Lifestyle : Death

The death in Akha belief is the change from human world to the hereafter where is the place for their ancestors spirits. If they do the right ceremony after death; it is said that the spirits won't be in dangers. In contrast, they will protect the following generations for eternally remaining their clans. As soon as there is somebody died, the members in the family will take a bath for the corpses and dress them the new clothes. They will put the silver coin in the dead body's mouth and tell them to spend that money for whatever he/she wants. Then, they will tie the dead body with the black fabric and cover it again with the red fabric. Afterward, the corpses is ready to prepare the ceremony, his/her son will call all the names of his/her ancestors who are in the same race. In case of the son has no ability about that;" Pima" a religion leader of Akha will perform the ceremony instead. He will pray for funerals every nights until the corpses is taken to bury. Some of the relatives who come to the funeral may gambling, some are crying with sorrow or mourning for a death and also do the black magic as their belief.

The Funeral The ceremony before burying, the shaman will be invited to pay in the funeral in Akha style for 3 days and 2 nights without any mistake. The sorcery is about the way for the spirit of the death to reach to the peaceful place at the hereafter. If the person who died was the important aged, at least one buffalo will be killed for the scarification. The only expert shaman (Pima) who can call all spirit to help stabbing the buffalo in the right way. There are many brave men had to hold the buffalo's head and open its mouth while others are stabbing. The water will be poured into the buffalo's mouth in order to stop the roar and it's' head will be drown out with the chaff after the slaughter is done.

The Interment Many strong men will carry the coffin which is tied with the 2 long beams from the house to the cemetery. There will be the hold for bury the corpse which is digging in a line shape from East to West. One of the coffin carriers will grab a handful of grass (The grasses are the material to make the roof) and he will stick it with a robe for closing the coffin. It indicates as the symbol that the alive people will share a place to stay for the dead body. Next, the small area of rice field will be given to him/her as well and the ceremony will be held at the cemetery. On the hole with the corpse in while which is already drown out, there are the personal stuffs of the dead body such as a pipe, a teacup, a gourd, the equipments for living and the prong will be put over the beginning of the hole as the symbol of the satchel for containing food for him/her. When the ceremony is done, the members in the same family of the dead body back to their house, they will have a sending spirit meal together for emphasizing the dead person about the boundary of alive people and the death. He/she should not disturb the alive people. Afterward, there will be the ceremony which is held for inviting the spirit of the dead person to protect their relatives a year after the death as same as other ancestors.

The Terribly Death The death which is Akhas believes that are bad: died in a violent death and died without the person who can continue their clans. For the first kind of death, there will be the ceremony to wash away their sins or make the apologize deities and ghosts before taking him/her to bury at the cemetery in the village. There are 3 other different deaths which are forbidden to bury at the cemetery but those corpses have to take to bury at the special place. There are the death that causes by the tiger, the death which cause by drown and the death from smallpox. The hole will have to be especially deep because the dog will be buried over the dead body in order to block the ghost to disturb the alive people. For the death without a person who can continue their clans: the ceremony will almost be held as same as normal but there is one difference that the wall will be punctured for taking the dead body that way. It can not be taken by the door because there is no more someone to worship the ancestor and the shelter will be dismantled and take it to the forest while the corpse is buried.

The person who throws away the shelter has to say out loud to the ancestors that as the result of the inability of protecting the grandchildren, then, nobody will worship him/her. It extremely shows that Akahs have a strong idea about the family duty tradition. In general, Akahs will not talk about death or do something that can invite the spirits back to their bodies again such as knock the coffin next to the corpses, whistle in a room or wife/husband calls the black magic of the dead bodies. It is believed that when they are alive, they should not be worried about the death and when they left the world, it is not their business to interfere with the world once again.