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CUSTOMS AND TABOOS OF SELECTED TRIBES ESIDING ALONG THE WESTERN BORDER OF HE REPUBLI C OF VIETNAM

Skaidrite Mal iks Fallah

The American University ashington, D.C.

February 1967

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CINFAC

CUSTOMS AND TABOOS OF

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OlSTRIBur:ON Of THIS DDrU~UH IS JNUMITEO' -

I~I RESEARCH PERFORMED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

I The Center for Research in Social Systems (CRESS) of the American Universiq- operates utder contract with the De­partment of the Army and conducts or B".lhcontracl:t1 for soell4 ' £lclence research in support of Army requirements. . 0>

Views or conclusions contained in CRES.9 reports are those Qf CRESS and the authors, ami should nat be interpreted as representing official policies of the Department of the Army or of the United States Government. ", ... '

Comm.ents and/or questions 'OIl this report are invited iIhd ,1- . r~" should be addrelJ8eCl to CRESS.

THIS RlPOlT IMY If. DE5TIImlD WHUI ,.0 lONlLlt MED£O

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CUSTOMS AND TABOOS

OF SELECTED TRIBES

RESIDING ALONG THE

WESTERN BORDER OF THE

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

by

Skaidrite Malik. Fallah

February 1967

DLSTRIBUTION or THIS DOCU~ENT IS UNllMIT£D

CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SYSTEMS The Amtlr;ClfIn University 5010 Wi$t:Dn;fi" A .... nll., N.W.. W.shingron. D.C. 200'6

CINFAC CULTURAL INfORMATION ANALYSIS CENTER

I

ABSTRACT

This study pr('sl·flt~ mformation on the customs and taboos of the tribes residing- alollg ;;dt'cted trails leading into the Republic of Vietnam. The nine tribes studied were selected primarily for their size, prominence, and loca­tion along thE' ('ommon border of the Repuhlic of Vietnam, Laos, and Cam­b<xlia. Physical characteristics and religious beliefs are also discussed.

This H'port orlginat<,'d as CRF:SS CIl\FAC R-O·1.::!6. R .. s('areh and wrilmg were rompietpd ll\ Apnl I Clfifi.

PREFACE

This study c()n5i~ts of hrief flotes un the ('\Istoms and taboos (;If the tribes residing along ;,elected trails leading into the RHpubilc of V,etnam.

Nine tri~s wer,' selt'cted, priInaniy for their si.le iUld prominence, and fOT their location along the common border of tht' Republic of Vietnam, Laos,

and Cambodia. The order of prt'sentation of the tribes in this report is along geographic

lines, running from north to south, beginning with the 17th parallel and con­tinuing down the entin lcugth of the western border of the Republic of Vietll.llm. In addltion to an o,'erail map showing area coverage, maps of each tribal area

have been included. Generally, information on Montagnard customs and taboos is fragmentary

and limited in scope, based primarily on a few available published sources. Consequently, no attempt has bern made to preSf'Ilt cUb-toms and tab<x>s sole:ly related to the trails themselves. but included also are folk beliefs related to eating and drinking, animals, wartar .. , nontribal members, and village."! and houses. Separat .. sections h.ave been included on tbe psychologiea\ charactef­istJ("S and rdigious beliefs of the individual tribes, sillee th .. y are so closely

integrated with the main theme.

'"

1

COJ\'TEI"t'TS

Pag~'

Abst:'aC't . H

PrefacE' iii

The Eru

The K.atu

The Jch 10 BLANK PAGE The Sedang I.

The Halang 19

The Jarai 22

The Made 28

The ?ll 'nong 3. The SHeng .

