Giang Son worship ceremony - Impressive ritual of the Ruc people

Performed by: Vinh Quy | October 23, 2024

(Fatherland) - For the Ruc people (Chut ethnic group) in Thuong Hoa commune (Minh Hoa - Quang Binh), the Forest God is the most important guardian deity, controlling the entire life of the people, the forest shelters and protects; the streams nourish life, the trees create sacred space... therefore, they organized the Giang Son Worship Ceremony to pray for favorable weather, good crops, family and village peace, people hunting and gathering in the forest to be lucky... The Giang Son Worship Ceremony is also an occasion to pay tribute, thank the superior for blessing, protecting and preserving a peaceful and prosperous life.

The Giang Son worshiping ceremony of the Ruc people (Chut ethnic group) in Thuong Hoa commune is currently only held in 3 villages: Mo O O O village, On village and Yen Hop village of Thuong Hoa commune (Minh Hoa - Quang Binh). Of which, On village is the place where it is held on a fairly good scale and is maintained regularly every 3 years.

To perform the ritual, people choose 3 fairly large stones, then roast them in a fire and then put them in a basin of water.

After being heated over fire, the limestone stones will be put into pots of water with forest leaves to "magically" ward off evil spirits and bad things for the people.

The leaves (a type of green plant taken from the forest) are dipped into a basin of water with 3 grilled stones, then the water is sprinkled (sprinkled, sprinkled, or poured) over each person participating in the festival. The water from the grilled stones is sprinkled over each person, symbolizing the wish for health, peace, and good luck.

The offerings include a live female pig weighing about 20-30kg and foods and drinks that people use every day: sticky rice, rice, wine, fish, boiled chicken, cakes, etc.

People arrange offerings on the central altar.

They prepare 30 portions of sticky rice and meat for each offering tray.

Salt is sprinkled on each piece of meat placed on the offering.

Besides, people also prepare tobacco leaves.

After preparing all the offerings, the elder (or shaman) checks the offerings and the arrangement on the offering tray before starting the ceremony.

The shaman (currently in On village, a village elder named Quyen) reads four prayers including: Inviting the gods to witness, inviting them to enjoy the offerings, asking for blessings, and offering farewell. The shaman speaks in the Ruc language.

After each offering, the shaman must ask for glue with two wooden sticks (Nowadays, in some offerings, people use coins to ask for glue) to confirm the gods' consent.

During the worship, the members participating in the ceremony will sit around the shaman and put their hands on their chests. After the worship and the stone baking ceremony are finished, the participants will gather together to eat, drink, and sing.

The Giang Son worshiping ceremony of the Ruc people is an important spiritual cultural activity, expressing the sense of respect, gratitude to the gods, heaven and earth, ancestors and turning to the origin. This is also an opportunity to strengthen solidarity, enhance village affection, and mutual support. The Giang Son worshiping ceremony is also a beautiful feature in protecting environmental resources, encouraging people to participate in protecting forests and living in harmony with nature.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/le-cung-giang-son-nghi-le-an-tuong-cua-nguoi-ruc-20241023101351597.htm