Nyatri Tsenpo
Encyclopedia
Nyatri Tsenpo was a king of Tibet from the so-called "Yarlung dynasty". His reign is said to have begun in 127 BC. According to traditional Tibet
an history, he was the first ruler of the kingdom. He is said to have descended from heaven
on Yalashangbo, the sacred mountain. Due to certain physical peculiarities - his hands were webbed
, and his eyelid
s closed from the bottom and not the top - he was hailed as a god
by locals, and they took him as their king. This is reflected in his name; Tsenpo means "sovereign", while nyatri means "enthroned by the neck". According to Bön legend, the first Tibetan building, Yumbulagang, was erected for the king. The year of his enthronement marks the first year of the Tibetan calendar
; the Tibetan New Year, the Losar
, is celebrated in his honor.
Tibetan mythology holds that the first kings were immortal, and would be pulled up to heaven by a cord
which had first deposited them on earth. This is what is said to have happened to Nyatri Tsenpo as well.
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an history, he was the first ruler of the kingdom. He is said to have descended from heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
on Yalashangbo, the sacred mountain. Due to certain physical peculiarities - his hands were webbed
Webbing
Webbing is a strong fabric woven as a flat strip or tube of varying width and fibres often used in place of rope. The name webbing comes from the meshed material frequently used in its construction, which resembles a web...
, and his eyelid
Eyelid
An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. With the exception of the prepuce and the labia minora, it has the thinnest skin of the whole body. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid to "open" the eye. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily...
s closed from the bottom and not the top - he was hailed as a god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
by locals, and they took him as their king. This is reflected in his name; Tsenpo means "sovereign", while nyatri means "enthroned by the neck". According to Bön legend, the first Tibetan building, Yumbulagang, was erected for the king. The year of his enthronement marks the first year of the Tibetan calendar
Tibetan calendar
The Tibetan calendar is a lunisolar calendar, that is, the Tibetan year is composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three years, so that an average Tibetan year is equal to the solar year.The Tibetan New Year...
; the Tibetan New Year, the Losar
Losar
Losar is the Tibetan word for "new year." lo holds the semantic field "year, age"; sar holds the semantic field "new, fresh". Losar is the most important holiday in Tibet....
, is celebrated in his honor.
Tibetan mythology holds that the first kings were immortal, and would be pulled up to heaven by a cord
Cord
Cord may refer to:* String or rope* Cord , a trimming made of multiple strands of yarn twisted together* The spinal cord* Cord Automobile, a former American car marque founded by Errett Lobban Cord* The cord , used to measure firewood...
which had first deposited them on earth. This is what is said to have happened to Nyatri Tsenpo as well.