instead an entirely natural lion,[9] although often associated with myths and legends.
The Burmese leograph[10] is related to other stylized lions in the Asian region, including thesing (สิงห์) ofThailand,Cambodia,Laos, and thesimha (සිංහ) ofSri Lanka, where it is featured prominently on theSri Lankan rupee. It is also related to East Asian leographs, such as theguardian lions of China,komainu of Japan,shisa of Okinawa andSnow Lion of Tibet.
The story of why the lions guard the entrances of pagodas and temples is given in theMahavamsa:
The princess Suppadevi ofVanga Kingdom (present dayBengal) had a son namedSinhabahu through her marriage to alion, but later abandoned the lion who then became enraged and set out on a road of terror throughout the lands. The son then went out to slay this terrorizing lion. The son came back home to his mother stating he slew the lion, and then found out that he killed his own father. The son later constructed a statue of the lion as a guardian of a temple to atone for his sin.[11]
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The leograph[10] ofChinthe appears as an element of Burmese iconography on many revered objects, including thepalin (Burmese royal throne) and Burmese bells.[13]
Predating the use of coins for money, brass weights cast in the shape of iconic animals like theChinthe were commonly used to measure standard quantities of staple items.[14]
In theBurmese zodiac, the lion sign is representative of Tuesday-born individuals.[15]
The leograph is featured prominently on the successive post-independence State seals (including the currentState Seal of Myanmar) and most paper denominations of theBurmese kyat, and its statues are found as guardian statues of most pagodas and temples.
![Leographic statues[16] line the rooftop at Bagan's Ananda Temple](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBagan-Ananda-220-Chinthes-gje.jpg)
![Close-up of the stylized lion head,[17] Ananda Temple](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBagan_2019_10.jpg)
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![A pair of whitewashed lions[13] guard the entrance to Mandalay Hill](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aChinthes_guarding_Mandalay_Hill.JPG)
![Chinthe atop the Mingun Bell[13]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSuspension_of_the_Mingun_Bell.jpg)
During theSecond World War, the British BrigadierOrde Wingate was given command of forces charged withlong-range penetration operations behind Japanese lines inBurma. At the suggestion of CaptainAung Thin of theBurma Rifles, Wingate decided to call this force "The Chinthes" (The Lions),[18] a name which became corrupted to "TheChindits" and was so recorded in the annals of World War II.[3]
Chinthe is also the nickname of the Canadian 435 Squadron, formed originally in 1944 in India.[19] The badge of the RCAF 435th features a chinthe on a plinth.
The present-day brigade in the British Army is named the 77th Brigade in tribute to the77th Indian Infantry Brigade, which was part of Wingates'sChindits. The formation badge of the revived 77th shows a stylised lion known as a Chinthe in reference to the Chindits.
