.jpg image files This is a sample of collection of recordings, videos, and texts related to Akha Zanr, the indigenous religion of the Akha (ahk) of northern Mainland Southeast Asia. It includes over ten hours of .wav recordings of Pirma Gavq, an Akha Shaman, reciting the religious text “Buffalo Knowledge One”. This amounts 6,500 verses of religious prose; all have been transcribed using the Akha orthography, and around seventy percent of the verses are accompanied by a gloss and free translation in both modern, spoken Akha and English. Other materials include interviews, photographs, written texts and video related to the funeral rite as performed by the Akha Shaman. Though only a sample is presented here, the full collection is archived with the Endangered Languages Archive, part of the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project at the University of London, School of African and Oriental Studies. Users of any part of this collection should cite Jacob A. Terrell as the collector/fieldworker, ELDP and the World Oral Literature Project at the University of Cambridge, as funders, and also the appropriate creators and contributors for each file as listed in the metadata. Description of images: Aqcirce: women singing mourning songs to welcome guests to the funeral. Aqghoe jm ghae-e: offerings for the Aqghoe Jm 'uncle's alter" ceremony: goat meat, pork, rooster, whisky, tea, ginger, shallots and salt. Performed on the last night of the funeral after the corpse is buried. Aqnyoq caer xaevq-e: after the Pirma sacrifices the buffalo the villagers pour rice on its body. It is believed that the deceased will take this rice (and buffalo) to the afterworld. Arneiq. Artawcaer: a type of grass. Banq zer, Banq zer1,Banq zer2: the post to which the buffalo are bound to before the sacrafice. Banqtan1 banqtan2: bamboo drum made of bamboo that the Pirma strikes the ground with while chanting in front of the coffin. It is believed that this sound will encourage the deceased to follow him into the afterworld rather than remaining on earth or getting lost. Beepavq1: type of plant. Boeqsoev: leaves of a type of tree that the shaman places behind his ear while chanting. Burial1: walking to the grave site in the forest. Burial2: lowering the casket into the grave. Coerkhawvq: silver bells for the female head dress. Daqyanha1 daqyanha2: women singing mourning songs to welcome guests to the funeral. Daqzawq: dress decoration. Darnav: three rows of nine cowry shells and a fern with seven branches are placed on the rice on top of the sacrificed bufflao to ensure that the deceased takes the right path to the afterworld. Darpyav. Dergee: a game only played at funerals where one traces the lines on the wood in particular patterns. Ganq: Akha ceremonial spear used for sacrificing buffalo at a funeral. Jalae: sticky rice ball offerings to the spirits. Jeiqgaw-e kuqcavq: the silver spoon worn behind the shaman's ear while chanting. The deceased takes to the spirit world to eat from. Jeiqtav-e1 jeiqtav-e2: every one share money for wrap clothes. How much money to sharing, it depend on oneself. Jeiqmeeq-tu-e jeiqmeeq tu-e jeiq meeq tu-e3: the ceremony to purify the buffalo before the sacrifice. Jirsiq: bamboo tube for drinking whisky. Jirtev: bamboo straw for drinking ceremonial whisky. Jovqdzanq: the decoration that goes on the front of a woman's dress. Jursaq: decorative beads. Keerbanq: stockings worn by females. Khmqpiqkhalor: field alter. Khmqpiqyacmr: field alter. Lawqhe: shaman's bamboo hat. Lawrkanq: Akha village spirit gate; keep spirits from entering the village. Manqdziq-gha1 manqdziq gh2 manqdziq-gha3: women preparing the decorative saddle for the horse which is given to the family of the deceased. Manq-kher: the pole the horse is bound to while the shaman chants. Manqbivq1 manqbivq2: decorations for the horse saddle for the funeral rite. Mawrdmqma: the 'female part' of the coffin. Mawrdmqpoer: the 'male part' of the coffin. Needzanr: the middle part or the 'heart' of the coffin; the kuqsiq shell must be placed here while chanting. Paertanr: Akha shoulder bag. Pirmachanting: Pirma chanting in front of the coffin. Siqxor: a type of jungle fruit. Tsawrxir mrdawvq 160: chanting to cover nmqgho. Tsawrxir mrdawvq 172: Ceremony using as many eggs as the deceased has sons. The eggs are layed on boeqsoev leaves and sticky rice then put inside of glasses or bottles and placed inside the kuqjovq basket. Tsirbawlaw1.jpg tsirbawlaw2 tsirbawlaw3: the tubes of oil made from the sacraficial pig which are given to the shaman after the funeral rite. Xaqbymr1 xaqbymr2: meat from the sacrifice is equally divided among villagers. Xmrkhaw-e, xmrkhaw1: ceremoney done to ensure bad omens do not accompany the buffalo. This is done before purifying the buffalo itself. To do this ceremony first then do jeiq meeq tu-e. Zevzovq (Zevzovqpavq): preparing to bind the coffin.