TO THE MOUNTAIN TOPS: A Sojourn Among The Lahu of Asia

By Harold Mason Young and Debbie Young Chase

This is a report about the Lahu people, more precisely, the Lahu Na divisions of the several ethnic Lahuspeaking tribal groups. During the period of this report written by Harold Mason Young, most of the Lahu Na lived in northeastern Burma,in the Kengtung Shan State of Burma and the bordering province of Yunnan, China. Harold's focus on the Lahu Na arose from the unusual experience of having been born of missionary parents (1901, Kengtung, Burma) and not only growing up among the Lahu, but working with them as a missionary during his young adult years in Banna, China. Naturally Harold would learn to speak Shan and Lahu, and more important, to become united with this unique culture. Harold accumulated knowledge and appreciation for their ways as few other foreigners from the outside world would accomplish during this time of history.

Harold considered the Lahu Na as unique, and while similar to other Lahu hill people, they were distinct in their own ways. In this book he carefully details the people, their history as passed down from generation to generation, their customs, beliefs and rituals, and most notable, their wonderful knowledge of nature. Harold's report of the Lahu Na during this period of history is extraordinary as the Lahu people did not write or document any of these cultural points of interest, and the fact that he made the effort to write this book makes available to all a piece of history that is almost now lost to the modern world.

This book is not intended to be a formal work on the cultural anthropology of the Lahu people, yet considerable information has been offered here to students of disappearing cultures. It is intended that this collection will expand information that students of social sciences might seek, and if that is realized, then the efforts of publishing Harold's writing, with its detailed and sincere reporting, will have been sufficiently rewarded.

The Gordon Young Family

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483628943

Harold Mason Young

Gordon Young was born in 1927 to American Baptist missionary parents in Banna, China. The family soon moved to Northeast Burma where Young hunted with Lahu tribal boys, learning by age ten to survive in mountain jungles alone, armed only with knife and bow. World War II impacted on Young’s amazing childhood adventures in Burma and India. Later he served the U.S. Army in Korea, obtained a B.S. degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; then moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand to work for the U.S. Government. There he field collected for museums, helped found the Chiang Mai Zoo, compiled the first informal ethnography of Thailand’s northern tribes, and received “Great Hunter” status from a Lahu high chief. Naturalist-hunter-conservationist-ethnologist, Young’s travels and tales span forty years throughout parts of Asia. A keen compassionate observer, his exciting storytelling also offers rare insight on vibrant peoples, cultures and wildlife in remote, seldom-trodden places. Other titles by Young are: The Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand; Tracks of an Intruder. (Visit: www.GordonYoungBooks.com)

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Copyright © 2013 by Debora Susan Chase

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Foreword—March, 2013

Preface (Original)

