U-Lo Akha village entrance.
Thailand. Visiting a U-lo Akha village.
The entrances to all Akha villages are fitted with a wooden gate adorned with elaborate carvings on both sides depicting imagery of men and women. This feature is known as a 'spirit gate' and it marks the division between the inside of the village, the domain of man and domesticated animals, and the outside, the realm of spirits and wildlife. The gates function to ward off evil spirits as well as to entice favorable ones. The carvings can also be seen on the roofs of the villager’s houses as a second measure against the control of the flow of spirit. The huts are divided by gender with specific areas for men as well as a mutually shared space. This divide is said to mimic the function of the gate.
The statues of the male and female figure are representing people, and they're standing guard to make sure no disease or anything else enters the village. It's a sacred thing, just for people in the village to feel safe and protected , to ward off evil and keep the community safe.
U-Lo Akha village entrance.
Thailand. Visiting a U-lo Akha village.
The entrances to all Akha villages are fitted with a wooden gate adorned with elaborate carvings on both sides depicting imagery of men and women. This feature is known as a 'spirit gate' and it marks the division between the inside of the village, the domain of man and domesticated animals, and the outside, the realm of spirits and wildlife. The gates function to ward off evil spirits as well as to entice favorable ones. The carvings can also be seen on the roofs of the villager’s houses as a second measure against the control of the flow of spirit. The huts are divided by gender with specific areas for men as well as a mutually shared space. This divide is said to mimic the function of the gate.
The statues of the male and female figure are representing people, and they're standing guard to make sure no disease or anything else enters the village. It's a sacred thing, just for people in the village to feel safe and protected , to ward off evil and keep the community safe.