The source of Mo Muong flow

Editorial: Mo is one of the unique spiritual and cultural values, holding a central position in the spiritual life of the Muong people, including cultural, historical, religious and artistic values, expressing the worldview and outlook on life of the Muong people. In 2020, Mo Muong was selected as a heritage that needs to build a National Profile to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection and Phu Tho is one of the 7 provinces participating in building the profile. Keeping the fire and spreading the fire for Mo heritage - something that seems not difficult is an issue that needs to be initiated in the Muong community in Phu Tho today.

“Without Mo, it is not Muong” - That is the firm affirmation of the Muong ethnic people that we met during our visit to Muong lands in the province. Through the “moss” of time, the process of “filtering the muddy to bring out the clear” to survive, along with the unique features of Mo Muong and the stories of Mo masters who have devoted more than half of their lives to the role of “successors” wishing to preserve and spread Mo Muong forever, making it unchanging over time, we better understand the value of Mo Muong.

Mr. Mo "legitimate"

At the end of the year, Shaman Ha Van Rach, Chieng area, Thu Cuc commune, Tan Son district is always busy with his “bag” to perform ceremonies. As soon as one family’s shaman ceremony is finished, another family will pick him up. At the end of the year, people move to new homes, people get married, people reach the age of longevity... everything cannot be done without Shaman. Following his father’s career since he was 18 years old, at first he was just a “lighting assistant”, learning from the smallest operations, the simplest shaman ceremonies. After the age of 20, after mastering the shaman rituals, Mr. Rach was officially granted the ceremony to become a shaman.

Shaman Ha Van Rach (middle), Thu Cuc commune, Tan Son district shares about the shaman's Khot bag

Following Mo Rach at a Mo longevity ceremony, we saw the “majesty” and important role of the Mo master in the lives of the Muong people. Everything was prepared by the homeowner, but nothing could be done without the presence of the Mo master.

Arriving at the altar, open the Khot bag containing sacred objects to protect and strengthen Mr. Mo. Mr. Rach begins the worship ceremony with the following objects: Fan, axe, footprint-shaped stone, and bamboo stick. According to Mr. Rach, these are indispensable items for Mr. Mo when performing the ceremony. The fan is for Mr. Mo to hold and speak, assisting in the activities throughout the worship ceremony; the axe symbolizes the sky; the footprint-shaped stone symbolizes the human foot to follow the guidance without going astray; the stick helps Mr. Mo connect the yin and yang. Throughout the worship ceremony, all members present follow Mo Rach's instructions, not loudly or hastily, because according to Mo Rach, everything in Mo is organized and sequential.

If Mo Muong is the spiritual and cultural value in the life of the Muong people, Mr. Mo is the subject, the center, playing an indispensable important role in practicing these rituals. Mr. Mo is attached to the life of every Muong person from birth, growing up, maturing until closing his eyes and passing away to Muong ghost and is often compared to a second father, but this father has a different "power" and "influence" than ordinary people.

According to the Mo Muong heritage inventory data of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the whole province has 31 artisans practicing Mo Muong cultural heritage in Tan Son and Yen Lap districts and there are no female Mo masters. They are the keepers of Mo knowledge, know thousands of Mo verses by heart and are proficient in rituals, practices and customs, and are prestigious people trusted by the community.

Meritorious artisan Nguyen Dinh Thuong (far right) is the only Mo artisan to be awarded the title up to now.

Artisan Thuong is the third generation successor and has been following his father for 37 years to become a famous Mo artist in and outside the district; big and small matters in the village and region all rely on him, so Mr. Thuong is always busy. In addition to Mo ceremonies within the family, he also plays an important role in the community cultural activities of the Muong people such as: Rice procession ceremony, forest closing ceremony at the end of the year, forest opening ceremony at the beginning of the year... and participates in Muong culture teaching classes as an instructor.

According to artisan Thuong: Mr. Mo is the person who presides over the activities of the Mo ritual. Each Mo ritual involves the participation of many people and many rituals. Mr. Mo organizes the ritual, directs the preparation of offerings, guides the participants, performs the ritual, and most importantly, performs the Mo. Mr. Mo is the person who has the ability to connect with the gods and has enough "power" to satisfactorily resolve all religious needs in the Mo ritual.

