The Co people pray for rain.

Deep within the Trường Sơn mountain range, the Co people – an ethnic minority community living in Quảng Nam and Quảng Ngãi provinces – still preserve unique spiritual rituals. Among them, the rain-praying ceremony is not only a traditional ritual deeply rooted in their cultural beliefs, but also an expression of their aspiration for harmony with nature, praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and the flourishing of all things.

The Co village elders gathered to discuss how to perform the rain-praying ceremony. Photo: Binh Minh.

Unique cultural features

The Co ethnic group in Quang Nam currently numbers around 5,500 people, living mainly in the communes of Tra Nu, Tra Kot, and partly in Tra Giap and Tra Ka (Bac Tra My).

With the belief that all things have souls and spirits residing within them, the Co people believe that all natural phenomena (drought, rain, disease, harvests) are controlled by supernatural forces. Therefore, when a drought persists, the rain-praying ceremony becomes a sacred ritual, embodying the great hope of the entire community.

The ritual of sacrificing live animals takes place at the village elder's house during the rain-praying ceremony. Photo: Binh Minh.

According to the legend of the Co people, long ago there was a six-month-long drought in the village at the foot of Mount Rang Cua. Trees were stripped bare, wild animals were parched, streams dried up, and the villagers were exhausted from hunger, thirst, and disease. In despair, the village elders gathered to discuss how to perform a rain-praying ceremony – a ritual deeply rooted in sacrifice and communion with heaven and earth.

From early morning, the village elder and villagers go to the most sacred stream in the village to choose a location for the ceremonial platform and ask permission from the stream spirit. After "receiving consent" through a simple offering ceremony, they begin to go into the forest to collect fallen palm sheaths, bamboo, rattan vines, etc., to prepare for the earth-drumming ceremony - a unique cultural feature found only among the Co people.

The village elders successively invoked the names of the gods, while simultaneously striking each "earth drum" that connects humans and heaven and earth, to pray for rain by the stream. Photo: Binh Minh.

The Co people usually hold a rain-praying ceremony in the summer, after long periods of drought. The main ceremony takes place around 8-9 a.m. The village elder presides over the rituals at two locations: in the village and by the stream. The offerings are all contributed by the villagers, including live chickens and pigs (in the village); cooked chickens and pigs (by the stream), along with betel nuts, wine, water, rice, small cakes, and beeswax.

The village ritual, called the sacrificial offering ceremony, takes place at the village elder's house or in the village square. The master of ceremonies prays to the Sun God, the Earth God, the Mountain God, the River God, and especially the goddess Mo Huýt – the deity who governs the water sources – asking for rain to save the villagers. After the ceremony, the offerings are prepared and taken to the stream bank for another outdoor rain-praying ritual.

The villagers' prayer

The rain-praying ceremony by the stream is the central and highly symbolic part. Here, the Co people erect a small bamboo platform to place the offerings, with five small holes carved into the ground in front, called "earth drums." Each hole is covered with a straightened betel nut sheath, secured with wooden sticks and rattan ropes, symbolizing the five key deities.

To express their gratitude, the village elders and villagers carry sacred water pipes into the forest to collect water from the source, and hold a ceremony to thank the gods. Photo: Binh Minh.

In that sacred space, the village elders recited the names of the gods one by one, simultaneously striking each "earth drum" forcefully. Each drumbeat was like a rhythm connecting humanity with heaven and earth. The prayers echoed by the stream: " O Sun God!/ O Earth God!/ O Water Goddess Mo Huyt!/ O Mountain God!/ O River God!/ The deer in the forest thirst, the trees wither, the rivers and streams dry up, the villagers suffer from hunger and disease/ Today the villagers offer sacrifices and pray for rain to come, to save the village, to save all living things ."

The sound of the "earth drum" echoed mournfully for days, like a heartfelt plea to the heavens. The villagers gathered by the stream, adding firewood, wine, and prayers. And then, when the thick clouds gathered and the first rain fell on the vast forest, the whole village erupted in joy.

The Co villagers dance together to celebrate the rain. Photo: Binh Minh.

People rushed out into the open air, tilting their faces to welcome the rain, collecting the water, and shouting in gratitude to the goddess Mo Huyt. Life seemed to be reborn. Trees flourished, wild animals returned, and the harvest was abundant. To express their gratitude, the village elders and villagers carried sacred water pipes into the forest to collect water from the source, held a thanksgiving ceremony, and danced together to celebrate the rain.

The rain-praying ceremony is not only an ancient ritual reflecting a vibrant spiritual culture, but also a testament to the community's cohesion and reverence for nature among the Co people. In modern life, although many customs have faded, in some villages, the rain-praying ceremony is still revived as a reminder of the unique cultural roots of the Co people amidst the Truong Son mountain range.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nguoi-co-cau-mua-3156943.html