Sm Mi O
Akha · mortal · Akha traditional religion; continuing · Recorded classification
Sm Mi O is the first man of Akha tradition, the apical human ancestor at the head of the patrilineal genealogy. During the most important ceremonies the line of forefathers is recited in full, climbing more than sixty generations back to him, and mastery of this chain is expected of every adult man. The genealogy is not merely commemorative: it regulates marriage, for a man and woman who discover a common male ancestor within the preceding six generations may not wed. Legend makes Sm Mi O the offspring of Bhe Sm, so that even the 'first man' is set within the descending order of ancestors that stretches upward to the creator.
Parentage
- paternal: Bhe Sm
Domains
- genealogy
- ancestry
Powers
- heads the recited patrilineal genealogy
Relations
- child: Bhe SmFacts and Details, 'Akha Minority', citing Akha origin legend that the first human, offspring of Bhe Sm, was named Sm Mi O. (secondary)
Sources
- Akha legend names the first human being Sm Mi O, offspring of Bhe Sm, from whom all peoples descend and to whom the recited genealogy of sixty-plus generations ascends.: Facts and Details, 'Akha Minority'. (secondary); C. A. Kammerer, 'Akha', Encyclopedia of World Cultures vol. 5 (1993). (secondary)