Layap ( dzong ke ལ་ ཡཔ་ ) is a people inhabiting mainly the gevog of Lay (in the Gus dhongkhag , Bhutan ). Their villages are located at an altitude of about 3,850 m. They also live in the territory of Gevoga Lingzhi (in the Thimphu dzongkhag). The number in 2003 was about 1,100 people. Ethnically associated with Tibetans and Ngalopes , they speak the separate language of the Tibeto-Burmese group. They call their homeland Be-yul - “hidden lands” .
Layap | |
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Abundance and area | |
Total: about 1,100 people. (2003) | |
Bhutan - 1,100 people (2003) | |
Tongue | , Dzong-ke |
Religion | Buddhism , Bon (shamanism) |
Related peoples | peoples Ngalop , Lhop , Tibetans |
Content
Clothing
The national costume of the people of Lahap is similar to the Tibetan costume , with the exception of a few differences. Men wear a suit of silk or linen, usually painted with saffron in red. Women wear black woolen jackets that go down to the ankles. They also wear jewelry - silver bracelets and beads.
The most distinctive feature of women's attire are conical hats, which are made of strips of darkened bamboo. At the top of the cone is a cross.
Religion
Thanks to the Tibetan influence, the Labyans profess a mixture of Bon religion and Tibetan Buddhism . According to the legend, the Laya village is the place where Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal , the founder of Bhutan, entered the territory of a future country for the first time.
Particularly unique among the Liapas is the extensive tradition of the “living defilements” - one ritually unclean person loses social status and is expelled from the village. They practice this ritual so that the gods do not become angry with them, and to avoid physical diseases of livestock and various diseases among people.
Household
The places of residence of the people are located near the Tibetan border, and the Labyaps traditionally engaged in trade. Nowadays, trade includes smuggling of counterfeit Chinese fabrics, plastic products, as well as tobacco and alcohol products, which was embargoed by the government of Bhutan, but which is in great demand in Bhutan villages.
Traditionally, the Labyapes led a semi-nomadic lifestyle, breeding yaks and Haynaks , although in recent times small ponies have also been bred in the area. Despite the cold climate at this altitude and the possibility of growing only a few crops, including some cereals, the people of Laap provide food not only for themselves, but also for many other villages. Lajapas are also traditionally engaged in gathering cordyceps , medicinal and magical mushrooms growing in this region. Layapas and rural farmers face great challenges in protecting their livestock from natural predators, especially leopards. Flooding is the main threat to their habitual way of life, which is largely dependent on livestock and rare resources.
Until the 1980s, the Labyaps lived in almost complete isolation from the rest of the world, with the exception of occasional visits to Thimphu or Punakha , which are five days' walk. Beginning in the new millennium, tourists from all over the world began visiting Laya. Here you can see beautifully painted houses equipped with solar panels, and the construction of new schools for poor children. Most residents now have the opportunity to leave the village in the winter and return in the spring. Many Labyaps now live in permanent settlements with all modern comforts — from the toilet to mobile phones and televisions — thanks to business and commercial income. Increasingly, children attend schools in Bhutan.
In the traditional culture of the Layap people, casual sex is common and accepted among men and women, unmarried and married. As a result, the Liapus are confronted with the widespread occurrence of syphilis , gonorrhea and hepatitis .
Marriage and Family
Layap is known for its tradition of polyandria , which is practiced to preserve family and property. Lahap also has a tradition of child marriage, with brides aged 10 years. The women of the Liaap people, speaking in the media, foresee the growth of education among their daughters and the reduction of child marriage. For many women, healthcare is difficult to access during pregnancy due to isolated villages and a nomadic lifestyle.