The Co people pray for rain

In the middle of the Truong Son mountain range, the Co people – an ethnic minority community living in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai – still preserve unique spiritual rituals. Among them, the rain-praying ceremony is not only a traditional ritual imbued with cultural beliefs, but also an expression of the desire to be in harmony with nature, praying for favorable weather, bountiful crops, and the growth of all things.

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

Unique culture

The Co people in Quang Nam currently have about 5,500 people, living concentrated in Tra Nu, Tra Kot communes and partly in Tra Giap, Tra Ka (Bac Tra My).

With the concept that all things have souls and spirits, the Co people believe that all natural phenomena (sunshine, drought, rain, wind, disease, crops) are controlled by supernatural forces. Therefore, when the drought lasts, the rain-praying ceremony becomes a sacred ritual, conveying the great hope of the whole community.

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

According to Co legend, long ago there was a six-month drought in the village at the foot of Rang Cua Mountain. The trees were bare, the wild animals were thirsty, the stream was dry, and the villagers were exhausted from hunger, thirst, and disease. In desperation, the village elders gathered together to discuss how to hold a rain-praying ceremony - a ceremony that involved sacrifice and communion with heaven and earth.

Early in the morning, the village elders and villagers went to the most sacred stream in the village to choose a location for the altar and ask for permission from the stream god. After “receiving consent” through a simple worship ritual, they began to go into the forest to collect fallen areca spathes, bamboo trees, rattan vines, etc. to prepare for the earth drum ceremony - a unique cultural feature only found in the Co people.

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

The Co people often hold rain-praying ceremonies in the summer, after long dry days. The main ceremony takes place around 8-9am. The master of ceremonies is the village elder, leading the worship rituals at two locations: in the village and by the stream. Offerings are all contributed by the villagers, including live chickens, live pigs (in the village); cooked chickens, cooked pigs (by the stream) along with betel and areca nuts, wine, water, rice bowls, jujube cakes, and wild beeswax.

The ritual in the village is called the sacrificial offering ceremony, which takes place at the village elder’s house or in the village yard. The celebrant prays to the Sun god, the Earth god, the Mountain god, the River god and especially the goddess Mo Huyt – the water god, to ask for rain to save the villagers. After the ceremony, the offerings are prepared and brought to the stream bank to continue the outdoor rain-praying ceremony.

The villagers' prayer

The rain-praying ceremony by the stream is the central part, with strong symbolic significance. Here, the Co people build a small bamboo platform to place offerings, with five small holes drilled in the ground in front, called “earth drums”. Each hole is covered with a straightened areca spathe, secured with wooden sticks and rattan, symbolizing the five main deities.

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

In that sacred space, the village elder took turns reading the names of the gods, while beating each “earth drum” loudly. Each drum beat was like a rhythm connecting humans and heaven and earth. The prayer echoed by the stream: “ Oh Sun God!/ Oh Earth God!/ Oh water source – goddess Mo Huyt!/ Oh Mountain God!/ Oh River God!/ The deer in the forest are thirsty, the trees are withered, the rivers and streams are dry, the villagers are hungry and thirsty, suffering from endless illnesses/ Today the villagers offer offerings to pray for rain to come down, to save the village, to save all living things ”.

The sound of the “earth drum” resounded for many days, like a heartfelt plea to the heavens. The villagers kept watch by the stream, adding firewood, wine, and prayers. And then, when thick clouds rolled in, the first showers of rain fell on the forest, the whole village burst into joy.

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

Everyone rushed out into the open sky, facing the rain, catching water, and cheering to thank the goddess Mo Huyt. Life seemed to be reborn. Trees were green, wild animals returned, and crops were plentiful. To express their gratitude, the village elder and villagers brought sacred water pipes into the forest to catch water from the source, held a ceremony to thank the goddess, and danced together to celebrate the rain.

The rain-praying ceremony is not only an ancient ritual that represents a vibrant spiritual culture, but also a testament to the community cohesion and respect for nature of the Co people. In modern life, although many customs have faded away, in some villages, the rain-praying ceremony is still restored as a reminder of the unique cultural origins of the Co people in the midst of the Truong Son mountain range.

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