Approximately five kilometres off the centre of Tay Giang district, thePorning village which has a population of 500, still preserves thetraditional culture, arts and customs of their ancestors. In fact, evensome of the practices in their community are based on the past ritualsof their forefathers.
The guol still plays the role of the heartand soul of the community. It serves as a rendez-vous for all the bigfestivals and meetings held every year. In addition, the villagers stillshare the food if one of them is back from a successful hunt in theforest. The villagers also frequently gather as a community to discussthe younger generations' future.
Brothers Colau Nhat, 76, andColau Nhap, 61, as well as cousin Colau Nam, 84, are the oldest in theColau family living in the village. They serve as the guardians of thewooden sculpture of spiritual figures for the communal house.
Despitehis old age, Nam still hunts. This is an old hobby he inherited fromhis ancestors. He also hunts to contribute to the food reserve of thevillage, which is kept for long winter days after the harvest.
The old Co Tu man is the 10th generation of the Colau family preserving the art of mask sculpture.
"Itis a very old tradition. I'm the 10th generation pursuing this art forthe village. I was told by my grandfather that the mask serves as thespiritual protection of village from evil spirits and devils," Nam said.
"Sculptureis the longest standing tradition of the Co Tu people. It appeared whenthe minority learned how to build the guol. The masks are believed torepresent the souls of the dead, the good and the evil, while woodsculptures depict the daily lives of the Co Tu people."
ColauNhap, 61, recalled that the mask used to hang on the village's gate andall columns of the guol - two spiritual places of Co Tu community - todrive away devils and protect the villagers from supernatural disasters.
"Themask is only used as a decoration for the two places. The ancestors ofthe Co Tu people believe that ugly and aggressive masks show off powerand force devils to run away in terror," Nhap said.
"The bestartisans or most skillful sculptors are allowed to make masks from thehardest parts of timber, which makes mask last undamaged for a longtime," he explained.
"Carving on a 40cm diameter hard-wood is adifficult job as sculptors use knives and axes to create imaginaryfaces. A little mistake could damage the work. Therefore, only the bestartisans are assigned to create the art," he said.
The61-year-old, who is a veteran, said that the Co Tu people believed thatthe good and the bad or devils and angels exist together in the world.
Hesaid craftsmen often create masks that are so ugly and monstrous, andhave horns, big ears, long and white fangs in strong colours to depictevil.
"Traditionally, people think that devils are scared ofbigger and more frightening masks. These masks are believed to preventdevils from threatening the community," he speculated.
Colours including yellow, red, white and brown were made naturally from charcoal, roots, lime stone, soil and raisin.
Nhapsaid that it took a month to finish a mask using manual tools.Moreover, masks were only made when a new village or a new guol wasbuilt.
He shared that their lives have changed gradually butsignificantly, and the centralised community lifestyle has all butdisappeared.
"Local people prefer living near the main road toattain better business prospects. Only a few people pay attention to thegate of the village. However, the guol and the basic lifestyle arestill preserved at the commune," he assured.
Pa Lang Bung, 45, said the guol exists as a typical feature and milestone of the Co Tu people and their land.
"Mostof the villagers visit the guol for big meetings or major festivals.It's also the main place for celebrations during the new rice season andcompletion of a year of hard work, and falls in October," Bung said.
"Masksare often made when a community decides to rebuild the guol. Thepreparation takes the community months as each family is assigned adifferent task," explained Bung.
Youths seek timber in the forests for weeks before the artisans start working on the sculptures.
Bungsaid the construction of the guol often takes five or seven days. Allmembers of the community participate. Moreover, the construction must becompleted before October, which marks the beginning of a new festivalseason.
"October is the time that people finish all their tasksin their farms and homes. It's the start of the festive season, whilesome move into their new houses. The buffalo-stabbing festival is truly ajoyous celebration."
Colau Nhat, 76, said the guol is a work ofart of the Co Tu people. It depicts power and spirit of the community,as well as solidarity among its people.
"Two masks of God arehanged in the two columns of the main entrance door, while all thecolumns are decorated by masks depicting different figures. All thecorners, walls, beams and girders of the house are carved with images ofanimals, human activities, hunting and dances," Nhat described.
"Werecall all the animals we hunted in the forests and copy their imageson wood. Snake, wild boar, horse, elephant, python, chamois, tigerpanther, as well as some extinct animals, are included," Nhat recalled.
"Sculptureis an ancient method used by the Co Tu community to record lifeactivities. Viewing these images provides the younger generations andvisitors a partial understanding of our ancestors centuries ago," hesaid.
Deputy Chairman of Tay Giang's People's Committee, ARut Blui, said that the district retains 70 guol at every village.
"Guolis an indispensable mark of the Co Tu village when the district hasbeen in the process of building new rural areas. The house is proud ofthe Co Tu people - the heart and soul of a longstanding culture andtradition," BLui said.
However, the vice chairman said that anumber of poor people still accounted for 46.29 percent of thedistrict's 17,000-population.
"The capita per head in thedistrict is still low with 15 million VND (714 USD) per year. Thedistrict has grown 2,100ha of rubber with a target of 2,500ha with thehope of easing poverty among local people," BLui said.
BLui said the district has an area of 901sq.km, of which 75 percent is covered by forest.
