The guardian of the "soul" of Mo Muong

Mo Muong is considered a great creation, the "soul" of the Muong people. With its exceptionally valuable heritage, this national heritage is on its way to being inscribed as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. From Tan Phu hamlet, Muong Bi commune, the distinguished artisan Bui Van Noi has spent over 40 years diligently collecting, researching, restoring, and spreading the value of Mo Muong, becoming a leading figure in preserving and promoting cultural identity.

Preserving the "soul" of Mo Muong

Born into a family specializing in shamanism for the nobility (preserving the most complete essence of Muong culture) – an ancient clan with 10 consecutive generations – he was taught from a young age by his grandfather, Bui Van Yem, and his father, Bui Van Du, two renowned shamanic artists in the region. After graduating from Hoa Binh Teacher Training College in 1982, instead of directly performing shamanic rituals, he dedicated his time to researching related scientific fields and collecting historical, cultural, and folk art materials of the Muong people.

Mr. Bui Van Noi (on the left) is diligently collecting and researching Mo Muong (a traditional Muong ritual).

He traveled extensively throughout the villages of the Muong Bi region, meeting with elderly people and shamanic artisans to collect the precious heritage of his ancestors. Despite his weary legs, dwindling funds, and the objections of his wife and children, his passion kept him going. He visited other Muong regions such as Vang, Thang, and Dong to research, compare, and gain a comprehensive understanding of Muong shamanism.

During his journey to trace his roots, he had the good fortune to meet famous figures such as Tu Chi and To Ngoc Thanh. Mr. Noi recounted: "Seeing the passion of a son of the Muong land, they wholeheartedly guided me on how to collect, conduct fieldwork, and research. However, the task was not easy, because Muong shamanism is a comprehensive subject, a culmination of Muong culture, and requires consulting scientific conclusions from many fields to fully decipher its mysteries. On the other hand, the Muong people did not have a written language in the past, so I had to painstakingly transcribe the shamanic verses into Latin script in my own way."

Working tirelessly from dawn till dusk, he wrote an application accompanied by 100 pages of research on Mo Muong (Muong-Vietnamese transliteration) to join the Vietnam Folk Arts Association. He actively participated in cultural conferences and seminars, with many papers published in proceedings and articles published in newspapers and magazines. Notably, he contributed to the International Scientific Conference on Mo Muong in Hoa Binh, helping to build the dossier submitted to UNESCO for recognition as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. He also participated in the conference "Understanding the Legend of the Flower Garden on Coi Mountain and the Princess of the Le Dynasty," contributing to the development of the "Mo Muong Cultural Space" project in Muong Thang...

After a long period of effort, in 2012-2013, the complete collection of Muong rituals (I, II, III), meticulously compiled and researched by Mr. Bui Van Noi, was published. Volume I won the 3A prize from the Vietnam Folk Arts Association, and Volume III won the C prize from the Vietnam Association of Literature and Arts of Ethnic Minorities. He is also a co-author of two books on Muong rituals in Hoa Binh and the author of the books "Mo Rung Hoa," "Moi Muong Bi," "Mo Mat Nha," and "Mo Via."

As we flipped through three volumes of the Mo Muong book, Mr. Noi estimated its volume to be nearly 2,500 pages, equivalent to a massive number of Mo verses – approximately over 40,000 verses. This is truly a "folk encyclopedia" about the Muong people, logically presented in sequence, detailing the 16 days and nights of the aristocratic Mo ritual. It is also a valuable resource, as nowadays, Mo priests only perform rituals for about two days and nights due to changes in lifestyle.

Mr. Bui Van Noi introduces the book Mo Muong, Volume III.

Spreading the cultural values ​​of the Muong people.

Besides Mo Muong, Mr. Noi also researched Hoa Binh culture with many articles on: village tutelary deities, traditional weddings, the ancient Khao Roi calendar, the Muong people's custom of building hearths, etc. As the Party Secretary of Tan Phu hamlet, where the famous Khai Ha Festival is held, he and the organizing committee restored folk rituals and games. Notably, he is a co-author of the Muong ethnic script, which was approved by the People's Committee of Hoa Binh province (formerly) in 2016.

Mr. Noi continues to diligently research and spread Muong culture.

Besides researching and collecting, Mr. Noi is also an active member of the Mo Muong Tan Lac Club and has taught mo to many skilled students such as Bui Tan Binh, Bui Van Uc... Bui Van Uc continues to teach many others to preserve their ancestral heritage. He is also a teacher of the Muong language for many agencies, units, and schools in the province.

"Whenever I teach, I illustrate my points concretely by performing excerpts of Muong folk songs and chants... Sometimes I tell stories leisurely, sometimes with heartfelt emotion, sometimes with heroic fervor... it leaves a deep impression. That's also the easiest and most lively way to teach and spread our ethnic culture," Mr. Noi shared.

For his contributions to preserving and promoting national cultural identity, Mr. Noi was awarded the title of Outstanding Artisan in 2015 and in 2024, his application for the title of People's Artisan was submitted. He has received three Certificates of Merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; a Certificate of Merit from the Vietnam Folk Arts Association for outstanding achievements in collecting and researching folk culture and arts, along with several awards in journalism, literature, and art.

Cam Le

Source: https://baophutho.vn/nguoi-gin-giu-linh-hon-mo-muong-240831.htm