Restore the Spirit ritual before cutting down trees of the Ede ethnic people

On September 24th, Dak Lak Provincial Museum held to restore the Spirit ritual before cutting down trees of the Ede ethnic people.

The offerings in the ritual include one bronze bracelet, two bronze bowls, one melia azedarach branch, one tray of offerings which is put at 10 meters far away from the foot of the tree, one ritual pole for jars of rice wine, one pig, rice wine – ruou can, which is made of rice fermented in a jar and stuck with a stem, betel and areca, cigrarette, cooked rice, rice, candles and cotton wool, etc. The rites consist of simple steps; for example, the sorcerer on behalf of the host practices the Rites of the Forest Spirit, the Mountain Spirit and the River Spirit to pray for cutting down the tree. The sorcerer opened the ritual by calling upon ancestors and the spirits to be at present to see the tree-cutting rite. Then he brought to the tree foot a bowl of rice and a bowl of the mixture of rice wine and sacrefied animal’s blood. This mixture was applied on the tree foot and the rice was scattered around the tree foot while he was moving anticlosewwise direction. The sorcerer sat opposite to the jar of rice wine starting to pray and invite the Spirits to present and enjoy the offerings for congratulation on the host. Later on, the sorcerer applied the sacrefied animal’s blood on the hollow of the left hand and put on the host’s right waist the bronze bracelet. Next, they moved the stem to drink rice wine alcohol together according to the rite Mnam Ring. Every attendant took turns to enjoy the rice wine, rice and meat to congatulate the host completing the ritual. The ritual is associated with the Ede’s community activities and it is meaningful to educate all members of the community to preserve and protect the natural environment, which raises the people’s awareness of preserving and promoting good cultural values ​​of Vietnam.

Preparing the tray of offerings


Applying the sacrified animal’s blood on the rice wine pole


The sorcerer praying for the Spirits


Pouring the rice wine on the tree foot


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Scattering rice around the tree foot


Applying the sacrified animal’s blood and putting the  brecelet on the host’s waist


Enjoying rice wine

Department of Communications