Chapter One:   The Lahu

Traditional History

Subtribal Groups And The Languages

Chapter Two:   Lahu-Land

Present Location Of The Lahu

The Lahu Country

The Seasons In Lahu-Land

Chapter Three:   The Village

The Setting

Types Of Villages

Community Customs

Village Government

Lahu Proverbial Sayings

Chapter Four:   The Home

The House

Functions In The Home

Chapter Five:   Characteristics Of The Lahu

Temperament

Morals

Vices

Outlook On Life And Death

Chapter Six:   The Tribal Dress

Dress Of The Different Tribal Groups

Ornaments

Chapter Seven:   The Family

Relations In The Lahu Family

Names And Name Changes

Serving For A Wife, A Husband

Inheritance

Chapter Eight:   Livelihoods

Agricultural Methods

Livestock

Handicrafts

Jungle Products

Trade

Chapter Nine:   Courting And Marriage

Serenading

Love Charms

The Love Meet

Marriage Customs

Chapter Ten:   Religion

Animism-Theism

Traditional Leaders And Traditions

Songs Of The Lahu Bards

Witch Doctors Or The Maw Pa

Dreamers Or The Paw Hkus

Leather Extractors Or She Pas

Man-Gods Or Fanatics

Chapter Eleven:   Religious Ceremonies

The Witch Doctor

Driving The Evil Spirits

Calling Back Departed Spirits

Revenge—Voodoo

Funerals

Invoking Blessings

Chapter Twelve:   Superstitious Beliefs

Dwelling Place Of The Evil Spirits

Ghosts

Dtaw Or Werewolf-Like Creatures

Interpretation Of Natural Phenomena

Signs And Omens

Auspicious Days

Chapter Thirteen:   Care Of The Sick

Superstitions Concerning Sickness

Medicine Men

Use Of Herbs And Animal Matter

Bleeding Of Patients

The Sick Room

Chapter Fourteen:   Special Occasions

Holy Days

New Year’s Festivities

Pine Pillar Festival

The New Rice Feast

Chapter Fifteen:   Pastimes And Entertainment

Games

Tests Of Strength

Fencing

Magic And Sleight-Of-Hand Tricks

Fireside Storytellers

Lahu Folklore Stories

Chapter Sixteen:   Hunting And Fishing

Knowledge Of Nature

Weapons Used

Methods Of Hunting

The Jungle

Animal And Birdcalls

Trapping

Methods Of Fishing

Hunting The Great Ground Wasps

Chapter Seventeen:   Big Game Hunts

Introduction

Chapter Eighteen:   Modern Times

The Lahu Today

Future Outlooks

The Appendices

Appendix A Regional Map

Appendix B My Grandfather, Harold Mason Young

by Debbie Young Chase

Appendix C HMY Death 1975—Gordon Young’s

Letter to Friends & Family

Appendix D Photographic Layout

Appendix E Important Dates—Harold Mason Young

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

What made you decide to do this? I was asked more than once by friends who watched me work on this book over the last couple of years. It all started after a trip to visit my father, Gordon Young, back in 2011. He handed me the entire stack of my grandfather’s writings. At first I didn’t know what to do with all the dusty, faded pages typed long ago by Harold Mason Young. At the same time I knew I was holding something of great importance.

Harold Mason Young’s longest manuscript was titled To the Mountain Tops, and the topic grabbed my attention. It was a lengthy report on the Lahu, a tribal group with whom both my grandfather and father had grown up. From the Lahu they both learned to hunt and survive in the jungle, and both had fluency in the language. I saw an opportunity to learn more about these people so loved by Gordon Young and Harold Mason Young. In the summer of 2011, I started work on To the Mountain Tops. My grandfather’s quaint writing style coupled with his keen sense of observation made my typing days feel magical, and I felt like a pirate opening a treasure chest filled with jewels. To keep all this information to myself seemed wrong. Hence, I decided to publish.

During the course of preparing To the Mountain Tops for publication, some important criteria was followed. Keeping the book authentic was the highest priority; information, writing style and arrangement was left as originally written by my grandfather.

My only regrets are that my grandfather is no longer living, and that I cannot hand the finished book for him to hold. I can only hope he is smiling down, and I did him proud.

Here in the summer of 2013, I am humbled by the caliber of people who entered my life and the multitude of talent that helped push this project to completion. The following people were critical in boosting the final outcome of publishing this book, and I would like to express my most sincere gratitude for their kind-hearted service:

My dear father, Gordon Young, whose memory has provided answers to biographical and historical questions. Without my father’s help this project would never have reached the level of accuracy that it did.

My warmest thanks to my husband, Jeff Chase, who graciously tolerated my most obsessed moments of intensive research. He added so greatly as an editor at any moment, and was always ready to offer a solution to anything I tossed at him. Jeff made the project a joyful one in our home.

My sisters, Julie Young Howell and Carolyn Young offered their sharp editing skills and provided much needed writing advice. They were my cheerleaders and delightful co-conspirators on the crusade of promoting To the Mountain Tops, so that our grandfather would never be forgotten.

My son, Stephen Young Chase, who even with his busy, very demanding schedule, took time aside to help his mother by editing, several times, the biography on his great-grandfather, Harold Mason Young.

My daughter, Caroline Chase, who offered much encouragement that pushed me along and helped me complete this book written some fifty years ago by her great-grandfather, Harold Mason Young.

Tim Forsyth, Ph.D. (London) entered the scene in the spring of 2013 when I had the pleasure of meeting him in person. I will always be thankful for his useful advice and direction. He planted the seed in my mind to provide more fullness and detail to the biography, and from this, the writing evolved significantly.

Gary Wagner, the great-grandson of William Marcus and Lilla Ethel Young, kindly offered many old photographs which were helpful in completing the photo layout after the biography. Gary also shared old letters and journals that contained information with crucial dates and events which helped me finish the biography.

Helen Elizabeth Suter and Ann Marie Suter, for providing many valuable photographs from the old albums of Ruth Young and Dr. Benjamin Pinkerton. Helen is my aunt (sister to Gordon Young) and Ann is my cousin, Helen’s daughter. These photographs were believed to be missing and lost forever. It was Ann who found the albums in a trunk at Helen’s home, and so graciously offered all for use in the book.

My heartfelt appreciation to Betty Nagel, a member of the Young’s tribe in California, for providing, at the last minute, crucial biographical information. This was, in fact, the last piece of a very long puzzle we had been working on in regards to the final years of William Marcus Young. With Betty’s help, we were able to connect all the dots.

Marcus Young, the great-grandson of William Marcus and Dell Mason Young was very generous in providing photographs for the biography. Marcus is the grandson of Vincent and Vera Young, and son of Philip Gibbs Young. Wouldn’t my grandfather have been proud to see so many in the family coming together over his book?

Philip Young and Nelda Widlund were kind to write me with valuable information concerning their parents, Vincent and Vera Young. Both were born in Burma (Philip in Kengtung, and Nelda in Taunggyi). They grew up around the various missions in China (Banna) and in Burma (Kengtung and Taunggyi). I was touched to receive correspondence from them and how special it was to recently meet Nelda in person. I cannot emphasize enough how important their input has been in obtaining accurate biographical information, and I look forward to hearing more interesting stories about their lives.