He commented that forest protection plays a key role in boosting the socio-economic development for the future.-VNA
The guol still plays the role of the heartand soul of the community. It serves as a rendez-vous for all the bigfestivals and meetings held every year. In addition, the villagers stillshare the food if one of them is back from a successful hunt in theforest. The villagers also frequently gather as a community to discussthe younger generations' future.
Brothers Colau Nhat, 76, andColau Nhap, 61, as well as cousin Colau Nam, 84, are the oldest in theColau family living in the village. They serve as the guardians of thewooden sculpture of spiritual figures for the communal house.
Despitehis old age, Nam still hunts. This is an old hobby he inherited fromhis ancestors. He also hunts to contribute to the food reserve of thevillage, which is kept for long winter days after the harvest.
The old Co Tu man is the 10th generation of the Colau family preserving the art of mask sculpture.
"Itis a very old tradition. I'm the 10th generation pursuing this art forthe village. I was told by my grandfather that the mask serves as thespiritual protection of village from evil spirits and devils," Nam said.
"Sculptureis the longest standing tradition of the Co Tu people. It appeared whenthe minority learned how to build the guol. The masks are believed torepresent the souls of the dead, the good and the evil, while woodsculptures depict the daily lives of the Co Tu people."
ColauNhap, 61, recalled that the mask used to hang on the village's gate andall columns of the guol - two spiritual places of Co Tu community - todrive away devils and protect the villagers from supernatural disasters.
"Themask is only used as a decoration for the two places. The ancestors ofthe Co Tu people believe that ugly and aggressive masks show off powerand force devils to run away in terror," Nhap said.
"The bestartisans or most skillful sculptors are allowed to make masks from thehardest parts of timber, which makes mask last undamaged for a longtime," he explained.
"Carving on a 40cm diameter hard-wood is adifficult job as sculptors use knives and axes to create imaginaryfaces. A little mistake could damage the work. Therefore, only the bestartisans are assigned to create the art," he said.
The61-year-old, who is a veteran, said that the Co Tu people believed thatthe good and the bad or devils and angels exist together in the world.
Hesaid craftsmen often create masks that are so ugly and monstrous, andhave horns, big ears, long and white fangs in strong colours to depictevil.
"Traditionally, people think that devils are scared ofbigger and more frightening masks. These masks are believed to preventdevils from threatening the community," he speculated.
Colours including yellow, red, white and brown were made naturally from charcoal, roots, lime stone, soil and raisin.
Nhapsaid that it took a month to finish a mask using manual tools.Moreover, masks were only made when a new village or a new guol wasbuilt.
He shared that their lives have changed gradually butsignificantly, and the centralised community lifestyle has all butdisappeared.
"Local people prefer living near the main road toattain better business prospects. Only a few people pay attention to thegate of the village. However, the guol and the basic lifestyle arestill preserved at the commune," he assured.
Pa Lang Bung, 45, said the guol exists as a typical feature and milestone of the Co Tu people and their land.
"Mostof the villagers visit the guol for big meetings or major festivals.It's also the main place for celebrations during the new rice season andcompletion of a year of hard work, and falls in October," Bung said.
"Masksare often made when a community decides to rebuild the guol. Thepreparation takes the community months as each family is assigned adifferent task," explained Bung.
Youths seek timber in the forests for weeks before the artisans start working on the sculptures.
Bungsaid the construction of the guol often takes five or seven days. Allmembers of the community participate. Moreover, the construction must becompleted before October, which marks the beginning of a new festivalseason.
"October is the time that people finish all their tasksin their farms and homes. It's the start of the festive season, whilesome move into their new houses. The buffalo-stabbing festival is truly ajoyous celebration."
Colau Nhat, 76, said the guol is a work ofart of the Co Tu people. It depicts power and spirit of the community,as well as solidarity among its people.
"Two masks of God arehanged in the two columns of the main entrance door, while all thecolumns are decorated by masks depicting different figures. All thecorners, walls, beams and girders of the house are carved with images ofanimals, human activities, hunting and dances," Nhat described.
"Werecall all the animals we hunted in the forests and copy their imageson wood. Snake, wild boar, horse, elephant, python, chamois, tigerpanther, as well as some extinct animals, are included," Nhat recalled.
"Sculptureis an ancient method used by the Co Tu community to record lifeactivities. Viewing these images provides the younger generations andvisitors a partial understanding of our ancestors centuries ago," hesaid.
Deputy Chairman of Tay Giang's People's Committee, ARut Blui, said that the district retains 70 guol at every village.
"Guolis an indispensable mark of the Co Tu village when the district hasbeen in the process of building new rural areas. The house is proud ofthe Co Tu people - the heart and soul of a longstanding culture andtradition," BLui said.
However, the vice chairman said that anumber of poor people still accounted for 46.29 percent of thedistrict's 17,000-population.
"The capita per head in thedistrict is still low with 15 million VND (714 USD) per year. Thedistrict has grown 2,100ha of rubber with a target of 2,500ha with thehope of easing poverty among local people," BLui said.
BLui said the district has an area of 901sq.km, of which 75 percent is covered by forest.
He commented that forest protection plays a key role in boosting the socio-economic development for the future.-VNA
