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The Wa people (Wa language: Vāx; (ビルマ語:ဝလူမျိုး) (:wa̰ lùmjóʊ); ; (タイ語:ว้า)) are an ethnic group that lives mainly in northern Burma, in the northern part of Shan State and the eastern part of Kachin State, near and along Burma's border with China, as well as in China's Yunnan Province. Historically the Wa have inhabited the Wa States, a territory that they have claimed as their ancestral land since time immemorial. It is a rugged mountainous area located between the Mekong and the Salween rivers, with the Nam Hka flowing across it. The Wa traditionally practiced subsistence agriculture by cultivating rice, peas, beans, poppies and walnuts. They bred buffaloes which they used mainly for sacrificial purposes.〔(The Imperial gazetteer of India )〕 Generally, the traditional customs of the Wa, as well as their lifestyle, are very similar to those of the Naga people further to the Northwest.〔(M. Fiskesjo, ''On the Ethnoarchaeology of Fortified Settlements in the Northern part of Mainland Southeast Asia'' )〕 == Cultural history == According to Sir George Scott in the Wa origin myths the first Wa originated from two female ancestors ''Ya Htawm'' and ''Ya Htai'' who spent their early phase as tadpoles ''(rairoh)'' in a lake known as ''Nawng Hkaeo''.〔Scott, James George, Sir. 1935. ''The Wa or Lawa: Head-Hunters. In Burma and Beyond.'' p. 292〕 Very little is known about the early history of the Wa. What is known is mostly made up of local legends telling that in the distant past the historical Wa States and all the territories of eastern Shan State, as well as large swathes of the adjacent areas of present-day China had belonged to the Wa. In the area of the former Kengtung State the Wa were displaced around 1229 and were later defeated by King Mangrai. At the time of British rule in Burma the Tai Yai people were the majority of the population in Kengtung state with other groups such as Akha and Lahu, forming sizeable communities. The Wa now form a minority of only about 10% in Kengtung District despite having been the original inhabitants.〔Donald M. Seekins, ''Historical Dictionary of Burma (Myanmar)'', p. 251〕 The Wa originally had animist religious beliefs〔( "Headhunting days are over for Myanmar's "Wild Wa"", Reuters, Sep 10, 2007. )〕 centered around ritual blood sacrifices. Villages had a spirit healer ''(Tax Cao Chai)'' and the traditional way of dealing with sickness or other problems was to sacrifice a chicken, a pig or a larger animal, depending from the magnitude of the affliction. According to local legend, the practice of cutting a human head was intended as a ritual sacrifice in order to improve the fertility of the rice fields. Traditional villages had also shrines ''(Nyiex Moeg)'' where a buffalo was sacrificed once every year at a special Y-shaped post named ''Khaox Si Gang'' with an offering of the blood, meat and skin performed at it. Animals were also sacrificed at celebrations such as marriages and funerary rituals among the traditional spirit-worshiping Wa, a practice that still endures among the Christian Wa. However, the Wa that were under Buddhist influence developed different traditions.〔Interview with Sara Yaw Shu (Joshua) Chin, co-inventor of the Wa alphabet and long-time Wa Baptist Church leader, 27 February 2006〕 In the traditional Wa society monogamous marriage was the norm and there was sexual freedom for both men and women before marriage. The chewing of betel with areca nut was formerly also an important custom.〔(The Va ethnic minority (People's Daily) )〕 The Wa have different kinds of traditional dances. One important dance in their culture is accompanied by the beating of a large hollow wooden drum. This way of dancing, among other Wa dances〔(Folk dancing of Va ethnic group attracts tourists in SW China (Xinhua) )〕 such as the hair dance〔(Grawng klieh yam lih khaing sigien rang, sigang lih dix. )〕 and festivals,〔(6 Days Cangyuan Wa Ethnic Minority Monihei Carnival )〕 is being promoted as a tourist attraction by the Yunnan tourism authorities in China.〔(The Wa Ethnic Scenic Region in Ximeng Autonomous County )〕 The Wa people also have a well-engrained drinking culture, with large amounts of local moonshine being produced and are widely believed to on average consume the largest amount of alcohol in China.〔http://www.vice.com/en_uk/video/drinking-tour-ximeng-222〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wa people」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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