Cultural features of the Khmu community - Lesson 5: Pleasing the ghosts

(Baonghean) - To get rice grains and sticky rice, people not only have to work hard in the sun and dew, but also have to please the gods so that they can give them a bountiful harvest. Every year, when the rice is about to ripen, the Khmu people in Bao Thang (Ky Son) hold a ceremony to worship the gods.

Thank God

As someone who is quite knowledgeable about the long-standing customs of the community, Mr. Moong Pho Hoan in Cha Ca 1 village (Bao Thang - Ky Son) told us in detail about the rice field worship ceremony, a spiritual and cultural activity associated with rice cultivation. He said that it is also an opportunity for people to have fun together after days of hard work.

The Khmu and the Thai people share the same belief that there are countless ghosts and gods surrounding human life. In the forest, there are mountain gods and forest ghosts; when farming, there are farm ghosts. In the bamboo forest, there are also bamboo and tree ghosts. Each one governs something and also governs human life. Before eating meals in the fields, people pray to invite ghosts, collectively known as the owners of the land and plants, to enjoy first. Only after the ghosts have eaten can people eat. Inviting field ghosts and forest gods to eat is something that few people forget before each meal when working in the fields or going to the forest to cut wood and hunt.

Wine festival of the Khmu people in Bao Thang commune (Ky Son).

“To ensure the rice grains are strong and not damaged by birds, rats, or wild boars, people must perform a ceremony to worship the fields.” – Mr. Moong Pho Hoan began the story – “The Khmu people in my hometown call the ceremony “xe hre”. Before harvesting rice, people perform “xe hre” to wish for a good and bountiful harvest.”

That was when the young green color of the rice flowers on the fields had faded, the grains were plump, and the rice stalks were curved. The harvest season would begin in about half a month. Families who shared the same field knew that during the season, no one in the family was sick, the rice grains were firm, and there were many ears thanks to the blessing of the banyan tree and the bamboo tree spirit. They discussed choosing a beautiful day with a full moon, which would be even better, to make offerings to the forest spirits and mountain gods. Making offerings to the fields was to repay their kindness.

God worship ceremony

On the appointed day, everyone went to the fields. This time, it was not to weed or take care of the rice. People brought a dress, a set of clothes, and carried two chickens or a small pig to slaughter as an offering to the gods. Of course, there were also two jars of rice wine, an indispensable item in most spiritual ceremonies of the Khmu people. To prepare for the day of offering to the fields, people made "moọc", a dish made from pork, chicken or fish mixed with broken rice, wild banana shoots and spices often found in Thai people's holidays and New Year's. Particularly for the field offering ceremony, there must be three types of "moọc" made from rat, squirrel and mountain crab meat.

The leader of the group must be a shaman or a person who understands spiritual matters in the community and will preside over the ceremony. The location chosen for the ceremony is usually a watchtower. Before the ceremony begins, people split bamboo and build two racks, one high and one low. When finished, clothes are placed on the high rack, and neatly folded scarves and skirts are placed on the low rack. On each rack are placed three small bamboo sticks, like fishing rods, with a ring woven from bamboo strips at the end of each stick symbolizing a silver ring. This is also included in the village worship ceremony that we introduced in the previous article of the topic. The third one has a cicada also woven from bamboo strips. The cicada is often elaborately made to look as real as possible. The cicada has the meaning of preventing rice diseases. People believe that this is the cicada's job.

In addition, on each altar there are also 2 silver bracelets and 9 silver ingots. Of course, these are not real silver. The silver bracelets are woven with bamboo strips and the silver ingots are carved from wooden sticks. Looking at these altars, people think of a solemn ritual that only occurs in the deep forest.

When the altar is ready, the shaman clasps his hands and "reports" to the gods about the two altars and the offerings he has brought. Then the shaman breaks two small bamboo sticks to make cards called "cha le" and prays: "If all of you have arrived, I will toss the "cha le" twice, both face up. If there is still no one, I will give one face down and one face up." When all the gods are present, meaning that both times the shaman tossed the bamboo cards face up, people are allowed to slaughter chickens or pigs to offer to the gods. After the chickens and pigs are slaughtered and boiled, they are placed on the two altars. The shaman's main work begins. The prayer tells about the villagers choosing a place to make a field in a forest with good wood, wet soil, crickets, worms, birds, deer, and elk choosing it as a place to live. People know the land is good and choose a place to plant their fields. Thanks to the banyan tree spirit, bamboo root spirit, and the heavenly spirits, rain fell, so that even with a small amount of rice seeds, the fields would yield a lot of rice. The farmers were very grateful to the gods and heavenly spirits.

The prayer continues with the generous offerings, such as fat pigs, fragrant chicken, and half-year-old rice wine that has been stored for the gods. New clothes have also been brought for the gods to change into for the party. There are also silver bracelets and silver bars for the gods to take home. Now the gods should wash their faces to gather together for the party. In addition to pork and chicken, the party also has rat meat, squirrel meat, and crab meat. After the gods have eaten their fill, the shaman opens two jars of rice wine to offer to the gods to drink.

Let's have fun

The end of the offering means that the gods and ghosts of the forest, the ghosts of the bamboo roots, the ghosts of the banyan trees have eaten and drunk their fill, and now the stomachs of the people are starving. The farmers join together to drink and feast right in the huts guarding the fields. Rarely does a party take place in the middle of the deep forest like when offering to the fields. The wine and meat are ultimately served mainly to the people. On this day, the old and the young, men and women are all allowed to drink until they are drunk and do not know the way home, to celebrate a new rice crop.

Mr. Moong Pho Hoan recalls: In mountainous areas where many people work on the fields, the day of the field worship is a really big festival. People sing tom and turn up the cassette player to the maximum volume. Then when they get drunk, the fields turn into a place to dance. The festival usually lasts from early noon until late afternoon when everyone goes home.

Before returning to the village, the shaman did his last work. The mountain spirit was sent back to the mountain, the bamboo spirit and the banyan tree spirit returned to their places. Things like bracelets and silver bars were shared and carried back. The shaman also did not forget to remind the gods to bless the people and the fields to always be safe. The people were healthy, and the fields were not destroyed by birds, rats, or wild pigs.

When returning to the village, another ceremony took place at the house of the person who had performed the ceremony to worship the fields. Another ceremony to worship the ancestors was held. The ceremony included a chicken and two jars of rice wine. This ceremony was to inform the ancestors that the ceremony to worship the fields had been completed. In just a few days, new rice would arrive and the ancestors would be given a new rice meal to celebrate.

Huu Vi - Dao Tho