The Co Tu people tell stories about the divine snake.

Old Bríu Pố tells stories about the divine snake.

My Child's Story

Elder Bríu Pố recounts an oral tradition of the Cơ Tu people: long ago, in a certain village, there lived two sisters who often went with the villagers to search for crabs and snails. One day, at the foot of a high mountain, they encountered a strange creature lying across a stream. It had no head, no tail, only the middle part of its long body, with beautiful skin, so the two sisters touched it with their hands. It turned out to be a giant serpent spirit (Gur ga'yang), which had flown down from the sky to harm the villagers.

“In a certain village, there lived an uncle and nephew who were blacksmiths, but their family was very poor. One day, the nephew accidentally stumbled upon the dwelling of a divine snake and two beautiful women. After learning of the snake's evil intentions, the young man resolved to fight and rescue the two sisters, bringing peace back to the village…” – Elder Bríu Pố, a Cơ Tu man from Arớh village (Lăng commune, Tây Giang district), sat in his house, enthusiastically telling a fairy tale to the children.

That poor boy was Con Tui, kind and intelligent, but often looked down upon by the villagers. Con Tui used a sword as thick as a banana leaf, forged by his uncle, to fight and rescue two girls.

Nowadays, whenever a heavy rain is imminent, dark clouds often appear in the sky, strong winds blow, and you can hear rumbling and thundering sounds in the air.

The Co Tu people believe that it was the sound of the serpent's tail struggling in pain during the battle between Con Tui and the serpent god. After killing the serpent and bringing peace to the village, Con Tui married the two sisters and they lived happily ever after.

Lessons in life

According to the Katu village elders, most of the community's folk tales have been passed down orally through generations. Therefore, some of these tales have been lost to time. Besides the story of Con Tưi, the Katu folk tale treasury contains many stories about snakes, pythons (ch'gruôn), and even dragon gods (bha'zưa, zéc hoo). Each story has a different origin, mainly explaining natural phenomena, the land, rivers, and streams...

The battle between the serpent god and Con Tưi, as depicted in the sculptures of old Bríu Pố.

Mr. Alang Dan, from Bhlo Ben village (Song Kon commune, Dong Giang district), said that for the Co Tu people, snakes appear not only in folk tales but also in the architecture of the village communal house (gươl). This sacred animal represents the community's reverence for the god Ka'xanh. Because the god Ka'xanh, whether wicked or benevolent, is always connected to human life, aiming to unite all things.

The carving of snake imagery onto the gươl architecture also implies a display of strength and power by the Cơ Tu village community.

“In the old days, the Co Tu people knew many folk tales. Every time the upland rice harvest came around, when the rice was spread out to dry on the kitchen racks, family members would gather around the fire, listening to the elders tell stories, roasting corn and cassava... and enjoying a warm cup of tea. The stories told by the elders often had rhymes, with interspersed folk songs, making them very captivating. Now, it's rare to hear adults tell stories, so many generations of Co Tu people don't know much about their ancestors' folk tales anymore,” Mr. Dan confided.

The image depicts snakes and pythons carved on the architecture of the Co Tu communal house. Photo: ALANG NGUOC

Elder Bríu Pố said that, in addition to explaining natural phenomena, through the stories told, the Cơ Tu people also want to educate their children about filial piety, the spirit of helping the community, and the good qualities of the people of the mountainous region...

“Even the story of Con Tui, if you think more deeply about it, it's not just about a Gur ga'yang creature intending to harm people, but it also explains the phenomenon of thunderstorms before the rain. At the same time, it carries humanistic values ​​about honesty, selfless help to the community, and protecting the villagers. Furthermore, this folk tale reminds people not to judge or look down on others based on appearances. Perhaps we ourselves are not as good as them. That is a lesson in being a good person,” emphasized Elder Briu Po.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nguoi-co-tu-ke-chuyen-ran-than-3148286.html