38 Bibliograpby •

43 Distliootion List

47

DD Form 1473 . 49

MAPS

Map of Nine Tribal Areas vi Tbe Brn. , The Katll

6 The Jeh . 11 The Sedang

15

The Halang 20

The Jarai 23

The Rhade . 2. The M'lIong

35 The Stieng . 3.

(

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

---- TRIBAL AREA BOUNDARY

----- INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY

~ - - - PROVINCE BOUNDARY

o NATIONAL CAPITAL

,,,-,;- ~-: ( < - ~-, ,

Tribal Areas of Selected Groups in THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

I

THE BRV

PSl'CHOLOGICi\L CfiARACTF Il.I.'>TlCS

Th," Ilru, Ilk, oth<T Mont:!b'llap! tnht's, are psychologically eom('stwd in a strong tradition of spt<ci[a; rult:s which ~)n'rn "I: asp<cl'ts of human behaVior. From e«rli",st childhood the tribesmen :tfC reared according [(, tilesoc customs and taboos.

Thl' r,dld lhat the ~pirits ",i!l pumsh any viobtion of the customary rulE'S proVldes the nCC­es~;ary sanction" to thf' code a[ m.havior. The Hru Ilv(- in constant fear of punishmf'nt by the Spil'"it.'l. I In thelf marginal existence, each potentially fatal catastJ:"opht'-such a~ crop fallure or an epidemic-is regarded as punitive. Consequently. during every moment of their lives, the Brn are alert to particular omens frDm the spIrits,

RELIGIOUS eEUEFS

Religion plays a domina.nt role in the lives of the Bru. Their animistic religion involves be­lief In a host of pd and e~il spirits, Although details of the religious tradition rna)' vary from Vlllage to village, the fWlCiarnental beliefs and practices are Similar throughout the Flrn area.

The most important ~irit.s are the spirit of the sky, the spirit of the paddy, and the spirit of u.e village. other spirits are allllociated With the S\I1l, moon, earth, tJrunder, and such terrain features as mountaillS, patches of forest, and prominent rocks. The BTU belie"", spirit!'; also inhabit animals, rice wille jarll, the family hearth, tools, and household objects." The comtnll.na1 hoWle located in the cemer "f the village is lIacred to the spirit of the village. If offended by a vill8.iE'r riolating a law or taboo, all spirits, good or evil, are believed able to cause misfortnne III the fonn of accidents, illness, or death. 3

The principal religious rltI.lal is the sacrifice of animals. To gain favor with a particu.lar spirit, thus obtaining more benefits from him; to placate spirits after a law or taboo bas beell broken, thus prcTenting crop failure, epidemics, and other mJafort1mes for the village-these are the principal purposes (If the m1cnfice.

ReligiOUS sacrifices vary froD) offering an egg to slaying a buffalo. Village elders conduct sacrifices affecting the village as a whole, while family aDd personal Mt.cs are the responsibility of the family or the individual concE'rned.

The sacrifices themsf'ives involve a number of rites: an lnvocational prayer Intended as Ill!

invitation to the relevant spirits to attend Ul€ sacrificial ceremony and as an expression of the wishes of the person making the Racrifice; the ceremonial slaying of an animal !chicken, pig, or buffalo); thp offering to the spirits of tiw blood and flesh of the slain animal by displaying them in oowls, along Vrith ricE' and other foods; and the drinking of rice ",ine and the eating of the sac­rificial animal. Til", Bru lwlit've that th", spirits partakr of thc offering In the bowls, the rice .... ine, and the cooked meat. 4

Major Bru sacrifict's are asso(;lated ",itl> the agricultural cycle-clearIng the forest, planting the rice, and harvesting tht' 'TOpS.

!':,'cn' BTU participatps aC'liwly in .<;acrifices, Apparently there are no special practitioners or sorccr<>rs. Invocations or pray<'rs to the spirits are uS\lal1~' mad", by the elders of the village or elders of tht' fami!).

