There are several legends surrounding the Birman's original creation. The most popular takes place centuries ago in a sacred temple built for the worship of Tsun-Kyan-Kse, the golden goddess with sapphire blue eyes who watched over the transmigration of souls. When the priest (Mun-Ha) sat on his throne, his loyal companion, Sinh, was always by his side. Sinh was a white cat with yellow eyes. One day, the temple was attacked and the priest was slain. Sinh jumped onto his dead master's head and sat. As he sat, a miracle came to be; the bristly white hair along his spine suddenly became a golden yellow, his eyes turned sapphire blue, and his four paws remained white where they touched the priest, representing the purity of the priest's soul. The modern history of the Birman is almost as shrouded in mystery as it's legendary origin. In 1919, a pair of Birman cats were shipped to France from Burma (now Myanmar). The male cat did not survive the conditions of the long journey, but the female, Sita, did survive and happily was pregnant. From this small foundation, the Birman cat was established in the western world.