farfel_n08_062_526

more than 1 1/2 inches wide.
The oldest Burmese manuscript is attributed
to the 5th C A.D. + Contains a Buddhist text in
Pali. Burmese religious literature is strongly
influenced by the Buddhist literature of India.
However there are also some chronicles + an epic
'yama yekkan' which corresponds to the Indian
Ramayana.

The palm leaf book came to Burma from India
along with Buddhism + was traditionally used as
writing material for religious treatises, letters, +
court memoranda. They were engraved with an iron
stylus (kan-yit) that was held between the
first 2 fingers of the right hand + steadied by the
thumb nail of the left which was trimmed to a
crenant shape. To be read palm - leaf mansucripts
were placed on stands, + women were expressly
forbidden from resting the palm leaves on their
laps. THe leaves were held with 2 hands + turned
away from the reader after being read.
- The earliest palm leaf manuscripts in Burma
probably predated the Pagan period (1044-1287)
when Buddhism found strong support among
the regions powerful kings.
- Palm leaf MSS were widely made + used in
South DEast Asia. Because early Buddhist + Hindu
texts were transmitted in such forms, their
elongated horizontal format was adopted in
such areas a Southe east Esia + the Himalays.