Lesson 3: Who will remember Xu Thanh in the future?

(Baonghean) - Xu Thanh is the writing system of the Thai people, specifically the Tay Thanh group, in western Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces. In Nghe An today, this writing system is known to only a few people and is in danger of being forgotten.

Elderly members of the Tay Thanh ethnic group in Tuong Duong district say: The Tay Thanh people in Tuong Duong and many other places in the province originally came from the western part of Thanh Hoa province. When they migrated to Nghe An, they brought this writing system with them to their new settlement. Xu Thanh means the writing system of the Tay Thanh people, the self-designation of this Thai group.

In the past, the Xư Thanh script was used by the village elders and shamans to record prayers, medicinal recipes, folk songs, narrative poems such as Tống Trân Cúc Hoa, Pựn nộc Iểng (the story of the myna bird), and even administrative documents of the community, land sale contracts, etc. According to our research, in Nghe An, this script, which was influenced by the Lao script, is found among the Thai-Tay Thanh ethnic groups in Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, and Nghia Dan districts. The Quy Chau District Cultural Museum and some private collections still preserve Xư Thanh script documents. Throughout the mountainous districts of Nghe An, only a handful of people still remember the Xư Thanh script!

One of the people deeply committed to preserving the Xư Thanh script is Mr. Kha Văn Hợi, residing in Lũng village, Tam Thái commune (Tương Dương district). This 72-year-old gentleman was formerly the Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Tương Dương district. Since his retirement, he has had more time to think about precious and beautiful things from his ancestors' time that are now largely forgotten, including the Xư Thanh script. He learned this script in his youth, but with the changing times, it has almost disappeared from community life. Only a few elderly people still know it. This has made him constantly yearn to restore and teach this writing system within the community. As one of the few people who can still read the Xư Thanh script, whenever he hears about the preservation of ancient texts, he immediately seeks them out to collect them. Currently, his collection includes dozens of documents that he has searched for over 10 years. These include land sale documents of the Tay Thanh people in Lang Chanh (Thanh Hoa), the story of Tong Tran - Cuc Hoa of the Thai people, folk songs, prayers... Mr. Hoi cherishes all these documents as treasures.

For a long time, he harbored the intention of passing on the Xư Thanh script to the community. He read in the newspaper that the movement to learn the Xư Thanh script was very active in Lang Chánh district (Bá Thước, Thanh Hóa). He traveled there to learn and compiled a fairly basic document to teach the Xư Thanh script to the community. Then, luck came his way. In 2011, a Xư Thanh script class was organized in Chi Khê commune (Con Cuông). The class lasted 3 months, taught directly by Mr. Kha Văn Hợi and Mr. Ngân Văn Toán from Quang Phúc village, Tam Đình commune (Tương Dương). That was also the first time the villagers in Chi Khê knew that their ethnic group also had a written script. Hundreds of people registered to participate, but only 35 were accepted. After 3 months, more than half of the students could read and write the Xư Thanh script. It was the first Thai script class in Con Cuong district and also the only class teaching the Xu Thanh script in the mountainous districts of Nghe An province to this day.

Students write the Xư Thanh script at a class in Con Cuông, 2011.

The class ended like a pebble thrown into a still lake. Its lingering effect quickly faded away like a ripple. The students were mostly young people, including elementary and middle school students. At this age, they learn quickly but also forget quickly. Without review, in a short time, few could recognize the characters anymore. Now, if asked how many characters from the Xư Thanh school they still remember, many would just smile dismissively...

Recently, I visited Mr. Kha Van Hoi, one of the two people who taught the Xu Thanh script in Con Cuong in 2011. He proudly showed me some Thai script texts he had recently collected. In his eyes, which were gradually showing signs of aging, there was still a glimmer of joy at meeting someone so dedicated to this precious cultural heritage of his ancestors. However, over the past year, his health has deteriorated significantly, and he can no longer devote himself to collecting and translating Thai script as he did before. He said, "My passion for the Xu Thanh script remains, but life and strength are running out. I have to place my hopes on younger people who share my passion for the Thai script!"

The calligraphy of Xu Thanh at the Quy Chau District Cultural Museum.

After saying goodbye to Mr. Kha Van Hoi, we traveled back up National Highway 7 to Huoi Na, the name the locals still use for a part of Lo village in Xa Luong commune. Here, we met Mr. Vi Van Minh, an elderly man very knowledgeable in the Xư Thanh script. Mr. Kha Van Hoi himself admitted to being his student. In his wooden house next to the highway, Mr. Minh sat by the kitchen, chatting with us. He relies on his children and grandchildren for all his daily activities and transportation. For the past few years, his eyesight has deteriorated. Mr. Minh said, "Before I went blind, I managed to teach the Thai script to my grandson. He seems to enjoy it, but I don't know how long this enjoyment will last for him."

On the way back, in a rather gloomy mood, the author visited the home of Mr. Ngan Van Toan in Quang Phuc village (Tam Dinh commune). In the village, Mr. Toan and Mr. Lo Thanh Vinh are the only two who still remember the Lai Tay script, both well past the age of 75. Despite being nearly 75, Mr. Ngan Van Toan enthusiastically participates in social work. He is both the Chairman of the Elderly Association of the commune and a respected "shaman" in the community. When asked about the Xu Thanh script, he said: "As a Thai person, I am very afraid that one day the Xu Thanh script will also disappear. If the government organizes a class, I am ready to attend, whether it is near or far. I only hope that the Xu Thanh script will not fade away!"

"The Xư Thanh script will not fade away," that is the dream of dedicated individuals like Mr. Kha Văn Hợi, Mr. Vi Văn Mính, and even the author of this article. However, this concern is becoming a reality as fewer and fewer people are interested in this writing system, especially the younger generation. It must also be said that today's youth have more practical concerns, while most of those dedicated to it are in their twilight years. This is pushing the Xư Thanh script to the brink of extinction in the villages of western Nghe An!

Huu Vi