Mr. Thuong shared: As a Mo master and being awarded the title of "Meritorious Artisan" by the State, I feel that I have more responsibility to promote the value of the heritage by preserving and passing it on to the next generation. While I am still healthy, I must try my best to prevent Mo Muong from being lost.

The Muong people always respect and value the presence of the Mo master, so the Mo master is not a profession. Because a profession must have income, and the Mo master's presence in the life of the Muong people is responsible for connecting "yin - yang", conveying people's wishes and desires as well as reminding each person to live a better life every day. Not everyone can become a Mo master and being a Mo master is not to get rich.

The "folk" Mo men

In many community-related matters, we have always understood that “If the name is right, the words will be smooth”, but in reality, in Muong villages, even though they have not been recognized as excellent artisans, or are not even on the list of Mo masters, even though they have practiced Mo Muong for 40-50 years, they are still respected, trusted by the people and appear in important events of Muong families. They are the folk Mo masters, with a “title” but not a “legal name”.

According to 2021 data, Thanh Son district has a population of 140,000 with 32 ethnic groups living together. Of which, the Muong people account for 60% with about 84,000 people. However, in the heritage inventory conducted by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2023, Thanh Son district does not have Mo Muong. Why is there such a paradox? Even though Mo plays an extremely important role in the life of the Muong people.

A typical example is Mr. Dinh Van Thanh, born in 1955 and currently residing in Zone 11 Dong Chom, Tat Thang Commune. He is one of the "old trees" who practice many types of Muong culture, including Mo Muong. His reputation spreads far beyond Tat Thang land and neighboring areas. He is present in almost all local people's ceremonies as well as classes to teach and preserve Muong culture from the district to the province.

Although he has spent 43 years pursuing the cause of preserving Muong culture in his homeland, including Mo Muong, and has been trusted by the people to hold both the positions of Party Cell Secretary and Head of the residential area, managing both "underworld" and "earthly" affairs, it seems that artisan Thanh is still "forgotten" in the inventory of Mo Muong heritage.

Or Tu Vu commune is the capital of the Muong ethnic group in Thanh Thuy district with a population of nearly 7,000 people. Comrade Khuat Dinh Quan - Cultural officer of Tu Vu commune confirmed: "The commune does not have a Mo master but only 3 shamans who specialize in "spiritual" work, taking care of the spirituality and worshiping the local people".

Mr. Dinh Van Chien, born in 1967, currently residing in zone 18, is the most famous shaman in Tu Vu commune. He is the 6th generation to be taught the worship rituals of the Muong people. Since 2007, Mr. Chien has been traveling alone on his motorbike throughout the provinces of Hoa Binh, Son La, and Ninh Binh to learn from the masters of Muong culture, including Mo Muong. It was truly a pilgrimage to find lost pieces of his homeland's culture. After 17 years, Mr. Chien has acquired a certain amount of knowledge of Muong culture, but until now, Mr. Chien is still only a shaman.

That shows that the number of 31 artisans listed is only relative. In the Muong community, there are still many "people-proclaimed" Mo masters. They are the ones who "spin silk from their heart", although anonymous, diligently protect the proud heritage of the Muong people.

Being recognized as a Mo master or honored by the State is a source of pride for the Mo master and the Muong community, affirming their contributions and encouraging them to continue contributing to the preservation of the heritage. However, honor is not the only factor that determines the survival of this heritage. The development of life, society and cultural exchange between ethnic groups in the same residential area have had a significant impact on the cultural life of the Muong people. In fact, in Phu Tho province, the number of Mo masters is decreasing and aging, causing Mo Muong - a living heritage to face many difficulties and limitations in preserving and conserving. This issue will be mentioned in the next issue.

Thanh Tra - Thu Huong - Thuy Trang

Source: https://baophutho.vn/khoi-nguon-dong-chay-mo-muong-225166.htm