Mo Muong - journey towards world cultural heritage

Hoa Binh is a land where the indigenous Muong ethnic group accounts for over 63% of the population. Over time, the Muong ethnic group has created and preserved a rich and diverse folk culture. In that culture, there is a prominent, unique form with profound humanistic value, which is mo Muong. In order to preserve and promote the cultural heritage (DSVH) of mo Muong, Hoa Binh and other provinces and cities have compiled a national dossier to submit to UNESCO to list mo Muong as a heritage in need of urgent protection.

Shamans practice rituals at the 2023 Muong ethnic group's Opening Ceremony.

Shaman Bui Van Rum, Rom Co hamlet, Thuong Coc commune (Lac Son)

Introduction to the ceremony set.

The value and vitality of Muong mo

Mo Muong is a unique cultural heritage, reflecting the unique philosophy of life and cosmology of the Muong people, containing many educational meanings for the community. Talking about Mo Muong is talking about sacred folk rituals used in funerals or rituals praying for all good things of the Muong people. Mo is closely associated with the life cycle of a person, from the moment of birth, Mo prays for the child to eat well and grow quickly. In adulthood, the role of the shaman is shown through weddings, in the ceremony of worshiping ancestors of the two families coming to pick up the bride or the housewarming ceremony, the housewarming ceremony, praying for health, peace... In Muong village festivals, Mo prays for favorable weather, good wind, and a bountiful harvest. When closing their eyes and returning to Muong Heaven, the shaman plays the role of a bridge to send the soul of the deceased to the other world.

Over time, mo has been reduced, many traditional values in mo have been lost. In the current period, mo Muong Hoa Binh has undergone great changes, including new and positive things. Mo still holds a central position in the spiritual life of Muong people in Hoa Binh. Many cultural, literary and anthropological research works by domestic and international scholars have studied and clarified the values of mo Muong, further depicting the vitality of mo Muong in the hearts of the nation.

Discussing the special values of Muong mo, researcher, Meritorious Artisan Bui Van Noi, Phong Phu commune (Tan Lac) said: The first outstanding value is the epic nature associated with the contents related to the history of the nation and humanity, from the story of giving birth to the earth, giving birth to water, giving birth to people, when they were still living in caves, to discovering fire, silk, rice, building houses, having families, knowing how to make bronze tools, making green pots, building palaces... Besides that, there is the value of spirituality and customs. Muong people believe that death is not the end. Going to the dark Muong Ma realm, at first it is strange, the soul needs the mo to guide and instruct it to know how to eat and drink, recognize relatives, receive fields, houses, know the way to go and bless the descendants. Through the mo, the deceased tells the descendants to know how to live humanely, love and respect everyone; Brothers and sisters in the family must know how to give in, sympathize, forgive... In addition, Mo Muong also teaches people about the value of creative labor and contains many other values about philosophical thoughts, performing arts, expressive language...

Over the centuries, until now, Mo Muong still has a strong vitality with the Muong ethnic group. From the past to the present, generations of Muong people have preserved, passed down by word of mouth and promoted the values of Mo Muong in a sustainable way, creating the vitality and widespread influence of this extremely valuable intangible cultural heritage.

Journey to bring Mo Muong to the world

To preserve the Mo Muong cultural heritage, from 2010 to present, Hoa Binh province has had many specific solutions. The Mo Muong cultural heritage has been promoted, introduced and promoted through the creation of news, articles and reports on rituals; collecting, composing and dramatizing the Mo Muong cultural heritage for tourists; bringing performances about the Mo Muong cultural heritage into major programs and events of the province. In the province, 5 district-level Mo Muong clubs have been established in the districts of Lac Son, Tan Lac, Cao Phong, Yen Thuy and Kim Boi. In addition, the State's conferment of the title of People's Artisan and Excellent Artisan in the cultural field to artisans, including Mo Muong artisans, has greatly motivated those who hold the heritage to actively participate in the preservation and promotion of the value of the cultural heritage.

In 2015, the province received a certificate of sponsorship from the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations for the cultural heritage "Mo Muong Hoa Binh". On January 19, 2016, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 246/QD-BVHTTDL to include Mo Muong in the list of national intangible cultural heritage. In 2020, Mo Muong was directed by the Prime Minister to be selected as an intangible cultural heritage that needs to develop a national dossier to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection. The Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 220/KH-UBND, dated November 25, 2021, to coordinate in developing a scientific dossier on Mo Muong cultural heritage to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection.

The province has established a Steering Committee and an Organizing Committee for the national dossier on mo Muong cultural heritage. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated with the Institute of Music, the Vietnam National Academy of Music (consulting unit) to organize a seminar on mo Muong in the province. Then, they organized field trips, surveys, organized an inventory of mo Muong cultural heritage, and collected commitments from communities holding heritage data in the provinces of Ninh Binh, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Phu Tho, Dak Lak and Hanoi. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated with the People's Committee of Hoa Binh province to organize domestic seminars and international scientific seminars attracting many international scholars who are leading experts in literature and art, experts in reviewing dossiers in the fields of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. The Institute of Music has collected, recorded audio and video about mo Muong heritage; written scientific dossiers and post-produced documentary films...

Together with the cultural and social officials of Thuong Coc commune (Lac Son), we visited shaman Bui Van Rum in Rom Co hamlet - one of the people who directly participated in the filming process for the national Muong mo dossier. At the door of the stilt house, carefully holding a bag containing items for the mo ritual, he showed us the ceremonial costume he usually wears, the set with bells, animal fangs, stones, and holy books. Mr. Rum confided: Since I was a child, I liked listening to mo, but it was not until I was 40 that I officially started working. I am the 8th generation to practice the profession of shaman in my family. I really like the humanity, teaching children and grandchildren to live well, criticizing drunkards, lazy people... expressed in the mo songs. Being chosen to film for the national Muong mo dossier, I and a shaman who worked together were very honored and proud to contribute to promoting Muong mo to the world. I also recorded the mo words in the national language to pass on to my children and grandchildren. We hope that the Party, State, and all levels and sectors will continue to pay attention to preserving and promoting the value of Muong mo.

Dr. Pham Minh Huong, Director of the Institute of Music, affirmed: Up to this point, the dossier of Mo Muong cultural heritage has been completed and submitted to competent authorities according to regulations. When the Mo Muong heritage is listed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection, it will open up more opportunities for the preservation and promotion of the value of Mo Muong heritage, such as: helping to raise public awareness of the preservation and protection of the precious heritage of their people; helping Mo Muong heritage to be preserved and promoted systematically and sustainably in localities through the implementation of the heritage protection plan that Vietnam has committed to in the submitted dossier. Mo Muong is not only committed to by the laws of the Vietnamese State, but also according to the general regulations for world cultural heritage, the whole community will participate in preserving and promoting the good values of the heritage.

Huong Lan

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