Lables: Ethnic Groups, Khmu ethnic group, Mon-Khmer Group
Proper name: Kmu, Kho Mu, Kum Mu.
Other names: Xa Cau, Kha Klau, Mang Cau, Tay Hay, Mun Xen, Pu Thenh, Tenh
Population: 42,853 people (1999 census).
Language: The Khmu speak a language that belongs to the Mon-Khmer language group (Austroasiatic language family).
History: The Khmu are one of the oldest inhabitants in the northwest of Vietnam. There are also some Khmu in the mountains of Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An provinces who immigrated to Vietnam from Laos.
Production activities: The Khmu live mainly by cultivating terraced field, thus they are called "Xa an lua". Outside the mainstream of population who are nomadic, the rest of the Khmu have settled in one place and follow an agricultural cycle. They plant mainly rice and corn, but also pumpkin, bean, and other root vegetables. Their tools includes the axe, knife, hoe, and especially a pointed digging stick used to make holes in the ground when planting seeds. These can be single or double sticks with an iron head, and can be used for many years. Gathering fruit and hunting still play an important role in their economy. Handicrafts include basketry, particularly of household items, and in some places, the Khmu do forging, carpentry, and textile weaving. Trading is mainly done on the barter system, by exchanging goods for goods. In the past, shells called kxoong were used as currency. The Khmu raise water buffaloes, cows, chickens for transportation, food and religious purposes.
Diet: The Khmu like to steam rice and corn, " mixed with cassava. They love to eat spicy, sour, and bitter foods, and grilled foods like cheo, nam pia, ca chua, etc.
Clothing: The Khmu dress in a style similar to the Thai, but a little bit different in their way of decorating the front of women's blouses with linear patterns of coins and snail shells. Today, the majority of Khmu, especially the men, dress in casual clothes like the , Thai and the Viet.
Housing: Today, the Khmu live in the provinces of Yen Bai, Son La, and Lai Chau. Because they are nomadic peoples, their villages are usually small and scattered all over. Their house are built on stilts and made with columns, bamboo wattle walls, and bamboo floors. In many places today, the Khmu have built more permanent houses.
Transportation: The Khmu use carrying baskets with handles placed on the forehead, with a noose for the shoulder. In addition, they also use several kinds of carrying bags. Those Khmu who are farmers use bamboo baskets carried by shoulder poles.
Social organization: The Khmu have close relationships with those in the same family line and those who are neighbors, especially their Thai neighbors. Each village has inhabitants from different family trees. Each of these has a leader. There is already segregation between rich and poor in the village. The Khmu's surnames are from names, of animals, birds, plants; they can be divided into three groups. Those who bear animal's names include tiger, fox, civet cat... Surnames like bird's names include the great horn bill, wagtail, hen, and greater coucal... The group that has plant's names includes garlic, fern, etc. In addition, there are some names of inanimate objects such as pig muzzle, soup ladle...
Marriage: Marriage among the Khmu is by free choice. In marriage, remnants of matriarchy can still be seen through customs as living with the girl's family, husband bears wife's name, remarrying to the wife's siblings, the husband's sisters. Some steps that a marriage has to go through are pre-engagement ceremony,, a period when the groom stays with the bride's family, wedding at the bride's house, and the ceremony that brings the bride to the husband's home. Young men and women are free to date, but the marriage decision belongs to parents, especially to the bride's mother's brother. He also decides the amount of money and gifts that the groom has to give to the bride's family.
Funerals: Funerals of the Khmu include many religious rituals. There is an especially a long worshiping ritual for the dead person, which last for hours before the corpse is buried.
New House: Moving to a new house is a happy occasion not only for the family, but also for the whole village. The owner kills pigs and invites the villagers over for a feast. This is also an occasion for them to perform communal cultural activities.
Festivals: Besides the Lunar New Year, the Khmu also celebrate the New Rice Festival, which is held after the October (Lunar calendar) harvest. This is a happy occasion for the whole village after a period of hard working. This New Rice Festival also displays distinctive cultural trait of the Khmu. Moreover, they still have many rituals connected to agriculture and planting.
Beliefs: The Khmu believe that there are 5 most important spirits, the spirits of Heaven, Earth, Serpent, Ancestor, and the House. These are spirits who bring good things to the people, but sometimes when they get angry, they will sow disaster. Rituals for the House Spirit occur on New Year's or festival occasions, or when there are ill people in the house. An altar for the House Spirit is placed on a high shelf in the kitchen. Ancestors are worshiped in a private room to avoid the gaze of strangers. Each family line still keeps the custom of worshiping the founding ancestors with distinctive rituals and actions. Calendar: Beside using the Thai's calendar, the Khmu also count hours and days according to the ca la table to arrange for a marriage or to build a new house.
Education: Many people know how to read and write in Thai.
Artistic activities: There is a beloved and familiar folksong melody called Tom. It is both lyric and historic, sung in a call and response way. The Khmu like to dance, to play different kinds of flutes, and to play home-made bamboo instruments. They are especially noted for one kind of clarion.
Games: During the holidays, children often play badminton, humming-top, and other traditional games.
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