Hani Main Gods and worship

The Hani are polytheistic. They worship their ancestors and the forces of nature. They think that every natural object of the nature has its spirit.

Their most important gods are:
God of the Sky.

Goddess of the Earth

Dragon Tree

God of the Village

God of the Family.

All this gods and some less important, have the power of bring fortune or misfortune to the people, so the Hani perform numerous sacrifices to worship them. Between all their gods, the most important is the Dragon Tree, who can protect the human beings. Every year they celebrate religious ceremonies to honor him, when some animals are sacrificed.

In Xishuangbanna Prefecture, the Hani (Akha) priests are called Ruma. They take charge of the most important ceremonies, and are considered by everybody as middlemen between the world of the men and that of the gods. These Ruma study from their youth the Hani religion, and some of them become powerful men inside the society.

Out of Xishuangbanna the priest are called Peima (a name related with the Yi Pimo). They are specialized in expel the spirits that make the people ill, and to open the way to the land of the ancestors for the souls of the dead.

Other religious workers are the Nima that act as fortune-tellers and making medicines. In other regions the religious workers are called in a different way although they carry out similar functions.