Skip to Main Content

S1 E13 Myanmar: The Cult of the Nats

Documentary

NR

26m

Dec 30, 2018

Every year in Tangbyon, an important ritual sees thousands of Burmans come to ask their mediums to dance, so they may contact the Nats, spirits that are able to offer them a better future.Featuring: Anne-Sylvie Malbrancke

Season 1, 15 Episodes

Season 1 (15 Episodes)

Rituals of the World - Papua New Guinea: The Fire Dance

Papua New Guinea: The Fire Dance,

When a person dies, or to celebrate a harvest or important visit, The Baining tribesmen go to make masks that represent the spirit of the forest which their ancestors have seen in caves in the jungle.

Rituals of the World - Peru: Masters of Chaos

Peru: Masters of Chaos,

Anthropologist Anne-Sylvie Malbrancke goes to meet Jenny, a young Peruvian who has crossed the whole country to ask the sacred lakes to heal her health problem.

Rituals of the World - Amazonia: Becoming a Man

Amazonia: Becoming a Man,

In the heart of the Amazon rainforests of Brazil, the Sateré-Mawé people have a rite of passage to adulthood where a show of bravery turns boys into men.

Rituals of the World - Samoa: Tattoo Heritage

Samoa: Tattoo Heritage,

The tattooing practiced in Samoa is not comparable to the fashionable trend in Europe. In Samoa, tattooing is above all a rite signifying that the individual belongs to a group, and it is extremely painful.

Rituals of the World - Haiti: The Carnival of Specters

Haiti: The Carnival of Specters,

Every year in Jacmel, on the south coast of Haiti, festivities take on an intensity that is not found elsewhere. The Haitians do not depict dream-like characters in their parades, but instead monsters or specters.

Rituals of the World - India: Festival of Colors

India: Festival of Colors,

Colored powder breaks down the barriers between people. Since Antiquity, to mark the spring equinox, the whole of India celebrates Holi, the festival of colors.

Rituals of the World - Seville: Holy Week

Seville: Holy Week,

Holy Week is one of the most important rituals in Christianity. During the week before Easter, it celebrates the death and then resurrection of Christ.

Rituals of the World - Ethiopia: Jumping into Adult Life

Ethiopia: Jumping into Adult Life,

“Ukuli Bula” is a bull jumping ceremony. The idea is to jump three times over a series of bulls lined up in a row, without falling over. If the young man, or Ukuli fails, he will be mocked by the village and will not be able to marry.

Rituals of the World - Bolivia: Fighting for the Pachamama

Bolivia: Fighting for the Pachamama,

Every May, thousands of Quechuas, farming people of the high plateaus, converge on Macha for what is no doubt one of the most spectacular and violent rituals in America, Tinku: a fertility ritual in the form of a fight.

Rituals of the World - Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer: Traveler Pride

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer: Traveler Pride,

Every year on 24 May, traveling folk from all around Europe come to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in southern France for a great festive ritual to honor Saint Sara, their patron, who was a persecuted servant.

Rituals of the World - Ethiopia: A Baptism in the Sky

Ethiopia: A Baptism in the Sky,

In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, Orthodox Christians confront their fears and baptize their children in churches perched high in the sky at 800 meters in the troglodyte church of Abuna Yemata Guh.

Rituals of the World - India: From Girl to Woman

India: From Girl to Woman,

“First marriage and then love.” This Indian proverb describes Indian society fairly accurately, and how the tradition of marriage is experienced in the country. In India, people don’t just marry whoever they want.

Rituals of the World - Myanmar: The Cult of the Nats

Myanmar: The Cult of the Nats,

Every year in Tangbyon, an important ritual sees thousands of Burmans come to ask their mediums to dance, so they may contact the Nats, spirits that are able to offer them a better future.

Rituals of the World - Madagascar: Partying with the Dead

Madagascar: Partying with the Dead,

In Madagascar, from July to September, the inhabitants of the island profit from the dry season to organize a traditional rite: the Famadihana, or the “return of the dead”.

Rituals of the World - Guatemala: Kites for the Dead

Guatemala: Kites for the Dead,

On 1 November in the cemeteries of the Sacatépequez region of Guatemala, the people are not sad for the dead. They communicate with the deceased in a unique and poetic way, using kites.

Details

Rituals of the World

Documentary

TV-14

1 Season

26m

Fire dancing in Papua New Guinea or climbing to the top of the Ethiopian cliffs to introduce one’s child to God: this series reveals how some people today still practice rituals that structure their lives.

Watch Free TV Shows

Watch free TV shows, from exciting new releases to timeless classics. Whether you’re into gripping crime shows, fan-favorite sitcoms, reality TV, or acclaimed dramas, watch free full seasons of TV shows On Demand anytime, anywhere.