Ron McMath, my sister Carolyn’s husband, wisely helped in the editing phase, and just as important, through his humor, added laughter to the project. With this ingredient we were guaranteed both success and sanity.

It has been a pleasure to work with the team at Xlibris Corporation, and I cannot thank the hardworking individuals enough for their endless labor, all done with patience, friendliness and professionalism. When I made the decision to publish, I first called Sergio Lee to enroll, and he got me on board. I would like to list the exceptional team and thank each for their fine work:

Last, but not least, I must thank Julia, our Jack Russell Terrier, for getting me out on walks multiple times a day. These walks were my therapy and a precious reminder of the really important things in life, through a dog’s eyes. It was during the routine walks that new ideas were born, and puzzle pieces were joined.

Debbie Young Chase

In loving memory of Rachel Lee Howell,

Harold’s great granddaughter, who left us too soon

(December 18, 1986-April 29, 2013)

FOREWORD—MARCH, 2013

This is an account about the Lahu people, more specifically the Lahu Na divisions of the several ethnic Lahu-speaking tribal groups. During the period of this report written by my father, Harold Mason Young, most of the Lahu Na lived in northeastern Burma, in the Kengtung Shan State of Burma, and the bordering province of Yunnan, China. My father’s focus on the Lahu Na arose from his privileged experience of living closely, observing and understanding these people during his boyhood and young adult years, in their original Lahu homelands. All of his contact with the Lahu people would not have been possible, except for his birth in Kengtung, Burma.

Harold’s missionary parents initiated this journey into the Lahu region under very hazardous living conditions at a tumultuous time during Burma’s early years under the still-developing British rule in that part of the country. The Chinese border with Burma was unsettled in long stretches of an immutable mountain jungle, with wild and warlike Wa tribesmen and poorly defined rulers and warlords controlling and disturbing these areas. Harold’s parents, and later his brother, Vincent, survived certain slaughters by hostile elements then in the Kengtung area, only because of the British military reminders to tribespeople that white people were foreigners whose death would invite strong retaliations. So Harold was advantaged to spend his early youth in Kengtung, where many ethnic people surrounded him and where he first learned to speak Shan and Lahu. He became a Lahu and a Shan, as surely as the American parents who raised him were Americans.

This book is centered on a particular Lahu group whom Harold regarded as unique. They were similar to other Lahu hill people of the several countries of Southeast Asia, yet they were distinct, even quaint, in their own ways.

During much of the twentieth century, most tribal ethnic groups living in the mountains of Southeast Asia had little or no contact with the outside world, having lived for generations in the same manners and ways of their forefathers. And all ethnic tribal groups retained the characteristics unique and peculiar to them, since each had special customs, beliefs, and rituals of their own. Since boyhood, Harold’s greatest fascination was the wonderful knowledge of the natural world observed by the Lahu people. He delighted in knowing that the names for all elements of nature—from the tiniest to the greatest—are found in the Lahu language, which is as detailed as are Latin terms of science. For example, one small insect is deemed different from another by the Lahu and therefore rates a distinct name. Harold was fortunate to have learned the Lahu names for all the animal kingdom, as well as plants and trees, which he studied together with the Lahu people. Often, very young Lahu boys taught him interesting details and shared with him unique observations of the jungle. Many Lahu, as he knew them in that time and setting, could look up at an orchid plant high on a tree’s limb and give you its name and what the bloom would look like. Two similar-looking ants rated names of their own because of characteristics about which we lack understanding, but those characteristics were well known to the Lahu of those former times and places. Harold had tremendous respect for the Lahu and their knowledge of nature, and throughout his life, he cherished learning with them.

The traditions, songs, religious inclinations, superstitions, and general way of living of the Lahu Na stand out in marked contrast to the other tribes who lived within the same areas. Having lived nearly a lifetime among the Lahu—eating their food, listening to their bards and storytellers, hunting with their men, joining in their pastimes, and generally being one of their own number—Harold accumulated knowledge and appreciation for their ways as perhaps few other foreigners from the outside world would accomplish during this time in history.

This book is not intended to be a formal work on the cultural anthropology of the Lahu people. However, I believe that considerable information has been offered here to students of disappearing cultures. It is intended that this collection will augment information that students of social sciences might seek. If that is realized by anyone, then the efforts of publishing my father’s writing, with its detailed and sincere reporting, will have been amply rewarded.

As conditions change within the world today, and especially in the regions of Southeast Asia, the original Lahu will soon disappear and will lose their identities rapidly as they are swept into the current of change. In the last twenty-five years, most of the ethnic groups in Southeast Asia have experienced a drastic change, and it has become difficult, if not impossible, for any student of isolated ethnic groups to study what were once groups to be found as distinct cultural entities. Many practical aspects about the Lahu presented in Harold’s report suggest what might have been their original ways of living and their essential philosophy of life. Hence, this report contains lessons for us about Lahu Na culture and society, while also shedding light on practices of other mountain tribal groups in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the jungle knowledge of the Lahu and other tribal groups has offered us invaluable wisdom for jungle survival, which on occasion was taught by me and other instructors of the American military personnel during the Vietnam War. No better example and satisfaction for me lies in an actual claim by one soldier that he survived and escaped in a deep jungle controlled by enemy forces simply by remembering some critical actions to take that we had taught him. He said the information saved his life. My answer, No, it was the Lahu hunters who first taught us!

