Musical instruments and items in Mo H'ra village
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Musical instruments and objects in Mo H'ra village
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INTRODUCE

Another important aspect of life in Mo H'ra are the objects used in daily activities. From musical instruments to weapons, from fishing tools to cooking utensils, these objects tell the story of the simple daily life of the Bahnar people. Currently, in Mo H'ra, these objects are being preserved in the traditional communal house of the village. Village elder Dinh H'mưnh is the one who calls on everyone to contribute objects to the traditional house for display. 

Village elder Dinh H'mưnh said: 

 “At first, I encouraged people to contribute items, but they didn’t understand what they were for. I had to go into each house to talk to them so they could understand what was on display in the communal house. Once they understood, everyone happily chose the most beautiful and valuable items to put in the communal house. I opened the door to anyone who wanted to come in and see the communal house, because in our village, we need to have items to show and tell, so that people will know how we live.”

All information posted in the Connecting Heritage Digital Collection is contributed by the community and is for reference only. The Program is not responsible for any differences from the information stated in the Digital Collection and disclaims any liability arising from the use of information from this Collection. For more information, please visit Community Rules.

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Ting ning

Made from zinc wire, old bamboo tubes, a type of bamboo, and a large hollow gourd, the bigger the gourd, the louder the sound. The ting ning sounds during the new rice harvest ceremony, weddings, warehouse closing ceremonies, and farming days. The strings of the ting ning are tuned to the sound of each gong in the gong set. When playing for a singer, the strings are tuned to match the singer's voice. The ting ning is compact and can be worn on the body to be played anytime, anywhere.

Glông or gơi (stringed zither)

The gông is as tall as a standing person’s hand, made from 10-13 dried bamboo tubes that are carved to the appropriate size. Only two or three bamboo tubes old enough and evenly yellow can be selected from a bamboo bush to make the instrument. The instrument maker chooses suitable bamboo tubes, then carves them to create the correct sound. The instrument maker must know how to listen to music to adjust the notes when carving accurately. Dinh Dung, a gông player in the village, said: “In the past, the gông was tied to the wall of a hut in the field. Every time it was played, the sound echoed far away, and wild animals heard it, knowing that there were people, monkeys, and wild boars coming to destroy the field that I was taking care of. Living alone in the field, with the instrument there, when I played, I also felt happy.”

Tak - The Spear

It is an indispensable tool when the Bahnar people have the opportunity to go to the forest. People who go into the forest carry a tak, which is used as a walking stick, to chase away animals, and to hunt. The tak is about the same length as a standing person's head. Tall people use a long tak, short people use a short tak. Tak is made from the trunk of an old, solid le tree (of the same bamboo family), with an iron blade, made in the village blacksmith's workshop.

Srá – Crossbow

In the Bahnar village, every house with a son must have a homemade srá. Dinh Minh's first srá was made by his father. Since he was five or six years old, he has used the srá to practice hunting with his friends in the village. The wing of the srá, called gơr, is made of say wood, a type of wood that is strong but flexible; even if you pull hard, the wing of the srá will not break. The head of the srá is made of rosewood, which is hard and does not wear out. The srá's trigger used to be made of deer antlers, but is now often carved from buffalo horns. When kept in the house, the srá must be hung on the roof; it is taboo to leave it on the ground, as this will make the srá no longer sensitive. The srá follows a Bahnar man until he dies, and is placed in the tomb to be used in the afterlife. It takes about three consecutive days to complete a srá.

So hrok and pam pak – So hrok and pam pak

Stream fish is an indispensable part of the daily meals of the villagers. Early in the morning, the men of the house go to the stream, choose a section of the stream with strong current, build a high bank to direct the water flow. People dig a hole in the bank and put the hrok in, the fish will follow the water flow and be pressed to the bottom of the hrok. With the pam pak, the fisherman places the fish on both sides of the bank, the fish will swim with the water flow and fall into the pam pak, blocked by the trap and cannot swim out. The trap of the pam pak is the most difficult part to make, if not done firmly, the fish can struggle to escape. The caught fish will be put in a not (basket) to bring home, leaving the hrok and pam pak on the stream bank for the next day's catch. The hrok and pam pak are usually woven by people themselves from small rattan and le stalks. The Bahnar people have a funny saying: "Men who wake up early in the morning, brave the cold, go to the stream to wash their faces and catch fish will have fish to eat. Those who just sit by the fire to warm their faces will have nothing to eat."

