The mystery of the dwelling place of souls and demons in the concept of the people of Western Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - According to the beliefs of ethnic minorities in the highlands, human souls, gods, and demons reside in many places. There are things that no one would expect, such as umbrellas or hair.

The umbrella

Umbrellas are a familiar item for the Mong people. They accompany girls to festivals and markets, making the scene more bustling and colorful. Children on the way to school and parents carrying their children to the fields do not forget to bring umbrellas to protect them from the sun and rain. This is also rarely seen in other ethnic communities such as the Thai and Khmu.

According to the Mong people's concept, the umbrella is also a shelter for the souls of husband and wife.

In the wedding, when going to pick up the bride, the Mong people bring an umbrella because it is as important as the dowry. The Mong people in many clans believe that the umbrella is the shelter for the souls of the husband and wife. The matchmaker is the representative of the groom's family to pick up both the bride and her soul. The groom's family brings the umbrella and hangs it in front of the girl's bedroom door, and when picking up the bride, they will bring it back.

If the couple is unlucky enough to lose their umbrella, it means that the couple's souls are still lost somewhere and have not returned together, so the groom's family must go looking for it. During the party, the bride's family often tries to hide the umbrella for the groom's family to find. Therefore, throughout the wedding, the groom's family must always keep an eye on the umbrella.

Head

In Thai people's concept, there are hundreds of types of spirits. Each type of spirit corresponds to a body part from limbs, eyes, nose, ribs. Thai people in the Northwest also have "bird" spirits, "butterfly" spirits...

The head is home to 900 souls.

However, the most important part of the soul is the head. The Thai people call it “van hua”. According to the soul calling prayer, each person has up to 900 souls. But it seems that is just a metaphor. According to the Thai people’s concept, on the head there are the hair souls, the top of the head, the two temples, the bun…

Because of this concept, the head is highly respected and preserved because it is not only the place of intelligence but also the place of the human soul. Many elderly people in the highlands do not allow others to touch their heads, and even cut their own hair for fear of desecrating their heads. This concept is also found in the culture of some Lao communities.

Temple and the haunted forest

In many highland villages, there are village temples. Although they are called temples, they are often built very roughly, like a small stilt house model made of bamboo, just enough to place an offering tray. Some places build them solidly and a few are built grandly. In Nghe An, there is Choong temple in Chau Ly commune, Quy Hop district or Chieng Ngam Muong temple (Chau Tien - Quy Chau), Van temple (Xa Luong - Tuong Duong). These are important spiritual places for the Thai community in the mountains of Nghe An.

In the Thai people's concept, temples next to ancient trees are the residence of supernatural forces such as gods and demons guarding the village, so everyone is afraid of them.

Small temples on the outskirts of the village are a source of fear for many people in the community. People only gather there during community festivals to make offerings to the gods. On normal days, the timid do not dare to come near. Temples built next to ancient trees are believed to be the dwelling places of gods and demons that rule the land. Anyone who disturbs them will be punished with illness or even taken away.

The cemetery, also known as the ghost forest, is a place that truly instills fear. Many ethnic minority communities never set foot there again after burying their dead. After burying the dead, people smear soot on their faces so that ghosts will not recognize them and follow them back.

The Haunted House Kitchen

In a Khmu house, there are two kitchens. One is used for cooking, the other is only used for ancestor worship, which is done once a year. This kitchen is believed to be the home of the house ghost. The biggest ritual of the Khmu community, the buffalo worship, is also performed in this kitchen.

The Khmu people have a custom of forbidding strangers from entering their haunted kitchen.

The Khmu also forbid any strangers from entering the haunted kitchen. Married girls are also not allowed to enter the kitchen. Anyone who accidentally or curiously enters the kitchen will be punished by having to buy a pig to offer to the house ghost.

There is a legend about this custom told by an elder in Bao Thang commune, Ky Son district: In the past, Thai people often slaughtered buffaloes to worship their ancestors. The Kho Mu people also wanted to do the same, but the customs of the clans in the community did not allow it. So they discussed stealing the surnames of the Thai people, hiding them in the kitchen, and slaughtering buffaloes to worship. The Thai people came to ask and all said they "did not see them". The Kho Mu people felt sorry for them and gave the Thai people some clans to worship chickens. That is the reason why the Thai people's worshiping custom rarely involves slaughtering buffaloes and cows.

Bun My