The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXXI, Part 1-2, 1983 - Khamkoo

166 Anthony R. Walker
In contrast to the look-alike domestic houses, there may be another building in
the village, set apart and of altogether different appearance from the others. This is
the haw- yehv or "palace house" (haw-, a Shan prince's palace), which is the village
temple (Pl. 4). Here the Lahu Nyi villagers offer worship to their supreme deity G'uiv
sha.3o Emphasizing the "royal" symbolism of the haw- yehv, the principal ritual
furniture in it--an object that looks like a three-tiered altar (Fig. 6) --is called G'uiv
sha va caw _tcuh or "G'uiv sha's throne" (chaw_ tcuh "chair")
Fig. 6 Interior of the haw"-yeh ...
.. -
Not all Lahu Nyi villages have such temples. Whether they do or nofdepends
on whether there is any man coinpetent to fulfill the role o~ senior priest or to bo pa _
(probably, tO from awv tO ''body" and bo from awv' bo "meritorious", hence "meritorious
body"; pa_ is the male suffix). Where there is no such man and no haw- yeh.,.,
. the centre of ritual observance is a small shrine against a tree at the uphill end of the
village, dedicated to the resident locality spirit on who~e territory the village is believed
to be sited.
30. The etymology of the word G'ulv sha is obscure (cf. Walker 1980b: 244 n36).