(VOVworld) –People in the Central Highlands created the rock gong or lithophone, a musical instrument made of rocks, thousands of years ago. The sound of the lithophone can express the happiness or sadness of the Central Highlanders, the mystery of their majestic forests, or the murmur of a brook.

A lithophone displayed at Dac Lac Museum
The first lithophone of the M’Nong was discovered in Dak R’lap district, Dac Nong province, in 1993. A villager said he found some rocks which produced interesting sounds when struck. Researchers discovered that these rocks belonged to a lithophone of the Stone Age dating back 3,000 years. Prehistoric men fashioned rocks into musical instruments. Nguyen Tam is a researcher of the Central Highlands lithophone: “The rocks can create different sounds. They were submerged in brooks for a long time and their surface was worn smooth. The core of the rock is hard and can produce sounds like a bell. When they are struck, their sounds echo hauntingly in the forest.”

The M’nong produced many lithophones. They combined rocks of different sizes to create melodies. The long, thick rocks create deeper sounds while short, thin rocks create clearer sounds.


A lithophone at Dac Lac Museum

A lithophone usually has 6 rocks of different sizes. The longest is about 30 cm, and the smallest 10 cm. They make sounds similar to a 6-tone gong set called a Cung Bor. In ancient times, the M’nong used lithophones to scare away wild animals and protect their crops. Later they used lithophones in community events such as New Year festivals and celebrations of planting and harvesting.

The M’nong considered rock gongs a way to connect the world of men with the world of genies and spirits, the present with the past. Dieu Nhom is an experienced lithophone player in Quang Tin commune, Rlap district: “Rock gongs reminds me of our parents and grandparents. This musical instrument is our group’s tradition. Our children will continue to play it because they cannot lose that tradition. We play it to celebrate a bumper crop and pray for prosperity.”

For thousands of years the M’nong and other ethnic groups in the Central Highlands have used bronze gongs and they still preserve many sets of lithophones. They play the rock gongs to preserve their cultural values and to maintain a connection with the past.