Gordon Young

PREFACE (ORIGINAL)

Born of missionary parents in northeastern Burma, the author has lived most of his life among the many hill tribes inhabiting the mountainous sector of Southeast Asia. Having had little or no contact with the outside world, these hill tribes have lived for generations in the same manners and ways of their forefathers. Each ethnic group has customs, beliefs, rites, and other characteristics which are unique and peculiar to them. In the author’s opinion, many distinctive attributes of the Lahu people have set them out as the most fascinating tribal group. Not the least of these is their great love, appreciation, and knowledge of nature, which makes for an interesting study from which we might perhaps benefit. In addition, their traditions, songs, religious inclinations, superstitions, and general way of living all stand out in marked contrast to the other tribes who live within the same areas. Having lived nearly a lifetime among the Lahu—eating their food, listening to their bards and storytellers, hunting with their men, joining in their pastimes, and generally being one of their own number—the author has had the good fortune to come to a knowledge and appreciation of their ways as few others have.

This book is not intended to be a formal work on sociology and ethnology. However, considerable information concerning the Lahu people is supplied for those who may be interested in these subjects. It is the author’s intention to give the reader a glimpse into the ways of a hardy mountain race, which is fast losing the uniqueness of the past. With the changing condition within the world today, and especially in the Far East, the Lahu will one day become a different people, losing their original tribal characteristics as they are swept into the current of changes. In the last twenty-five years, most of the ethnic groups in Southeast Asia have changed to such degree that it has become very difficult for ethnologists to obtain a complete picture of any particular tribe. Many practical aspects about the Lahu, as seen in their original way of living and in their philosophy of life, offer a lesson to us. Their knowledge of the jungle offer many valuable lessons to the woodsman.

If it were not for the records we have of our own American Indians, we would not know of the glory of their early life, of their original ways, and of the stories told by the wigwam firesides. Therefore, it is hoped that this book will serve to preserve a record of the historical background and primitive ways of the Lahu people as they were originally. Dominating influences and conditions change the life of the people, especially when they represent a minority group, and gradually, the ways of others are adopted and the original uniqueness is then lost. During the author’s lifetime, he has seen the influences of predominating races creep in, until the average Lahu of today has forgotten many of the original mores and the familiar storytellers of yesterday have become very scarce.

The areas in which the Lahu lived extend into four countries which are in the spotlight today. They are found in the southern Yunnan province of China, northeastern Burma, western Laos, and northern Thailand. Being a hill tribe, the Lahu do not mix to any great extent with the neighboring racial groups and tend to be retiring in their habits. Very little is actually known about them by outsiders. The people of the plains regard them as backward mountain tribesmen, and very little effort is made to become acquainted with them. This lack of understanding nearly always results in an underestimation of the mentality of the hill people. A few Westerners who have come into contact with and learned to speak the everyday language of the Lahu to a certain degree still lack the knowledge of the deeper terminology used in the traditions and love songs, making it almost impossible to grasp the full and correct meanings. Therefore, the author is happy to pass on the interesting ways, traditions, love songs, folklore, beliefs, and customs of the original Lahu as he has been privileged to understand them from early childhood.

Harold Mason Young

Chiang Mai, Thailand

1968

For all the people of ethnic minority tribes who lived by choice and circumstance in the mountains of Southeast Asia amid vanishing cultures and languages

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CHAPTER ONE

THE LAHU

Traditional History

The primitive life of tribal mountaineers is totally different from civilized life today, that it offers a very fascinating field for research and study. Very few books have been written that give a complete inside picture of primitive ways. It is becoming more and more difficult to obtain original information as the world conditions are fast changing tribal groups and the younger generations are more inclined to look toward the future than the past and the majority cannot tell much of their own history and the primitive ways of their forefathers. I have chosen the Lahu tribe, which is one of the most interesting of the numerous groups of mountain dwellers found in Southeast Asia, to give the reader a glimpse of a real primitive life which is gradually dying out.

The Lahu did not have any written language prior to their contacts with Christian missions, and like most of the tribal people of the jungles, all their historical records were in the form of oral traditions which were passed on by word of mouth from father to son down through the generations. They are Mongolian by race and undoubtedly migrated from northern China, although traditional records are not clear regarding their early movements. Their bards and religious leaders still sing of their sojourn around Peking and Nanking, but there is a long period during which time they wandered about in central China that is not mentioned in any of the traditional songs or oral records. Obviously, they traveled for many generations as a nomadic tribe, yet ever moving steadily southward. As traditional records are unraveled, we find them again in south China, in the Province of Yunnan, at the beginning of a period that is well covered by the detailed accounts as told by most of their old men and storytellers of today.