CUSTOMS AND TABOOS

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Cl"STO!<O(S AND TABOOS

.-\lm(l5[ all Ilru ;Jetl' itlC» "r" reg-oJ\3tpd !ely numerous customs and t:looos ThE'~~ ruks for Bru beh~\ "w han" been p~s5ed down from ~ner~tion to ~neration unlil they h;!,,!' 3tL'lin~d th~

fuJ:c" of ClbtvIDarl' 1;IW It ~hould bot: puinted OUI. however, that tribesmen who are in re~ar

contact wit!> Vletnl'tmeSe and Americans may not observe their customs and taboos a~ eiolleiy as do the tribesmen living in ,;reat.er isolation [rom outside influences

Tht' rules goverJlifJ~ Bru behavior fall into three groups: prohibitions against mentioning .:erbin words or subjects; taboos or prohibitions whose violation requires sacrificel'l W placate "ffended spiTl\s :lIId to restore harmony; and pronouncements of the proper use of cerb.in obJects.' The followlIl! list includes some of the known cUf;ltoms and taboos of the Bru tribe.

Folk Beliefs

When sleepiu~ inllide a house a tribesman must not point bis feet toward any religious objectil, such as statues lII'Oveu of bamboo 6

Blue is a favorite color .

Evil spirits cause sickuess, The Bru think that on!y sacrifices to tbe spirits can cure illness.

In order to insure the fertility of the soil and a good crop, the paddy is not allowed to burn or fall into II fire Furtberm.ore, no one may speak while detacb.i.ng the grains of rice from the stalk. ~

During an animal sacrifice, all tribel!lJDeIl. prellenl must participate in the drinking of rice wine.

The Bru believe that the spirits con­sider the buffalo to be representative of wan

The color blue is freq1i.ently worked into clothing designs. 1 Consequently, blue is characteristic of attraction rather than re­pulsion.

Sorcerers-men or women-determlZle through divination the spirit responsible for the illDess and the kind of sacrifice aeces­SlU')' to cure the affllcted perllOlI.,1

Unles9 all participants drink, the sacri­fice i.9 beUeved to be ~ffectual, the splrltil being offended., IQ

Buffaloes ll.ave names IU1d are oonsidered members of the village. Durillg 11 sacrifice, the buffalo represel'lt.s the grievances or de­sires of the famUy, household, or vUlage. The eatlDg of the flel!lh of the sacrificed bIillalo (wh.ich is divided Il.DIOI1g the spirits, 1a.mily, !\lid vUlage) represents a kind of CQmmmlion U!l.iUng them all. 11

J

FOOTNOTES

lSpCCI:.tl CI! .... rallOlls Ite5E'arch Office, Ethnog'raphk Stm.i; Senes' Sek(~tt'd Grou£!5 In thE' .~t.e~~~l~ of \-len:~~.r_llru (Washington. D,C.: Special Oper:Hion~ Hescarch OfflC;:--ll;rZ,­PI!i)!lC;o\lOn copy~. Februar~ 19bC), P 7

!~i~1 p. 1-1

3G.>c'rges!li !<laspero, Montagnard Tribes of South Vletnam (Washington, D,C. Joint Pub-llcatlOns ResE'arch Service ~No. 1:H'13~, 19(2), pr. fi "(

tSORO. The Bru, ~ ,p. 15

'SORO. The Bru, of· cit ,p. 11.

(;l'I1aspero. ~ , p. 9.

;Laura Ircn.: Smith, Vic~!.L!!! Viet };am (Grand Rapids, Mich Zordervan Publishing House, 1965J, P t'S. Daupley. op. cit., P 4-l

sRonald ~forris ReturnE'e Response tu Questionnaire on the Montagnard Tribal Study" (Fort Bragg,:-> C., L.S. Army Special Warfare School, January 1965) .

B~faspero. ~., pp. 8-9.

