(VOVWORLD) - In the grave abandonment ceremony of the Jrai ethnic group in the Central Highlands, there is a sacred rite in which people smear themselves with mud to disguise themselves as mud ghosts. Mud ghosts are good spirits who can protect their dead relatives.
 Children disguise as mud ghosts (photo: VOV5/ Ngoc Anh) |
The Jrai believe that after death the soul lingers nearby. There is still a relationship between the dead and the living. Every day, the living visit the grave of a recently deceased loved one to bring food and water to the deceased and keep their gravesite clean. After a period of time, they stop visiting the grave and hold a grave abandonment ceremony.
Siu Thoi, a Jrai woman in Gia Lai province, said: “It is a Jrai custom that a grave abandonment ceremony must have mud ghosts. We smear mud on our face and body to become ugly ghosts.”
The Jrai believe that mud ghosts, called Brams in their language, are kind ghosts who protect the dead from evil spirits. Brams are incarnations of deceased ancestors who return to the mortal world to attend grave abandonment ceremonies.
Ro Cham H’Xuyet said: “When people disguise themselves as mud ghosts, they hide their faces and names. They smear mud on their face or wear a mask made from a banana tree. Mud ghosts are deceased ancestors returned to the world of the living.”
 The tomb of the Jrai in the Central Highlands. (photo: VOV5/ Ngoc Anh) |
The people chosen to be Brams must be strong and prestigious. The disguise must be make them unrecognizable. If they are recognized, the Brams have failed to perform their duty and will be captured by real ghosts.
Ro Cham Ha said: “Mud ghosts only appear at grave abandonment ceremonies, not other events. Only men play the role of mud ghosts, not women. Adults and children can disguise themselves as mud ghosts, at the discretion of the grave owner. People portraying mud ghosts must be unmarried or a widower.”
Brams are respected and accompanied by a gong troupe from their house to the ceremonial site.
After the ceremony, the Brams doff their disguise and join the feast with the other villagers. H’ Uyên Nie, Vice Chairwoman of the Women’s Union of Ia Mo Nong commune, said: “Brams represent spirits attending the ceremony. The following day, people stop bringing food to the grave. Brams walk around the grave and talk to the relatives of the dead person one last time before the deceased departs for the other world.”
The Jrai believe that the dead and the living maintain a connection. People disguised as mud ghosts express their remembrance and respect for the deceased.