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

LAiitJ NYt (RED LAiitJ) RJ1'F;S F'OR Es'l,'A)3r,;lSiiiNG A NEW VILLAG!t 19$
locating it in such a place. If his house were thus defiled, it is said, G'uiv sha would
not listen to the voices of those who pray.to him in this building.
There is no special day on which a haw- yehv should be built, but again--as
wh~n constructing a house~-the Lahu avoid tiger and horse day bec~use of their connotations
of violence; and pig day because of its association with the creation of the world.
IIi addition some people said that if they were to start building'a haw- yeh;_ on pig
day the earth might tremble-~ that is,it would cause an ear~hquake. (This idea did not·
enter our discussion of house construction).
Every household in. the village sends at least one male representative to assist
with dte building of the te~ple, arid several will serid more· than one. Anybody with
the requisite skill may prepare th~ furnishings; no persons are either specified for or
excluded from such tasks.
Once .. the building and its appurtenances are ready, each household in the
village sends along a representative, usually female, with rice and vegetable relishes
(meat is not consumed in the temple), beeswax candles and other offerings. The to bo
pa_ (senior priest) receives these offerings inside the new building, and the foodstuffs
are set before "G'uiv sha's throne". The to bo pa_ then affixes beeswax -candles to
the poles which support the temple, to the walls and to the various ritual furnishings.
He ·lights the ca~dles (assisted by others if he so requests) and proceeds, in the presence
of whichever villagers happen to be around, to pray to G'uiv sha, informing the
supreme being that the new ha"w- yehv has been completed. While he prays~ other
men play the percussion instruments~-gong, drum. and cymbals--associated with temple
wor~hlp among th~s~ Lahu Nyi .. Here is. the text of one such prayer by a to bo pa_
when d~di~~iini ~- ne~ ha~- y~hv• . . -.. . ... . .. ..