wSORO, The Bru.~., p. 12

11Ibid

I I I log I

T 1Il'_' K.4 f[

I'"YClIOLOGICAL CllARACTF:RL'iTiCS

ThE' Katu <lre ",ne of those ",arlike :01ontagnard tribes who were m?ver completely pacified by

either the French or the Vietnamese It is believed that even now they engage in bluod RllIlt!l, att:J.cklng- we:llier or UIlSUSpecting victims I'.ith much relish and bloodletting. I However, when their villages are att.1.cked by supenor forces. they often do not fight; instead, they lIbandon their village"" t.u.ry their valuables, and aee into the forest. Under normal circumSUiD.cel, they are quite attached to their vulages and are reluctant to leave them even for a short Jleriod of

time .1 In spite of their warlike nature, the Katu are hospitable and generous, tl:louii:"h tb.e}' te.d to be

vain aJld boastful. l

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The Katu have a large pantheon of good and evil spirits who they believe iDteTTe.e in Ulieir daily lives. While tfte good spirits provIde protection from the evil !!pirits, they may wi1bhold this protection if ~ actiuns of the Katu aruIOy them. When a village is ravaged by disease or when a harvest is lost, the Katu believe the good spirits are angry and must be appeased by a

blood sacrifice. 1 The Kab.i believe that every person possesses two soWs, a good one aod a bad one. The

manner nf death detenrunes the spirit form in which a person'lI IIOu! will surnl'e A"~ death," from natural causes, results in a good spirit; a "bad death," from violence, dllJeaae, or

childbirth, or in a place far from home, results in a bad spirlt. 5

Except for marria~ and death feasts, almost all recurring Kab.i religious cereIl10nies and

festivals occur according to tbe agriculb.tral cycle. Sorcerers are reportedly common in Katu villagell. Among his various other fIuIctions, s

sorcerer inspects the claws of the cock to determine the advisability of an intended wedding or an antiClpated blOflci hunt and to point out sacred places which are taboo.!

Wandering sorcerers, some from Laos, and certain tribesmen considered by the Kab.l to be ver} powerful, travel the Katu territory. selling lustral water and amulets supposedly effective

in warding off all ills.; It appears that anyone may become a great ~orcerer by causing an unusual event LePichon,

an early ohserver, recounts how he if,Hned" reputation as a great sorcerer by using a charge of dynamite \.() put \.() night some formidable sririts who were haunting a small river inlet.!

CLTSTOlllS A:KD TABOOS

Swce thl.' world of the Kaw i" inh~bit.ed b~ innumerable spirIts, many of them evil, the Katu h,n'e recourse to numerous supersl1twus practices, which may be divided into two major cate­

gones: omens and taOOos. Omens eXll';t in (~ountjesH numhcr~ as dreams or signs, suppoeedly v.-arnings from goot.!

spirits th;:.t dHn~J'E'r is uear The foll(.\VlIl,,, lIst Includes some of thc known omens Clild t.'l.OOOS of

the Katu

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C(lC'k5 {'rowing:lt midniiht Toucan t1ym~ toward l~ sun. Sighting a pytilOn. FUldin&: certain types of plants in th8 forest Si1eel,ing when one is about to undertake some important bl.isiness. s

Villages. houses, or fields may be deemed taboo or dien. \\'ben a village is taboo, no one may lcav;;t't. nor are :JlIy straIl~rs allowed to enter. The following are some representative

diens --House in which a woman is lulv~ a

baby-2 days' dien. Before wxlertaking a serious matter, such as selling the harvesl. the village is dien

for 1 day Festl,-als of spring sowing and harvest­Illg-the village is dien for 1 or Z days. Before startUlg a blood hunt-l day's dien for a village. An evil death-village ~ for 1 to 6 months.!!

WaI'Iling signs that evil spirits are nearby include:

Peacock eggs in a path. A large tree uprooted across a trali. A call from the left side of a path of a bird nesting in reeds. U

Evil spirits may assume visHlle forms

such as: A tiger. A cobra hissing in the afteI"llOOn. Flood waters causing a person to drown. !,

Commentary

These signs or omens are suppo.e41y warnings from good spirits that dan&er Is near,

It is •• t kHWD what type8 .f pluu are

'oboo.

A dlen is shown by placing a tree or branch at all places where paths lead into the village, 10 To satisfy tbe ancestors, a dien always requires the sacrllice of a plg,

buftilo, or cock.

