With a dominant agriculture, buffalo has always been an important symbol in the material and spiritual life of the Vietnamese ethnic community in general and the San Chay people in particular. The image of buffalo not only appears in the living space but also forms the customs, practices or unique musical instruments of the San Chay people.
The image of buffalo and the living space of San Chay people
According to the legend of the San Chay people, buffalo is an extremely important image in the spiritual life. Because, in their opinion, the buffalo skin is the boat that takes people across the deep river and swift water. It is no coincidence that the houses of the San Chay people in Phu Luong district, Thai Nguyen province are divided into male and female buffaloes. The San Chay people thought the house was like a buffalo (water ox), the four legs of buffalo were four pillars, the sesame was like ribs, the roof of the back was covered with buffalo skin and covered with dragon scales, the buffalo's head was The main direction of the house, with sharp horns and alert eyes, ward off evil spirits, plagues, wars and the most important role for them is to welcome gentle people, protect the peace of the house. Besides, in the living space of San Chay people, the barrel of bran was placed at the foot of the main column, Next to the door is considered the stomach of the magic buffaloes, people and cattle cling to here to live. Therefore, it is a sacred place in the home, a place of worship for the family. Buffaloes imbued with animistic elements in the beliefs of San Chay people.
Buffalo mascots and taboos
San Chay people abstain from offering meat: buffaloes, dogs, swans and ducks (only offering ducks when doing drought ceremony). Agriculture is a key economic activity, based on the pulling power of cattle and buffaloes, so the San Chay people thought: "Buffaloes eat fake grass, we eat real grass", fake grass is natural grass, real grass is the rice due to the plowing power of the buffalo. People who eat buffalo meat mean "to oppose it, to be guilty". Before the August Revolution (1945), in some places where families had female buffaloes, people made rice trays to report to their ancestors for their children's health.
The custom of "worshiping dead buffaloes" of San Chay people
In the traditional rituals of the San Chay people, buffaloes were considered as benevolent gods, therefore, in their funeral rituals, there used to be a custom of worshiping dead buffaloes. Where the old buffaloes died, people left their buffaloes there and then went back to the village to pick up the master to come and open the ceremony.
According to the custom, the owner had to buy a tray of offerings to the sorcerer before bringing the buffalo to the tomb. The tray consists of a large castrated rooster that has cut open the boiled intestines, four bowls of sticky rice, on which each bowl puts a raw egg in the sense that each buffalo dies, the owner will have four new buffaloes. There are also votive offerings, betel nut, wine and decorative colored paper. When the worshiping ceremony is finished, the healthy young men in the village cut down bamboo trees or use wooden trees arranged in palanquin to carry enough people and take the buffaloes' bodies to burial, and then burial them into 2m high, 3m wide and 5m-long graves. The owner will be the last to burn incense on the grave before leaving. Also according to this custom, every year until the 30th day of the Lunar New Year, the homeowners again burn incense and code until the end of January 15 to invite the spirits of the dead buffaloes to celebrate Tet, to bless their families.
Unique ground drum from buffalo skin
Like the horn of the Mong people, the Tày tree of the Tày people, the drum is an indispensable instrument in the cultural life of the San Chay people. The drum is fairly simple. The artisans dug a deep pit with a diameter of 35cm, 60cm high, kneading the soil to make a drum, then let it dry for a few days and then stretch the buffalo's skin to make a drum (now the drum face is replaced by wood) of the twisted tree because of the cross grain of the wood, when the pin is firm and the drum drum echoes). Artisan Hau Thanh Tinh (Phu Luong, Thai Nguyen) said: When swinging the drumstick directly into the drum surface, the drums resounded deeply and deep into the sky and dived deep into the ground as a human message. Pleading to the gods, ancestors bless the villagers with a peaceful life, good crops, healthy and happy people.
Ethnic cultural identity
Buffaloes are considered to be "souls and souls" that make up the cultural characteristics, not only being the animistic element of the San Chay beliefs but also buffalo occupying an important position in the spiritual life. It not only influences and dominates the habits and lifestyles of the people, but also deeply expresses the ethnic cultural identity. From the depth of meaning, thinking about the "buffalo" symbol in the mind of the San Chay people, we understand more valuable qualities about sacrifice, patience, hard work and virtue as well as health, endurance of "buffalo" which is considered to be "speculation of their business". Facing cultural interference in modern life, the traditional culture of San Chay people was more or less lost. Facing that reality, functional agencies need certain guidelines and policies to preserve the cultural beauty of the people.
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