Lables:
Ethnic Groups, Khmu ethnic group, Mon-Khmer Group
Proper name:
Kmu, Kho Mu, Kum Mu.
Other names:
Xa Cau, Kha Klau, Mang Cau, Tay Hay, Mun Xen, Pu Thenh, Tenh
Population:
42,853 people (1999 census).
Language:
The Khmu speak a language that belongs to the Mon-Khmer language group
(Austroasiatic language family).
History:
The Khmu are one of the oldest inhabitants in the northwest of Vietnam. There
are also some Khmu in the mountains of Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An provinces who
immigrated to Vietnam from Laos.
Production activities: The
Khmu live mainly by cultivating terraced field, thus they are called "Xa
an lua". Outside the mainstream of population who are nomadic, the rest of
the Khmu have settled in one place and follow an agricultural cycle. They plant
mainly rice and corn, but also pumpkin, bean, and other root vegetables. Their
tools includes the axe, knife, hoe, and especially a pointed digging stick used
to make holes in the ground when planting seeds. These can be single or double
sticks with an iron head, and can be used for many years. Gathering fruit and
hunting still play an important role in their economy. Handicrafts include
basketry, particularly of household items, and in some places, the Khmu do forging,
carpentry, and textile weaving. Trading is mainly done on the barter system, by
exchanging goods for goods. In the past, shells called kxoong were used as
currency. The Khmu raise water buffaloes, cows, chickens for transportation,
food and religious purposes.
Diet:
The Khmu like to steam rice and corn, " mixed with cassava. They love to
eat spicy, sour, and bitter foods, and grilled foods like cheo, nam pia, ca
chua, etc.
Clothing:
The Khmu dress in a style similar to the Thai, but a little bit different in
their way of decorating the front of women's blouses with linear patterns of
coins and snail shells. Today, the majority of Khmu, especially the men, dress
in casual clothes like the , Thai and the Viet.
Housing:
Today, the Khmu live in the provinces of Yen Bai, Son La, and Lai Chau. Because
they are nomadic peoples, their villages are usually small and scattered all
over. Their house are built on stilts and made with columns, bamboo wattle
walls, and bamboo floors. In many places today, the Khmu have built more
permanent houses.
Transportation:
The Khmu use carrying baskets with handles placed on the forehead, with a noose
for the shoulder. In addition, they also use several kinds of carrying bags.
Those Khmu who are farmers use bamboo baskets carried by shoulder poles.
Social organization:
The Khmu have close relationships with those in the same family line and those
who are neighbors, especially their Thai neighbors. Each village has
inhabitants from different family trees. Each of these has a leader. There is
already segregation between rich and poor in the village. The Khmu's surnames
are from names, of animals, birds, plants; they can be divided into three
groups. Those who bear animal's names include tiger, fox, civet cat... Surnames
like bird's names include the great horn bill, wagtail, hen, and greater
coucal... The group that has plant's names includes garlic, fern, etc. In
addition, there are some names of inanimate objects such as pig muzzle, soup
ladle...
Marriage:
Marriage among the Khmu is by free choice. In marriage, remnants of matriarchy
can still be seen through customs as living with the girl's family, husband
bears wife's name, remarrying to the wife's siblings, the husband's sisters.
Some steps that a marriage has to go through are pre-engagement ceremony,, a
period when the groom stays with the bride's family, wedding at the bride's
house, and the ceremony that brings the bride to the husband's home. Young men
and women are free to date, but the marriage decision belongs to parents,
especially to the bride's mother's brother. He also decides the amount of money
and gifts that the groom has to give to the bride's family.
Funerals:
Funerals of the Khmu include many religious rituals. There is an especially a
long worshiping ritual for the dead person, which last for hours before the
corpse is buried.
New House:
Moving to a new house is a happy occasion not only for the family, but also for
the whole village. The owner kills pigs and invites the villagers over for a
feast. This is also an occasion for them to perform communal cultural
activities.
Festivals:
Besides the Lunar New Year, the Khmu also celebrate the New Rice Festival,
which is held after the October (Lunar calendar) harvest. This is a happy
occasion for the whole village after a period of hard working. This New Rice
Festival also displays distinctive cultural trait of the Khmu. Moreover, they
still have many rituals connected to agriculture and planting.
Beliefs: The Khmu believe that there are 5 most
important spirits, the spirits of Heaven, Earth, Serpent, Ancestor, and the
House. These are spirits who bring good things to the people, but sometimes
when they get angry, they will sow disaster. Rituals for the House Spirit occur
on New Year's or festival occasions, or when there are ill people in the house.
An altar for the House Spirit is placed on a high shelf in the kitchen.
Ancestors are worshiped in a private room to avoid the gaze of strangers. Each
family line still keeps the custom of worshiping the founding ancestors with
distinctive rituals and actions. Calendar: Beside using the Thai's calendar,
the Khmu also count hours and days according to the ca la table to arrange for
a marriage or to build a new house.
Education:
Many people know how to read and write in Thai.
Artistic activities:
There is a beloved and familiar folksong melody called Tom. It is both lyric
and historic, sung in a call and response way. The Khmu like to dance, to play
different kinds of flutes, and to play home-made bamboo instruments. They are
especially noted for one kind of clarion.
Games:
During the holidays, children often play badminton, humming-top, and other
traditional games.
This
article written by Lanh Nguyen from Vacation to Vietnam
For
original article, please visit:
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