The Cha Mun Festival of the Black Thai
The Cha Mun Festival is one of the significant traditional folk and cultural festivals of the Black Thai in Yen Thang commune, Lang Chanh district, Thanh Hoa province.
During the festival, the local people are filled with excitement and joy, engaging in vibrant community activities. For Thay mo (the traditional healers), it is an occasion to reflect on their three-year journey of practicing herbal medicine and saving lives.
According to the folklore of the Black Thai in Yen Thang, humans in Muong Lum (the mortal world) were afflicted by a devastating epidemic with no known cure. The ancestral leaders of the Black Thai decided to send someone to Muong troi (the heavenly realm) to seek help from Po Then, who is the spiritual ruler of the Muong Troi in the beliefs of the Thai. Po Then agreed to assist and opened the gates of the heavens, releasing a silk thread to guide the celestial troops in their mission to eradicate evil spirits and treat illnesses, thus saving the people of Muong Lum.
In gratitude and to learn the secrets of healing, the Black Thai ancestral leaders sent individuals with the ability to follow the silk thread back to Muong troi. They expressed their appreciation and acquired the knowledge of medicinal practices. As per the promise made to Po Then, after practicing the healing work or three to five years, these individuals, known as "Mo Mun" (healer apprentices), are required to perform the Cha Mun ceremony to express their gratitude to Po Then and also to seek blessings for their profession. Since then, the Cha Mun Festival has been annually celebrated by the local people in the months of September and October (according to the lunar calendar).
Before the festival, the Thay mo will announce and invite the previously healed patients to prepare offerings to contribute to the festival, which takes place at the Thay mo's house. The Thai people erect a booc may, which is a tall bamboo pole, in the center of the courtyard. The booc may is adorned with various flowers and other symbolic representations of all living creatures such as birds, fish, frogs, elephants and horses. It serves as the focal point of the Cha Mun Festival, around which all festival activities take place.
The Thay mo also place two jars of can wine, one for inviting Po Then and the other to invite guests to attend the festival. The main offering tray called pan thon is offered to Po Then and the souls of previous generations of Mo Mun. The remaining extra ceremony trays are for receiving the troops going from Muong Troi to earth to attend the Cha Mun festival.
The ceremony begins with the Thay mo conducting rituals to invite Po Then and the spirits of the departed Thay mo to attend the Cha Mun Festival and seek permission to commence the festivities. Following that, he performs ceremonial offerings and distributes blessings and medicinal treatments to the local villagers. He also reads prayers and supplications to the divine spirits, requesting favorable weather, abundant harvests, and good health for the community.
After the ceremonial rituals, the formal part of the festival concludes, and the villagers come together to celebrate the joyous occasion. The sound of drums and gongs fills the air as people join hands and perform traditional dances such as the scarf dance and the bamboo pole dance, unique folk games and the vibrant melodies of traditional folk songs.
By Viet Cuong/VNP Translated by NguyenTuoi