An extremely "bact" death, such as being

devoured by a tiger, necessitates the perma­nent abandonment of a village During the taboo period the villagers live in the forest and are forbidden to eat buffalo meat or to build a bouse. Afterwards, a new village is built at a different location. n

Wooden statues are placed at the doors of the new houses, around the village com­munal house, aDd OD familiar traile to frighten away the evil spirIts resulUng from a bad death. The statues have various shapes; grotesque human figures with huge faces; squatting figures with chin re8ting on knees and head between hands; pipe amokerll; and dancing women. 13

The souls of those who die a !ood death watch over theIr desceDdants, protecting them from danr;er In the forest by warnblg them whl!n evil spIrits are nearby.

It Ie Dot known if thil!! taboo refers to a specific type of bird or to any bIrd Jlest1ng.

Folk BdH~fs

Tne buffalo is ,., sacred ,Ulimal The sJ,.-ulls of sacnficed buffalo are kept in th" cOll1munal hOWl,'.

Commf.'ntary

A buffalo is nen'r sold, oocausc it bc-101l!\:s to the ancestors, not to an individual or a vulage. Buf[,,]o me;!! is neve, <'aten mc,eh to satisf} the appetite, but only at <itual ceremonies involving sacnfiee.18 It is believed that the presence of buffalo skulls promotes the fertility of tbe land and prosperity of the village.

It should be noU:d tnat, although the Katu live in a world full of spirits ami superstitions. their [..,ars and sup<'rstitions apparently do not impair their ability to make war t;

F()()T't'OTI~S

:J. LePlchon. "Le~ Chasseurs dp ~an.:: Hul!I"!i.~":'~ A~s du Vie'0 .Hu~, XXV (938), pp.

381 ~3

2Ibid

IIb.d ,p. 366

4!3pecial Operations Research Office, !':thnographic Study Series: Selected Groups in the RepubliC of Vietnam: Tbe Katu (Washington. D.C Special Operations Research Office [pre-

publication copy], November 1965), P 17.

~LePiclion, op. cit., p. 385.

£SORO, ~,op. cit., p. 18.

·LePicbon,~.,pp. 395-97.

!Ibid

~Ibid., P 395

IORicbanl. L. Phillips, "Here Are the Tribes," Jungle Frontiers, XIV (Winter 1962), p. U.

ltLePlcnon,~., p. 396

:2lbid., pp 395 97.

UIbi.d., pp. 369 72.

uIbid., p. 385.

t~Ibld

t'LePichon, ~t., p. 377

I:t: .5. Army SpeCial Warfare School. Montagnard Tribal Groups of the Republic of South ~~ (Fort Bragg, ~.C U.S. Army Special Warfare &bovl, 1965), p. 133.

THEJEH

PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Jeh live in what they see as a hostile world. They believe their Uves are constantly influenced by innumerable good and evil spirits. The Jeh have been characterized as serious, thoughtful, and somewhat fatalistlc.!

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The religion of the Jeh Iii anLmistle They worship all nntural forces, attributing ~pirltual life to the sky. the earth. the water, the tree,;. and other manimate and ,mimatc objects of thetr natural environlIl<'nt . 1 Jeh be licb are motivated by a strung fear of the unknown and of many circlllllstam'f'S believed to cause sLlffenn;.; or death The,,- it'd helplL's~ "nd ~t thp m"r('Y of thP numerous sJilnts respoIlsllJlc for their adverslties. from whom they constantly atlPmpl to ex­tract benefits In return for anim~l s3crifices.3

The Jeh have ~ eommon b\'\jd in at least two principal deities, Ihe Heavenly Bemg "",1 the S;;inl of the He;lrlh or Hous(', they aiso l..cltc\'(' In the spH'its of their anCE'stor~

The Heavenly Being. whom the Jeh "all Ra, seems L:J be the LIDst .1t;str~ct, my~L:crious, ",ad omnipotent spirit. They believe he reSides over all of UJ.lure from his dwelling pla"e in ciok or heaven The Jeh say that thunder is the voice of Ra.1 --

ThE' Spirit of the Hcarth !~ hdleved to wateh over all the members of a household The dwellmg plaee of this spIrit i~ tholl~ht tD be the houS(' it~elf. indef>C",lent of whop,.er lives therl' Should a family abandon Its home, it is left Intact, for to destroy the house would be to destro\' the shelter nnd kingdom of the Splrit of the Hearth Moreover, the tribesmen belle"e that de­struetion ofthe housE' would change the spirit into a terrifying and angry god, benton revenge.'