By the time they had wandered into south China, about the year 1830, their numbers had greatly increased. In addition to their own groups, another tribe known as the Karens, who now live in the delta districts of the Irrawaddy basin and in southern Burma and Thailand, joined them in their southward migration. Accompanied by the Karens, they settled in the mountains, avoiding the valleys, as there was more game and food in the higher areas. The main settlement was near a valley which was only sparsely inhabited by a race called the Shans. The menfolk were great hunters; and, according to tradition, one day, while hunting near the foothills, they shot a large stag which had a long grass twined about its antlers. This animal had been feeding in the valley, so when they saw the length of grass, they at once realized that the land must be very fertile. When the hunters reported their discovery, a council was called by all the elders of the Lahu and Karens to discuss the prospects and to form plans into the valleys. The council is said to have lasted three days and three nights, and at the close, it was decided that the Lahu would move from the mountains to the valley where there would be great possibilities for agricultural work.

The Karens, reluctant to give up their mountain stronghold, decided to remain behind because their dreamers said that although they were destined to live in the valleys later on, this was not the right valley and that anyone moving there would meet with misfortune. At first, only a few families were sent to try out the land, and it was agreed that if the fields proved to be good, the entire settlement would follow. The first year produced an exceedingly bountiful harvest for those living in the valley, for their rice grew so tall and yielded so heavily that each household had sufficient to last them for two seasons. When those living in the mountains heard of the success of their kinsmen, they all moved to the valley. On arrival, they at once proceeded to establish themselves firmly in their new homes against any attacks from hostile races living about them. The original people living in the valley, the Shans, were greatly outnumbered and were forced to pay tributes yearly to the Lahu chiefs for the privilege to live in what was their own valley. As the years went by, the Lahu became more and more powerful and built a large city which was surrounded by a high earth wall and was very well fortified. The Shans at that time called the Lahu, the Myen; and to this day, the valley is still known as Mong Myen or the country of the Myens.

Meanwhile, more and more Chinese were migrating into the mountainous country of southern Yunnan and, being an agricultural people, were anxious to gain possession of the fertile valley of Mong Myen. They made many unsuccessful attempts to drive out the Lahu from their strongholds, but each time the Chinese sent their men against the walled city, they were defeated. The Lahu used strong crossbows with deadly poisoned arrows, and no one wounded lived to return. Then the enemy was trailed and hunted down in the thickest jungles like wild animals so that none who ventured forth escaped. After these disastrous attempts, the Chinese decided on a new strategy. They first made peace with the Lahu chiefs, promising that they would make no further attacks, and negotiated for permission for small trading parties to visit the valley with their goods. As time went on, these traders, who were actually spies, reported that the Lahu spent most of their time away from the city, either hunting or working in the fields. They also told how easily the women could be persuaded to take their merchandise. Often, they would barter goods for the attractive cloth brought in by the traders, for the men did not want their women to part with the silver bullion blocks which were usually used in making purchases.

According to the story of the fall of Mong Myen, it is related that one day, the Chinese sent their traders to the city with mouth harps made of bamboo, with which they entertained the women while their men were away in the fields. The women were greatly fascinated by these small musical instruments and begged the traders to sell them. The Chinese in turn pretended to be very reluctant and said that the harps were charmed and that under no circumstances would they part with them. However, after much bargaining, the traders finally agreed to let them have the harps if they would barter them for the staghorn triggers in their husband’s bows. The women, not suspecting any trickery and only thinking of their desire to own the harps, promised to collect the triggers and told the traders to wait on the outskirts of the city, and after nightfall when their men returned, they would secretly remove the triggers and bring them in exchange for the musical sticks. The Chinese, still feigning to be reluctant, finally agreed to this; but after leaving the town, they became so elated that they sent some of their party back to tell their leader of the success of their mission. After dark, the men returned; and as some of the womenfolk entertained them with their weird music, others worked feverishly to remove every trigger from the crossbows. One of the old women was selected to deliver the triggers at an appointed spot, and when she returned, the men were still listening to the music, never suspecting that they were helpless with an enemy almost at the gates of the city.

That night, the Chinese poured into the valley and took up positions about the town. At daybreak, they swarmed out from their hiding places, shouting and blowing cattle horns, and attacked the main gates. The Lahu rushed for their bows but found them useless, for the women had not told them what they had done. The men fought bravely with their spears and swords, but the enemy soon entered the city, and the helpless Lahu fled to the forests, leaving many of their number dead behind them. Of all their possessions, the men were able to take with them their trigger-less bows and quivers of arrows; and as soon as they reached a place of safety, they replaced the horn triggers with those made of hardwood.

