The 'boy' bird - a rare bird of the Mong people in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - Among the birds that the Mong people of Nghe An choose to raise, there is one bird that is most precious: the Da Lau bird. According to the concept of this community, the Da Lau bird brings luck and family reunion.

Setting foot in the Mong villages of Western Nghe An, there was a strange thing we encountered: almost every family raised a large bird with green feathers. When asked, we learned that it was a magpie, a bird of the same family as the cuckoo that often lives in the high mountains of cold regions.

Mr. Vu Chong Di in Huoi Giang 3 village (Tay Son commune, Ky Son) told us that for the Mong people in Ky Son, the Da Lau bird is a precious bird. The Mong people in this highland area believe that raising the Da Lau bird in the house will bring luck and prosperity to the homeowner. Moreover, the bird also connects people in the family and relatives together because its call is very special.

The Mong people of Nghe An raise the magpie in their homes with the hope of bringing luck to the whole family.

According to our observations, this bird is very large, has a green body, a thick and long beak, and every time it calls, it often makes a long series of "da lau, da lau...". That is why the Mong people call it the da lau bird. Mr. Vu Chong Di also added that in the Mong language, "da lau" means uncle (younger brother or older brother of the wife).

A special thing in the Mong community is that the uncle plays a very important role in family life. They especially respect the uncle, every time the uncle comes to visit, the family often slaughters pigs and chickens to welcome him very thoughtfully. The uncle is the one who connects the couple and the family. Therefore, the Mong people also consider the banyan bird as an animal that needs to be respected.

The Mong people value the magpie and take very good care of it.

However, according to the locals, it is not easy to catch a bird to raise. This bird lives in the high mountains so it cannot be trapped, they can only find the nests of young birds. The bird nests in dry tree trunks like woodpeckers, you have to be sharp-eyed to detect them. When you bring them home, you have to take good care of them. When they grow up, the birds are very easy-going and friendly to the person who raises them.

Obviously, the animals kept in Mong families all come from a cultural trait left over from ancient times. That is what makes the unique identity of this community.

Dao Tho