Th'-' spirits of the dec",ased protect the famil} a"dinst malc\oien! Bpirits, somet,mes by friendly intercession, somE-times by warring with thl! evil spirits. Frcquently the Jch )[lvite hoth the ancestral and evil spirits to fraternal banquets wside the house to encourJ.ge friendly settlements between them. 6

Apparently there are also water spiritH in the Jeh reilgious beliefs One obsprver cautioned against contaminating water supplics or doing anything that could possibly be offensive near the water source

The most prevalent principal religious ritual among the Jeh is the sacrifice offered to appease or to avoid offending spirits, or to invoke pardon for persons who have committed offenses.

The buffalo is the principal sacrifiCial animal. The Jeh will travel great distances scross rugged mountainous territory to obtain buffaloes for sacrifices. S

CUSTOMS AND TABOOS

Although the Jeh are believed to be among the most superstitious of all the Montagnard tribes of tbe RepUblic of Vietnam, little information coneermng their specific beliefs is available An American miasionary who worked among them stated that he had never observed a tribe that offered so many animal sacrifices to the trails, mountains, and other prominent features of the surroundIng terrain. S

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Certain anim.ds, such as ti~ers and leol'anb, are eon"ider(ld taboo.

After sacrifice. the tai) :lI1d s"ull or the watkr buffalo are saved For instance, the ,ll'h beheve that if the tail is transported a{'ross a rh'er, sickness and death will come to the villar;e I~

The Jeh reportedl\" hathe only once a ~'ear afIRr offering an appropri'lte sacrifice, lest they anger the spir'ts by presummg to be clean. H

~omment:l.rl'

"'"hell tril)('smen sl!!:ht a tuboo "nlma\. the, rduse to UM' the trail on which it w,,~ >o<:t·Il.'" Sonw Jeh ('''rr, a lil-':,'r tooth as protL'(·twn

It is reported that attempts by the Cen­tl"~d Government to rcio('ate a villagc' "(T"~~ a n,-cr L"led hccuuse of this taboo 11K' \"ula.,rers p,wked up ,tnd moved further into the mOWlt.'nns and out of government control, making' Rure 3t the S3me time t}j;jt no rivers were l'rossed in the process. l~

I

H)()T)-.;on:s

'Lou,", ('oll.-iomlflas, ""ott's sur k~ 'I,Toi" .-ill Ilaul Song Trang," Bulletin rie l:J. Soci!tI!' des

}:':i.u_d_~L~l_~)nnOJs~ XX\"J Il~51), p. 3 ...

:TnlRn-j,·\\ "lth lkv Long. Mennonite missionary, July 1964.

1 Frank '1,1. LeBar ~ild.., Eth:nic Grour~ of 'I,1ainland SoutheaRt Asia (New Ha\'en, Conn.' Human RelatIOns "\rea Files Press, 1964), p. 140.

4Spec!al OperatIOns Res~areh Office, -Ethnop-aphic Study &'ries: s.<>kcted Groups in tl!e Republic of Vietnam; The Jeh (Washin~n, D. C., Special Operations Research Office {"prepub­licatlOll copy], Fehru3ry 1966), p. 13.

~ Ibid.

gCondominas, op_ cit., pp. 32-33.

1 Long, OF. dt.

8 Ibid.

9Ibid.

10 Ibid.

11 r. S Army Special Warfare School, MOlltarnrd Tribal Groups of the Republic of South \"iet-Nam (Fort Bra~. N,C.: U.S. Army Special Warfare School, 1965), p. 19.

UIbld., p. 118.