Tdrer and Tpal – Mortar and Pestle

Pestle and mortar are items that can be found in the kitchen corner of any Bahnar house. In almost every meal, the pestle and mortar will be used to prepare the food, sometimes to pound rice to cook, sometimes to grind forest leaves to make spices. Usually, the son in the family will go find wood to make a pestle and mortar for his mother or wife. The pestle is made of black fig tree, the mortar is made of myrtle wood. A good set of pestle and mortar can be used for up to 40 years. Each Bahnar family may only need one mortar, but the number of pestles will correspond to the number of people participating in the kitchen. If the family has a man also participating in the kitchen, there may be two or three pestles used. Because of the necessity of the pestle and mortar in the kitchen, a Bahnar couple having their own pair of pestle and mortar also means an independent life, separate from their parents' family. Mr. Dinh Minh said: "When we first moved in together, we didn't have a mortar and pestle. When cooking, we had to run to my grandparents' house to borrow one. That's when I realized I needed my own set. Once I had it, I felt like I could go anywhere."

Patterned basket

Patterned baskets are used in Bahnar weddings, prepared by the men to carry things for the bride, to carry cotton thread, fabric for making shirts, and fabric for making loincloths. The technique of weaving patterned baskets is copied from the technique of creating patterns when weaving. Starting from the xoan wood base, the patterned basket is woven from the bottom up, shaped by rattan strings attached perpendicularly to the base and gradually woven to the mouth to complete. Patterned baskets usually have only two colors, rattan thread color, plain le thread, and black, dyed with a mixture of sap from the bark of the Barringtonia tree mixed with charcoal. A pair of patterned baskets will be placed in the house by the newlywed couple, commemorating the recent wedding.

Khel – Shield

Khel is usually made of wood or metal, today the Bahnar people make khel from bamboo. In the past, the Bahnar people used khel as a tool to block arrows or attacks from wild animals. Nowadays, the Bahnar people weave khel from bamboo and use them as dancing tools during festivals, the khel dancer often goes first as if to protect the group following behind.

Bet - Gong knob

Bahnar gongs include three types: hoanh gongs, tur gongs and Hoa Binh gongs. Each gong is named by the Bahnar and associated with a blood relationship, mostly female characters. For example, the biggest gong has a glụ for grandmother, a che for mother, and a bêt for granddaughter. In the picture is a bet, the smallest gong in the gong set.

Ding Chon – Blown Instrument

Ding Chon is a musical instrument of the Bahnar people. In ancient times, when there were no musical instruments, the Bahnar people used small bamboo tubes and made them into instruments to blow out different melodies.

Knife - Knife

In the past, Bahnar people often carried knives when going to the forest to protect themselves from wild animals. In addition, in the buffalo stabbing festival, a young man would hold a knife and perform the buffalo stabbing ritual.

Knưih – Grinding stone

In the past and present, the Bahnar people are using knuih. When going to the forest or the fields, they always carry knives or axes to chop down trees and firewood. When these tools are worn out, they take out the knuih and sharpen them to make them sharper.

Bram – Mask

Bram is an item used in the grave-leaving ceremony. The masked people go first, as if representing the ancestors to warmly welcome and escort the soul to the ghost world.

Agal – Hat

Agal is a hat that men use as an accessory. In the past, the Bahnar people used it as a headgear when beating gongs in major village festivals.

Sgor – Drum

The Sgor is made of wood and covered with buffalo skin. In the past and today, the Bahnar people use the Sgor to announce gatherings or to announce the death of someone. The Sgor is also used during festivals, accompanied by a gong team.

Portrait of musical instrument player and objects

VIDEO

Video interview about music - instruments

(The spelling of the local words in this note is the way the locals transliterate themselves into Mandarin (Vietnamese) the way they pronounce it. This means that there may be different pronunciations and do not follow the same standard.)

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