Culture
Religion, Belief and Akha Scripture
The Akha believes that everything has its owner, its spirit which is called Yaw Shahl,eventhough Akha has no written alphabet but we have Tradition and Ritual called Dehvq Zahl Shil Zahl to be the living materials. We have proverb and teaching words called Aqkaq Dawq daq, we have rule and law called Zahl and all of them are originated of the Religion called Akha Zahl which is to be held as the scripture of Akha tribe with the belief called Nui Jah . The Nui Jah respects various Gods such as God of Land , God of water, God of the hills, god of the river etc.and the highest God is called “ Aq Poeq Miq Yehi” to be respected and pray until the present time.
Religious Places of Akha
The communities respecting Aqkaq Zahl will have religious places to hold the rituals when the time of celebration to come are;
1) the sword Door “Lawl kahq Tawv ma”
2) the big swing “Lavq ceuq ma”
3) community Lawn “Deh Qahq”
4) the holy water well “il sawl lawl qawvq”
5) the village door “Lawl kahq”
6) the household spirit house “Pawvq Lawvq pawvq tul”
7) the community spirit house “Mil sahl”
8) the community graveyard “ Lawq Byuml” or “Jawl pu Nuil yal”
Akha week day
The Akha counts the week day by using 12 zodiac instead of each day, Akha one week will have 12 days called “Tiq jaw” consisting of:
1. Yawl day means the lamb day
2. Myovq day means the monkey day
3. Za day means the rooster day
4. Kuiq day means the dog day
5. Zavq day means the pig day
6. Ho day means the rat day
7. Nyoq day means the buffalo day
8. Qaq laq day means the tiger day
9. Tahq lav means the zebra day
10. Lahq day means the rabbit day
11. Shehl day means the high power animal in the legend
12. Mahq day means the horse day
Akha Month
The Akha calls the counting of month that Ba la la tovq. To count a month will be changed according to the nature of breeding, flowers , season, agriculture and they count from the 1st of waxing moon til the 15 of waning moon . the average is 30 days as follows;
The month of:
1. Ghehq la ba la corresponding to January
2. Jawl la ba la to February
3. Boeq zovq ba la to March
4. Qump shuivq Qumpmil ba la to April
5. Caq ngawq bala to May
6. Ghahl la bala to June
7. Tsel la ba la to July
8. Cawq la ba la to August
9. Yaw la ba la to September
10. Siq yehv ba to October
11. Nahq yehv ba la to November
12. Tahl la ba la to December
Yearly Traditional Ritual / พิธีกรรมประเพณีในรอบปีอ่าข่า
The persisting Akha community still have religious ritual both the ritual for living person part, the deceased part quite a large number of various rituals. The rituals covering occupations, health, environments, human, spirit etc.
For the sample of yearly rituals as follows:
1. The Cehl Jil ci-eu ritual is to pick The seed of rice to take to The last house.
2. The Miq dzaqkeuq miq lah-eu is to stay in karma after burning The rice field.
3. The Qump shuivq Qump mil aq poeq is to fight The red egg to welcome
4. New rainy month.
5. The Lawl kahq duq-eu is to dig The pole of The village gate.
6. The Kal daq ciq-eu is to fire The ghost out of The community.
7. The Mil sahl lawl-eu is to respect to The spirit house.
8. The cehl ka aq poeq is one of The tradition.
9. The buq del tsehv lah eu
10. The boeq ghovq lah –eu
11. The qump piq lawl eu
12. The Yehl kuq aq poe is to pull The swing.
13. The tradition of Zaw la aq
14. The Shehl lah –eu
15. The Ya civ civ aq poeq
16. The zavq lah-eu
17. The tradition of Kal yehv yehv
18. The Kal daq ciq-eu is to fire The ghost out of The community.
19. The tradition of nyeh bahl lah-eu is to stay with karma for grasshopper.
21. The Yaw pu nah muiqtsel-eu is to choose The best day of The community for joining to eat newly rice. From harvesting.
22. The tradition of cehl shuivq jil baq tahq lawl.
23. The Bahq yoe pyehv-eu is to celebrate The last harvest.
24. The Kal tahl aq poeq is The new year for Akha top.
25. The Kal daq ciq-eu is to fire The ghost out of The community.
