(VOVworld) – A peace worshipping ceremony is one of the oldest rituals of the Bana people, who pray for good health, prosperity, no war, no disease, and no disasters in the village.
A peace worshipping ceremony was held at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism on the outskirts of Hanoi by the Bana people of Kon Tum province. The ceremony was recreated for a festival called “ASEAN great unity days – One vision, one identity, one community” from November 20-24.
The patriarch instructs people to prepare offerings for the ritual
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The Bana hold their peace worshipping ritual in the 11th or 12th lunar month, after the harvest. A Thut of Ho Moong village, Sa Thay district, Kon Tum province, says the ritual appeared a very long time ago when an epidemic ravaged the Bana villages, killing countless people. The villagers prayed to genies to help them chase away the evil spirits. A Thut said: "The peace ritual prays to genies to protect the villagers and prevent disease and bad luck. The genies bless us with good health so we can work hard, grow corn and potatoes, and raise cows and buffalos to have a better life."
Prior to the ceremony, the villagers clean their houses, roads, and wharfs. They prepare 4 effigies made of agricultural products. Depending on the village’s wealth, they prepare suitable offerings of cow, pig, goat, or chicken. Goat is the most popular sacrifice because the Khmer think that the goat is a sacred animal and the brother of other animals.
The village patriarch heads the procession to circle the village to chase out the evil spirits
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On the ritual day, all the villagers gather in front of the Rong house. The village patriarch, who hosts the ceremony, bears a shield and a broadsword at the front of a procession. A masked man holding a scimitar walks next to the village patriarch. Behind them are four young men carrying the effigies and 2 young women carrying two sprays of Asian broom grass. They are followed by a gong troupe and the rest of the villagers. The most important part of the ceremony is when the patriarch prays for the genies’ protection and the villagers perform gestures and howl to scare away evil spirits to the accompaniment of accelerating gong sounds.
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The procession circles the village to chase out the evil spirits. At the edge of the village, they leave the effigies, the Asian broom grass, and masks and return to the Rong house, where they beat gongs, dance, sing, and have a feast.
Ma Le, a Bana man living in Hanoi, said: "I left my home village when I was small so I’m moved by this ceremony. The rituals and the sound of the gongs are authentic. I’m very excited."
The peace worshipping ceremony of the Bana at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism has introduced a part of the Bana culture to people in Hanoi. Spectator Nguyen Hong Viet said: "I’m impressed by the ceremony. The traditional ritual of the Bana revives primitive features. It shows us many things of the past."
Nowadays the peace worshipping ceremony is not only a spiritual event to pray for good health and a bumper crop but also a chance for the villagers to relax, show their solidarity, and teach the younger generation the Bana tradition.