The Akha is a tribe that use the month counting for guiding
their daily activities both in traditional religious ceremonies and in
the agricultural stuff. The Akha month counting begins on the 1 st
night of the period of the waxing moon until the 14 th night of the
period of the waning moon. There are about 30 days a month in average.
This is the month counting and the meaning of each month.
1
.Pare Lar Bar Lar is similar to January. There is another name for this
month “Yah Moo Yah Yah Too Bar Lar” which means the month for preparing
agricultural land, weed out and burn the grass and unwanted plants.
This is a month of Zakura because they are blooming during this month.
The Akha call Zakura “Pare”, this name is in use for the Akha month
counting until today.
2. Jor Lar Bar Lar is
similar Febuary . Jor means stay or stop; this meaning is understood as
the month for taking a rest. Especially for the Akha men, they are
ready to look out for women for marrying. They travel to other
villages. Turning to women, they are preparing their ornaments,
spinning and pulling the cotton thread for weaving a big piece of
cloth. They will use that cloth for making blouses and skirts. This is
the reason why there is a proverb “ Par Eum Bar Lar Yah Hom Yah Teum
Ngair Dair Kar Par Err Chae Hom Yah Per Share Nim Dong Ter Err” which
means the month for looking for mates and weaving.
3. Peaw Toh Yar Bar Lar is similar to March. The Akha have a saying for
this month “Bew Hor Yah Song Chee Ba La Ma Chee Lae Err Bor Chong Ma
Cha” means the temperature in this month is very high. It cause the
plants to die and it is furthermore a dry month so there is not enough
food from agriculture. The Akha will burn down areas to prepare them
for the next cultivation.
4
.Seum See Bar Lar is similar to April, this month is the beginning of
the new season. There is an ongoing research about the ceremonies for
people who are interested, especialle the ceremony that is elevating
the women to the same level as men. This ceremony is called “Yah Yair
Eum Err” in Akha language. After the ceremony is done women will have
the same right as men have and they can be a part of the ceremony.
There is a legend about this month: The religious leader will not have
a sexual intercourse with his wife. If he forbid the rule, the seasons
will be changed . There are some more ceremonies in this month:
-The Red Egg New Year “Keum Sue Keum Mee Ar Peaw”.
-The Village Constryction Ceremony “Lor Khong Doo Err”.
-The Praying to The Village's Spirit House Ceremony “ Mee Song Lor Err”.
5.
Cha Ngor Bar Lar is similar to May, another name for this month is “Cha
Ngor Sair Kar Bar Lar Cha” means soil. Ngor means lever, it is the
month for planting in the fields because the rainy season is coming.
Fromm this month, the Akha have to work harder for growing plants and
store it for consumption the following year. There is no marriage until
the cultivation season is past. However, there is an exception for the
necessity in a situation, such as a woman that gets pregnant, then a
marriage can be held. There are also 4 religious ceremonies in this
month:
- The Initial Rice Growing “Sair Kar Ar Peaw”
- The Repair a Holy Well “E Sor Lor Koh Lor”
- Yoor Kam “Boo Dae Jae Long Err” in order to apologize all the insects that died during the cultivation.
- Yoor Kam “Beaw Oh Long Err” it is a ground beetle catching ceremony; are the rice enermy.
6. Khong Lar Bar Lar is similar to June, according to The Akha belief,
all animals are getting strong and every single tree are growing
perfectly in the way that it should be. There is one proverb saying “
Mar Khong Lar Err Hoh Yah Nga Yah Mar Jor Kar Kong Yi Eaw Tong Nong
Kong Lar Nga Ar” means that all animals have grown up, even the
cricket, which is in a hole, also has strong wings. There is a ceremony
to give propitiatory sacrifice to the source of the river. The Akha
call this ceremony “E Joo E Mair Sue”
7.Che Lar Bar Lar is similar to July , after the agriculture is done.
During this month, the rice will grow about ankle high. This is the
first time for the Akha to weed out. There will be heavy rain which
damage the land surface. There is the proverb “ Chay Lar Mee Nae Yair
Dar Kor Err” means the collapse of the land surface brings only red
soil. There is the ceremony for this month called “ Kheum Pee Lor Err”
or the ceremony for making a merit in the rice field.
8. Chor Lar Bar Lar is similar to August. There is another
Akha name for this month “Chor Err Ler Lar Cher Bee Bar Lar” means the
month for playing the swing because this entertainment will be held at
the end of this month until the beginning of September. By counting the
rounds of performing the rice growing ceremony the Akha will perform it
8 rounds and just as entering the 9 th round (after 97 days), the Swing
ceremony can be held. This month only have the Swing ceremony.
9. Yor Lar Bar Lar is similar to September and there will be a
heavy rain in this month. This is the month to perform the Yor Lar
ceremony. There is a story that “long time ago during the Yor Lar Ar
Peaw ceremony, a buffalo was killed to be used in the ceremony, which
resulted in heavy raining. The water level rose to the level of the
ears of the dead buffalo, and finally the water removed all hair from
the buffalo's ears. Ever since then, the buffaloes have had no hair on
their ears. Furthermore, the Akha will not kill buffaloes for the use
in this ceremony. There are 5 ceremonies in this month :
- Yor Lar Ar Peaw ceremony.
- Yoor Kam on Pig day “Yah Long Err”.
- Yoor Kam on Sair day; an animal which has a great power.
- Plucking Chicken Ceremony “Ya Ji Ar Peaw”.
- The Evil Driving out Ceremony “Ka Yair Yair Err”.
10. Sri Yair Bar Lar is similar to October, Sri comes from Ar Sri which
is the word used for fruits. Yair comes from Ar Yair that means flower.
During this month, all the tips of the plants are blooming and bearing
fruits and therefore the month is called like this. Besides, during
this month the rice in the fields are ready for harvesting. There is a
proverb which is talking about it “Sir Yair Sair Keu Ter Bar Lar”.
There are 2 ceremonies in this month:
- The ceremony for Choosing an Auspicious Day for the Community “Yor Poo Nong Meu Say Err”.
- The New Rice Eating Ceremony “Chair Nim Jee Err”
11. Nong Yair Bar Lar is similar to November and is the month when the
Akha starts to harvest their rice and store it in the barn. They also
make a barn in front of the house to use in the ceremony called Chair
Jee See Mar Eu Keum. In this ceremony, the straw which is taken at the
first time “Pong Yeaw Pare Yah Err” will be used. The rice seed is
taken as well. The last harvest ceremony will be held this month which
means the rice growing season is over
12.
Tong Lar Bar Lar is similar to December and is the last month of the
year. This month show the end of the cultivating season the resting
season, or the dry season, is coming. From this month and onwards the
Akha opens the barn where they store the rice. They will open the barn
on the 3 rd day of the Top Hitting Ceremony. During this month the Akha
perform Top Hitting Ceremony “Ka Tor Pa Err”. | |
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