RICE-RELATED BELIEFS OF SOME ETHNIC GROUPS BELONGING TO THE MON-KHMER FAMILY LANGUAGES
NGUYEN THI QUE LOAN
Tóm tắt
The ethnic groups belonging to the Mon-Khmer family languages believe in polytheism. With the concept of animism, they believe that the universe in general and rice in particular has body and soul; then, they develop the belief about the life cycle of rice. The performance of different rituals that mark important moments in the rice growing cycle (such as soil selection for cultivation, seed sowing, rice production regime when rice stalks are shooting up, harvesting...) aims to beg the spirits for good weather and a prosperous life. In addition, it refects the people's indigenous knowledge of crop cultivation, and most importantly, their behavior with respect to the natural environment. Therefore, dealing with spirits means dealing with the community, and this is a good way for people to educate their children to appreciate those who help themselves