No attempt was made by the Chinese to follow their defeated foes, as they knew only too well how they could fight once they took cover in the jungles. It would be like following a wounded tiger to follow the Lahu. They would lie in wait and attack with such suddenness that even the best fighters would have little chance. When the Lahu had waited for some time, in hopes that the Chinese would follow, they became restless, and a large force of the men went back to attack them in the city. They crept up to the gates and, finding them all closed, knew that it would take several years to starve them out, since they had stored up so much food. So they gave up the attack. They then went to their fields and found that the Chinese had not removed any of the plows and hoes and that the livestock still grazed in the valley. They collected what equipment they could and drove off the buffalo and cattle, rejoicing that they had something with which to start over again.

After their defeat, the Lahu rejoined their Karen brothers in their stronghold high in the mountain fastness, just a day’s journey south of the fateful valley. They at once began to build new homes and fortifications that were guarded day and night. It was from these new settlements that the Lahu, in revenge, harassed the Chinese for many years under the leadership of one of their number named Ai Hkai. They laid ambushes on all the trading routes, attacked the Chinese villages, and prevented fieldwork. After a few years of this tense uncertainty, many Chinese left the Mong Myen country to seek new homes in safer localities. The Lahu did not try to reestablish themselves in the valley for they believed that the place was under an evil spell, so they all agreed that they would never live in the valleys again. Like their Karen brothers, they became people of the forests, where they could find food in time of famine and refuge in time of attack. All seemed to go well with the two tribes as they grew in strength and their villages became more and more impregnable. Neighboring tribes, especially traders, were not allowed inside the villages, and all dealings with outsiders were carried out far from the women and children.

Through a misunderstanding within their own ranks, the two brotherly tribes finally separated and weakened. Before this, both groups had regarded the chiefs of their respective tribes with the same respect and paid the same tribute to each. It was the custom to set aside a portion of the meat taken during a hunt for each chief. One day, the Lahu hunters shot a large Sambar deer and sent a portion of the meat to the Karen chief. The following day, the hunt was not so successful. After hunting all day, the only animal shot was a porcupine. As usual, they divided up the meat and sent a share to the Karen chief, with a large quill sticking in it. When the Karens saw the small portion of meat with a very large hair on it, they thought that they had been cheated, for surely, an animal with a hair that size should be very large! They said to the Lahu, Yesterday, you sent our chief a large portion of meat from the day’s chase, and the hairs sticking to the wrappers were very small. But today, you have sent only a very small portion, yet the hair is that of a great animal. Why have you cheated our chief in this way and thus shown your disloyalty? The Lahu tried their best to explain that the porcupine was a small animal with very large quills, but the Karens would not believe them. After the dispute, the Karens took their women, children, and all their livestock and left for the south. At the time of the parting, they said, Brothers, we will go to the Southland; and when we find that which is of great price, we will return and search for you who are left behind. So saying, the Karens started out on their long journey to the south to look for a new country where they could set themselves up as an independent race.

When the neighboring tribes heard that the Lahu and Karens had parted company, there was much rejoicing, and frequent raids were carried out against the villages. For a time, the Lahu were able to defend themselves against their enemies; but as the attacks increased, the men found it more and more difficult to find time for their fieldwork. They called a great council and decided that it would be impossible to ward off the attacks alone and continue to find time for hunting and work. Immediately following the council meeting, the Lahu made preparations to follow their Karen brothers to try to persuade them to settle in some new locality where there was abundant game and where they could cultivate their fields in the virgin forests. It was a long procession that started out, and they hoped that they would soon overtake the Karens and that all misunderstandings would be mended.

After several days of wandering, the first campsite of the Karens was found. In the camp, there were signs that crabs had been caught from the nearby stream and eaten. Wild banana trees had been cut down, and the inside hearts of the plants had been removed for food. On closer examination, they found that the shells off the backs of the crabs were all red and the banana stumps had sent out new young shoots that were nearly a cubit high. Not being acquainted with the rapid growth of the plantain tree and not knowing that the shells of crabs turned a red color when roasted on hot coals, the Lahu interpreted the signs as indicating that a long time had elapsed since the Karens were in the camp. They then gave up all hope of overtaking them. Another council was held, and it was decided this time that the Lahu would not return to their old village sites, but they would explore new territory and find places to settle for themselves. They remembered the parting words of the Karens that they would return someday and search for them when they had found that which is of great price. To this day, the promise is sometimes quoted in accordance with the historical records. It is interesting to note that in 1901, when my father (William Marcus Young) first contacted the Lahu, he was accompanied by Karen assistants, and they were received by the Lahu as their long-lost brothers from whom they had been parted generations before.

At the time of the parting, the Lahu were strongly influenced by religious leaders, or dreamers, who made most of the major decisions. At this critical stage, they had no homes and had been greatly reduced in strength of numbers, so they looked to these leaders for advice. The dreamers told the people that they were not to look back to the North, the East, or the West for help but must turn their faces to the South. It would be from the South, the lower side as they referred to it, that help would ultimately come. A traditional saying was quoted, which is still in use, A man shall not begin cutting his field from the top of the hillside downward, for the trees will fall on the uncut ones, and the field cannot be cleared, but from the bottom of the hill upward, so that all trees will fall, without obstruction, to the ground. So it would be from below that they must set their hopes. Following this advice, they broke camp and resumed the journey southward. They had not yet come to the borders of Burma when they found great stretches of virgin forests never yet worked by man. It was in this country that they began to rebuild their new villages and establish themselves again.

