(To Quoc) - The Ta Oi people organize Dèng offerings during family and village festivals. Especially before going to trade Dèng in distant places, they do so to thank Giang (the sky god) for bestowing upon them the traditional craft of Dèng weaving.
Dèng weaving is a long-standing traditional craft of the Ta Oi ethnic group in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province. The traditional Dèng weaving uses cotton fibers harvested from nature to create the threads and the yellow, black, and blue colors for the weaving process and patterns.
Dèng patterns comprise approximately 76 types, expressed through three main forms: triangles, rhombuses, and straight lines. These patterns depict plants, animals, objects, people, and the surrounding world , holding significance for spiritual culture and the yearning for harmony between heaven, earth, and humanity.
Dèng weaving is a long-standing traditional craft of the Ta Oi ethnic group.
The unique feature of Dèng weaving is that the weavers directly incorporate beads into the fabric to create patterns, unlike brocade weaving elsewhere which uses only colored threads. The presence of both thread and bead patterns makes Dèng products exceptionally unique.
In the life of the Ta Oi people, the Dèng is not simply clothing. It is also a valuable asset that reflects the nobility, wealth, status, and position of its owner. The Dèng is used for bartering, trade, and commerce, contributing to family prosperity, village wealth, and happiness. It is also used as a dowry gift from the bride's family to the groom's family, to the in-laws, and to the esteemed son-in-law. The Dèng is used to decorate and beautify homes, communal houses (Rong houses), and sacred places of the family and clan.
From a young age, Ta Oi girls are taught the art of Dèng weaving by their mothers and grandmothers. The Ta Oi people often hold Dèng offering ceremonies during family and village festivals. In particular, before traveling to distant places to trade Dèng, they do so to thank the spirits for bestowing the traditional Dèng weaving craft.
The Dèng offering ceremony is solemnly organized by the Ta Oi people in three main steps. The first step – preparation – involves the head of the family and their descendants gathering all the Dèng in the house. They then divide it up, using some to decorate the sacred place and for offerings. The rest is neatly arranged around the offering tray. In addition, the offerings for the Dèng ceremony must include a chicken, a jar of rice wine, a tray of A Quát cakes, and an incense burner.
After the preparations were complete, the host began the ritual of offering sacrifices to the Deng deity. In the presence of family members, the host recited a prayer expressing gratitude to the deity: "Oh Deity! Today is an auspicious day, our family is offering sacrifices to the Deng deity. The feast is ready, with boiled chicken and delicious A Quat cakes. With sincere hearts, we invite the deity to partake. The fragrant and exquisite rice wine, rich in sentiment, we invite the deity to drink."
"Thank God for creating the traditional Dèng weaving craft for the Ta Oi people. So that the Ta Oi people have durable and beautiful loincloths and skirts to wear. So that they have wealth to use as dowry gifts for their beloved daughters. So that they have wealth to decorate their family's worship room and the village's communal house, making them solemn and beautiful. So that the spirits who come to attend the festival are pleased and satisfied. Thank God for creating wealth and gold, enriching the family and the village..."
The event recreated the Dèng offering ritual of the Ta Oi ethnic group. Photo: A Luoi District Department of Culture and Information.
During this ceremony, the family also prays that the spirits will continue to bless the mother, sister, and younger sibling with good health so that they can weave even more beautiful and valuable Dèng fabrics. They also pray for the father and older brother to have smooth and successful Dèng trading journeys, with good fortune and high sales. They hope that whatever Dèng fabrics they bring with them, they will sell them all, without any surplus or unsold goods.
Finally, when the ceremony was complete, the deity returned to his abode to continue his duties of watching over and protecting the village and the Ta Oi people. The host and his descendants then partook in the offerings. Everyone raised their glasses of rice wine and enjoyed the traditional Ri Ram and An Zut dances of the Ta Oi people to celebrate the successful completion of the Deng offering ceremony. Along with that, everyone wished each other good fortune and blessings in life.
According to Ms. Le Thi Them, Head of the Culture and Information Department of A Luoi District, the Deng weaving craft has been passed down, preserved, and developed by generations of Ta Oi people for hundreds of years. In 2016, the Deng weaving (brocade) craft of the Ta Oi people in A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province, was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage according to Decision No. 4036/QD-BVHTTDL. This is a source of pride and honor for the Ta Oi ethnic group in particular and Thua Thien Hue Province in general.
Currently, in A Lưới district, there are 6 Dèng weaving cooperatives operating regularly, creating products that not only bring unique cultural value to the Ta Oi ethnic group but also contribute to improving the economic lives of families and villages. The Dèng offering ritual is also preserved, maintained, and promoted by the Ta Oi people. In recent times, the Dèng offering ritual has been reenacted many times to serve the people and tourists in local cultural and tourism activities.
Source: https://toquoc.vn/doc-dao-nghi-thuc-cung-dang-deng-cua-dong-bao-ta-oi-20241109141100222.htm
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