The Van Kieu people, living in the majestic Truong Son mountain range, possess many beautiful and unique customs. Through the vicissitudes of history, these customs have been preserved and promoted by the people here. Among them, La-pe (a ritual to pray for good fortune) is a typical custom deeply rooted in the cultural identity of the Van Kieu people. La-pe not only prays for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and a peaceful, prosperous, and happy life for the people, but also prays for the souls of the deceased to find peace in the afterlife .
A peaceful corner in Cu Bai village - Photo: ML
According to village elder Ho Van Don in Cu Bai hamlet, Huong Lap commune, Huong Hoa district, who has experience presiding over the La-pe ceremony many times, the Van Kieu villages organize a ceremony to pray for good fortune every five years. The ceremony is presided over by the village elder because of his experience in serving at the ceremony and his thorough understanding of the steps involved.
The La-pe ceremony can be held in any month of the year. The village elder decides on the date and month for the ceremony. The villagers prepare meticulously for the ceremony, from the location and offerings to the prayers and the items presented to the deities. The village's shrine forest is usually chosen as the venue for the ceremony.
Each village holds its own ceremony. To ensure the ceremony runs smoothly, the village elder assigns tasks to each family, and each family assigns tasks to its members. The main offerings include one buffalo, one pig, two chickens, and white wine. Notably, the villagers must jointly prepare two shrines, where the ceremony takes place.
The two shrine houses are designed like miniature stilt houses, made of bamboo. One shrine house is larger, used to worship the mountain god, river god, and surrounding deities; the smaller shrine house is used to worship the spirits of the deceased.
After preparing the offerings, the villagers gather in the forest near the temple early in the morning to clean and prepare the site for the ceremony. The ceremony usually begins in the late afternoon or early evening and lasts until the next morning.
All the rituals were conducted meticulously throughout that night. Those attending the La-pê ceremony included the village elders, the village chief, and representatives from all the households in the village. After everything was prepared, in the presence of family representatives, the village elder offered the offerings before the two shrines and recited prayers to the gods.
The main content is a prayer for the gods and departed spirits to bless and bring good fortune to the villagers, such as: no one falling ill; favorable weather for production, lush vegetation, abundant harvests, no damage from wild animals; livestock thriving; and every family living in prosperity and happiness.
Elderly people in Cu Bai village gather around the two shrines where the La-pe ceremony takes place. - Photo: ML
After performing the rituals of offering the sacrificial animals, the villagers gathered to slaughter buffalo, pigs, and chickens to prepare delicious dishes... which they then brought to the ceremony site and ate, drank, chatted, sang, and celebrated joyfully throughout the night.
On this occasion, the local people engage in traditional cultural and artistic activities. They use musical instruments such as the tinh tung lute, the khene (a type of mouth organ), and the ta-plứa lute, singing the tà ôi and xà nớt melodies in the quiet night amidst the majestic mountains, as if to tell the gods stories of loss, sorrow, joy, and sadness in life, and to pray for the gods' blessings for peace, prosperity, and happiness for all.
“In 2012, the villagers elected me as the village elder of Cu Bai hamlet. To date, I have presided over the La-pe ceremony twice. This is a very important ritual in the customs and traditions of the Van Kieu ethnic group in Huong Lap, passed down from ancient times to the present day. The La-pe ceremony expresses the sincere devotion of the villagers to the deities and the deceased.”
Although modern society has developed and many ethnic minority areas are affected by cultural exchange from different regions, leading to some erosion of their cultural identity, the Van Kieu people here still preserve many traditional customs and practices, and La-pe is a prime example. The elders in the village always remind their children and grandchildren to always be grateful and appreciate what previous generations have built so that they can have what they have today.
"At the same time, we teach our children and grandchildren to work together to preserve and promote the unique cultural values of our nation," village elder Ho Van Don added.
Minh Long
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