From this time on, tradition says, the children of the Lahu were on their way to greatness. God had pitied them, they said, and had given a message written upon a rice cake. Then a great seal was found which had protecting powers and served as a sort of charm against all evil. As long as they had this sacred seal in their possession, no one could harm the tribe. One of the bravest young men was chosen to act as guardian over the Sacred Seal. Likewise, a novice in the Fu Temple was given charge of the rice cake bearing the precious writing. Both men had pledged to watch over their trusts day and night and never to show them to any stranger who might enter their midst. Unfortunately, both men proved unworthy and soon lost what had been committed to them. The novice, one day, became hungry and roasted and ate the cake. The writing was lost in this way. Sometime later, the young man in charge of the seal went on a journey to a valley that was inhabited by the Shans. The Shan maidens were so beautiful that he could not resist courting them. While playing with one girl, he accidentally touched one of her breasts. According to Shan custom, this was a very grave offense; and when the girl reported the incident to the Shan chiefs, they called their young warriors and surrounded the offender. They threatened to kill him, but he pleaded for his life and told them that he was the keeper of the Sacred Seal that had brought greatness to the Lahu. He would give it to them if they spared his life. So the Shans agreed to the bargain, and he gave up the seal, which cost the Lahu all their chances of becoming a leading race and which in turn made the Shans the greatest people of the plains.

When the Lahu heard what had happened to their Sacred Seal, they were greatly alarmed and again looked to their dreamers for advice. This time, little encouragement was given. The dreamers consulted together for seven days and seven nights, then called the people together and addressed them. We have lost our chances three times. The first time, we lost our city of Mong Myen because our women bartered the triggers for the mouth harps. The second time, we lost our writing that was given by Heaven because of the faithless novice. Now, for the last time, we have lost our most Sacred Seal which bestowed such benefits upon us, through the foolishness of one who would woo the daughters of strangers. The forest tree has fallen from rot within the trunk. They prophesied that the Lahu would never again become a ruling race but would be subordinated to others wherever they lived and that they would have to provide themselves with a thick piece of buffalo hide to place upon their shoulders while they served others. Nevermore would they be lords over a piece of land even as narrow as the leaf of the wild gooseberry bush, yet they would have another chance. Someday, Heaven would pity them and provide a new opportunity by sending teachers with a new doctrine and new wisdom. Whoever followed them would have a chance to gain a place among the men of other races. Amazingly, these prophecies have more or less been fulfilled because the Lahu are not a ruling class in any country they now live in, but those who have become educated have been assigned to positions demanding respect.

Not long after the loss of the Seal, the Lahu were attacked by a combined force made up of the Chinese and Shans. As the fighting continued into their planting season, they could not fight and do fieldwork together, so they gave in. After their subjugation, they had to pay yearly tribute to both the Shans and the Chinese and were forced to do Free State labor for both. These conditions made it no longer necessary for them to remain together in large villages, since they were now subjects, not rulers. As subjects, they were no longer the targets of attack by the neighboring tribes. But as a result of these new conditions, many left the main villages and settled in new areas. The authority of the chiefs waned over their own people, for the actual ruling power was outside the tribe. Some moved to areas that were such distances away that loss of contact created dialectic changes. The nomadic spirit of the past seemed to have revived, and they kept wandering southward, crossing over from China into Burma. Wherever they went, they pledged themselves as subjects of the rulers of the country concerned. However, the old traditions were not forgotten, and the bards continued to sing of the faded glories of the past.

Subtribal Groups and the Languages

With the Lahu, separation and isolation of various groups has resulted in the gradual forming of subdivisions, each with a slightly different dialect in the language spoken. At present, the Lahu are divided into six main groups: the Lahu Na or Black Lahu, the Lahu Shi or Yellow Lahu, the Lahu Na Mwe, the Lahu Ku Lao, the Lahu Kai Shin, and the Lahu A Do A Ga. The first mentioned group is by far the most numerous and, in many areas, the most prosperous. They still speak the pure Lahu and have retained most of the original customs. The dialects do not differ widely, except with the Lahu Shi and Lahu Na Mwe. These two groups, which are the smallest numerically, speak a peculiar dialect among themselves. The original Lahu Na dialect is understood by all groups, especially the menfolk who travel about. The Kai Shin and the A Do A Ga Lahu have continued under close Chinese influence and have introduced a great many Chinese words. The remarkable thing about the Lahu is that regardless of the dialectic group to which they belong, all hold tenaciously to the same traditions. Their characteristics, to a large extent, remain identical.

