Lables:
Ethnic Groups, Mnong ethnic group, Mon-Khmer Group
Proper name:
Mnong.
Local groups:
Mnong Gar, Mnong Nong, Mnong Chil, Mnong Kuenh, Mnong Rlam, Mnong Preh, Mnong
Prang, Mnong Dip, Mnong Bhiet, Mnong Sito, Mnong Bu Dang, Mnong Bu Nor, Mnong
Bu Deh.
Population:
67,340 people (1999 census).
Language:
The Mnong language belongs to the Mon-Khmer language group (Austroasiatic
language family).
History:
The Mnong have long inhabited in the middle of the western highlands of the
country.
Production activities:
The Mnong plant rice on terraces with a technique called "dao canh hoa
chung", which means cutting down all the trees on a piece of land, burning
them then making holes in the earth to plant seeds. When harvesting, the Mnong
pluck the rice out by hands. Furthermore, they plant water rice on marshes
using a technique called "dao canh thuy nau", which means letting
water buffaloes step on the field before planting seeds. They do not transplant
the young rice plants like in the delta. What needs attention here is the role
of the hoe in the Mnong traditional agriculture. Beside agricultural products,
hunting and gathering fruit still play important roles in Mnong daily life.
In
making family handicraft products, the most popular one is plaiting house
furniture from rattan, bamboo, and leaves. The second one is growing cotton and
weaving done by women. Moreover, in each village, there is usually someone who
knows how to make pottery by hand. The products are baked outside. There are
all size of pots, bowls, and jars. Blacksmithing is not very developed among
the Mnong. The Mnong of the Buon Don area are especially good at hunting and
training wild elephants. Even today, this profession is still well kept, though
the number of elephants has significantly declined.
Eating:
The Mnong eat rice cooked in earthen pots. A long time ago, they ate sticky rice
cooked in bamboo tubes. Their lunch while working their terraced fields is
usually a sour rice soup carried in dry pumpkin gourd container. Meals
generally include salt mixed with chili pepper, wild vegetable soup, bird and
animal meats, and fish. Raising cattle and poultry are not popular. Vegetables
are planted on the field to supplement the foods they earn from hunting and
fruit picking. The popular drink is rice wine.
Clothing:
In the past, in hot weather, men used to wear loin cloths and no shirts; women
wore wrapped skirt, and also no shirt. In winter, they wore a throw, which was
the popular dress in Truong Son, Western Highlands. Today, the Mnong's dress
has been influenced by the Viet people. The custom of "filing the teeth
and stretching the ear lobes", which was very popular in Mnong traditional
society in the past, can nowadays only be seen among the older generation.
Housing:
Today, the Mnong live concentrated within their own local groups, mainly in
districts of Lac, Mdrac, Dac Nong, Dac Mil, Krong Pach, Ea Sup, Buon Don in Dac
Lac province. Some also live in southwest Lam Dong and Song Be districts. The
Mnong stretch westward to the east of Cambodia, along the border between the
two countries. They live either in stilt houses or single-story houses,
depending on region or local group. The single-story house - without an upper
floor-has a straw roof that reaches almost to the ground. The earthen floor is
where daily activities take place. This type of house is typical within the
groups of Mnong Gar, Mnong Preh,Mnong Prang. Hmong stilt houses are not too
high, with the floor only about 0.70 to 1 meter from the ground. This type of
house is popular among a number of Mnong groups: Mnong Kuenh, Mnong Chil, Mnong
Bhiet. Only the Mnong Rlam in Lac Lake build very high stilt houses, similar to
those of the Ede people. Both types of houses have straw roofs and bamboo and
wooden frames. All the parts of the house are lashed together by rattan fiber
cord.
Transportation:
The Mnong mainly use a carrying basket with two handles on the shoulder to
transport their goods. In addition, the Mnong's use of elephants for
transporting is very special. Wooden boats are used for travel and transport on
rivers and lakes.
Social organization:
The Mnong village is called bon or buon. In a bon, all the families have blood,
marriage, or neighborhood relations. There are about 10 families in small
villages, a couple of dozen families in large villages. Blood tie is counted by
the maternal side. Remnants of the Mnong's matriarchal society are still
evident today. Nevertheless, this type of social structure has declined among
many local groups. In Mnong traditional society, the head of each village was
called Rnuf or Kroanh bon, his assistants were called Rnoi or Rnop. When there
was a fight, then a military leader called Ne tam lam lo was appointed. Mnong
society conform to customary law. Customary law is transmitted orally, sung,
from generation to generation and functions as guidelines to guide people's
behavior in life.
Marriage:
Mnong women take the lead in marriage. However, both sides organize the
wedding. After the wedding, the young couple stays with the wife's family. With
many local groups, the couple takes turns staying with both sides. Children
bear their mother's family name. There are three ceremonies in the marriage
custom. They are Sar ur, Tam op, and Tam nsong, which are equivalent to
pre-engagement, engagement, and wedding ceremonies. Monogamy is the essential
thing in a marriage. The Mnong have very heavy punishment for those who commit
incest or adultery.
Funerals:
When someone dies, the whole village stops working to prepare for the funeral.
The corpse will be kept at home for two days, if he/she dies because of illness
or of old age. The Mnong are afraid of, and refuse having funerals for, a
sudden death causes from an accident (drowning, falling from a tree, snakebite,
eaten by a tiger, or dying because of war or fighting). For those who die
prematurely, their corpses are not allowed to be brought into their houses.
Burying is the only step in such a funeral, and there also isn't the exhumation
custom. Such individuals are to be buried immediately and quietly. The
deceased's shared possessions are brought to the next world, the world of their
ancestors called Phan.
New House:
When a new house is completely built, there is usually a big open house party
that includes sacrificed pigs. After the meal, comes the drinking feast, which
happens when the gongs are playing.Festivals: The water buffalo sacrifice ceremony
is the most important traditional festival. Every year, after the harvesting
season, each village holds a New Rice Festival to give thanks to Heaven, Earth,
and to the Rice's God. Here, water buffaloes are sacrificed to pray for the
next successful crop.
Calendar:
The Mnong agricultural calendar follows the lunar calendar, and coincides in
function to the fixed steps of swidden cultivation practices. There are also
twelve months in a year; each month has about 29 to 30 days.
Education:
In the past in Mnong traditional society, they did not have a writing system;
the Mnong only had oral literature. Knowledge was passed directly from older
generations to younger ones by recitations committed to memory. Only within
this decade have the Mnong been taught to write, although this is not very
popular and has many obstacles.
Artistic activities:
Mnong folktale treasures, especially epic and phap ca, are highly valued, with
new forms and developments being introduced. There are plenty of Mnong proverbs
and folksongs. Musical instruments include gongs, several kinds of clarions, an
8-stringed instrument, and flutes. Dried calabashes are popular as sound boxes
for many bamboo instruments. Research has identified a set of stone instruments
from ancient times in the area where the Mnong have lived.
Entertainment:
Children like to play kite, spinning top, and blind man's bluff. They also love
to run and jump.
This
article written by Lanh Nguyen from Travel Agency in Vietnam
For
original article, please visit:
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