In color, the Lahu range from those who are quite dark to some who are very fair. The Lahu Na and Lahu Na Mwe are perhaps the darkest, yet there are exceptions to be found. The Lahu Shi have some who are very fair, and this is especially true with the young women. Naturally, after a life of outdoor work, they tend to grow darker with age. The Lahu, in general, have fine features and are well built physically. Occasionally, one meets those who have distinct Mongolian features, but the great majority would pass as Polynesians. The language is monosyllabic and tonal. One word may have five or six different meanings. The different tones are very distinct to a trained ear, but to a stranger, they may all sound alike. If the slightest inflection is wrong, it will change the meaning altogether. There are no words that have a consonant ending, so the average Lahu cannot speak other languages well. He has a tendency to drop the sound of final consonants and give vowel endings. There is a very wide range of sounds, and the only sound they do not have is that of the letter R. Like the Chinese, they change their Rs to Ls. There are some odd combinations of letters in certain Lahu words that most people cannot pronounce. For example, they have a PF, BV, MV, and TC that are real tongue twisters. There is a paucity of highly respectful terms such as found in the more developed oriental languages, but there is an amazing range of religious terms and words applying to almost anything in nature.

Figurative expressions are very common, and often, couplets are used in everyday speech. The spoken language is somewhat different from that used in traditions, proverbs, and love songs. In these instances, special words are employed; and unless one is very versed, it is impossible to understand what is said. However, these special words do add dignity to what is expressed. The Lahu language differs from any of those spoken by neighboring races, yet many words are akin to the Burmese, as spoken in southern Burma. The formation of their sentences is the same, but so far, it cannot be ascertained where and how the Lahu came in direct contact with the Burmese. The only known contact was during the early nineteenth century when the Burmese king in Mandalay sent envoys to southern Yunnan to collect tribute. Such contacts as these would hardly seem sufficient to influence the entire structure and wording of a language, especially in view of the fact that the envoys were not well received. Tribute was not paid in the spirit of subservience, but merely in the hopes of Burmese protection when it might be needed. The next possible explanation would be that they might have been together somewhere in north China prior to the migration southward. However, there are no traditions of records to substantiate this view. One of the unique things about the Lahu language is the peculiar way they express themselves. Looking at life through this language, new thoughts are unfolded that are difficult to find in other languages.

CHAPTER TWO

LAHU-LAND

Present Location of the Lahu

The Mekong and Salween, the two great rivers of Southeast Asia, form the east and west boundaries of the Lahu in Yunnan, China, and Burma. In Laos, there are several thousand households east of the Mekong, in the Hwe Hsai and Muang Sing districts, which lie almost due north of Thailand. To the north, an imaginary boundary line runs somewhere near the twenty-fourth parallel. In the south, the Lahu are found in provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai in Thailand, and some live as far south as Raheng in Tak province. With exception of the fertile valleys where the Shans lived, this entire mountainous area in south Yunnan, Burma, and Thailand is inhabited by various hill tribes. A warlike tribe found east of the Salween River in Burma, known as the wild head-hunting Wa, hold first place in numbers, but the Lahu form the second largest group of the jungle folk.

A part of this territory which lies inside China is still the main home of the Lahu. Southward migrations have been going on for the last seventy years. When Burma was under British rule, there was law and order in the country—a great contrast to the conditions in Yunnan—and many of the Lahu migrated there because of the greater opportunities for trade and general progress and also because they were so oppressed in their own country. The Lahu who have settled in Burma, Thailand, and Laos are called Museu, which means hunter in Burmese. Those living in China are known as the Law Heu by the Chinese. The Lahu call themselves the Lahu Ya for short, but their religious name is Pi Ti I Sho Ya. In China, the northern Shans and the Wa still call them the Myen, the same name they had when living in the valley of the Mong Myen generations ago.

The Lahu Na or Black Lahu are found throughout the entire area extending from a point just a little south of the twenty-fourth parallel to the Raheng area in Thailand. They make up about two-thirds of the Lahu population in Yunnan province in China. In the Wa country or Wild Wa States (which includes territory just east of the Salween River in Burma and extends east to the Chinese border and south to the twenty-second parallel), the Lahu Na outnumber all other Lahu groups, three to one. In Kengtung State, the largest of the Burma Shan States (which lies between the Chinese border and Thailand) not only hold first place in the Lahu groups but are the most numerous of any particular hill tribe. Most of the Lahu who live in Thailand belong to the Lahu Na group, but there are a few called the Red Lahu, who are actually the Black Lahu since their language is identical. The Lahu Na of today are the only ones who have retained the old customs and dress of their nomadic ancestors.

Most of the Lahu Shi or Yellow Lahu live in the southern part of Kengtung State. They are called the Kwe by the Shans. There are a few villages in China and a few in Laos that call themselves Lahu Shi, but they are not of the same type. The Lahu A Do A Ga are found exclusively in China, in territories lying northwest of the Mekong River. This type has a few of the Lahu Shi characteristics, and a few words are the same in the spoken dialect. They sometimes refer to themselves as Lahu Shi, but generally, they are quite unique. They are the only Lahu that have taken on Chinese customs and traditions and, in particular, have adopted the Chinese dress. They do not have anything in