13 Ibid.

14Gordon, H. SmIth, The Blood Hunters (Chica",: World Wide Prayer and Missionary UIUon, 1942), p. 124.

1:1

I I I

PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Sedang believe that they live in a hostile universe, where their gods and the spirits of their ancestors decree severe punishment for any offense. As a result, the Sedan" are defiant and quar-relsome, takIng advantage of anyone weaker than themselves. I

The SE'dang tribesman does not think of himself as an individual, but identifies himself in terms of his vlllage. Only when he violates taboos and customs Is a Sedang an indiVIdual. 2

REUGIOrS BELIEF';:

The Sedang are animistic and believe that gods or spirits inhabit the lands, arumals, trees, and 'Aher objed5. Thf-rC' are good and eVIl spirits, spirits of thP dl'(,E'a~('d, and ghosts. Sacri­fices are offered to pia"atp spirits who have been offended by taboo violatJons and to insure the fertility of 0011 and an abundant harvest. ~

The Sedang bc:icvp that a long hme ago g-ods and m('n were equal, but that in time the gods lwcame more powerful and hav" since then cxacted tribute from men by intimidation. Gods die as own do, and f>wnllJallv both men and gods become the same type of ghoat, through a series of mplamorphic reincarnatIOns. "Gods are invited to ok·dang rituals but are <bsper~ed by acts de­slgned to annoy them when th(';r presenet> is no longer df'sired. I

Among the Sedang-, good splrlL~ ar(> called ~ and bad spirits Ida. Genprally, spirits go in p:llrs-for instanec, the fundamental pair iSj'a~ and~" Each ~ -;pirit 1"<'prescnts some [tsl~,.t of good, and each kia spirit represents somE' aspect of evil The tribesmen attribute to the bad spirits all misfortunes, such as crop failure, Sickness, and death.>

There are ~pirits of the sun, moon, the sky, and the earth. The spirit of the sun represents fertiil~', and the spirit of the moon represents the rhythms of life-the calendar, vegetation, and the crops. The spirit of the sky is connected With agrarian ril>!s; the spirit of the earth is asso­ciated ... ith the growth and generation of Ilving things. The most powerful Sedang spints are Grandfather and Grandmother Kanda, the creators of the world. Also imjX>rtant are the thunder gods, the Tara, who are associated with warfare. 4

Ther£' are also the spirits who inhabit all surroundjng things, such as rocks, trees, buildings, toola, and rice. Each spirit plays a part in the considerations of the tribesmen. 1

The Sedang religious practitioners are the !y:!!!'and sorcerers (OOjau). Since the basic Se~ dang agricultural unit is the household, which collectively cultivates and owns itB sacrad dry rlce­fields, and since the rice soul (mahun phae) is believed to live in the hearth of the household chief, the chlef's wife, the.tr!!!. is conSidered a religious leader. The Sti!I is responsible for sacrifices held In connection with clearing the fields, planting, and harvesting. These sacrifices are designed to insure that the power of the rice soul will be strengthened and the crops abundant. Crop failure Is considered a tJ:"agedy, as the Sedang belJeve it results from a weakening of the rice souL If sacrifices by the n1!!donotstrengthen the rice soul, the house chooses another !li!!..8

Divination by sorcerers Involves the use of dice and snails. When a question is asked of the spirits, the dice are thrown, revealing the answer by the way in which they fall. 9

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The Sedang have many cusl.oms and taboos associ:lwd with their fear of offending the spirit.>;, These are established by tradition, and each tribesman kno ..... s and aU{'mpts to obsprve them. Therefore, the Sedang live in constant awareness, :llld ofh'n dread, of the supt'rrl.1.tural world; nothing happens by cbance, and every bit of good luek, every success, ev£'ry failur£', every dream, and every accident is a sign from the spirits. Since everything means something, much of the Sedttng's life is taken up with discovering and/or interpreting the meaning of everything that goes on aoout him. still more time is spent in attempts to ward off misfortune, to placate angry spirits, and to keep the favor of the more friendly spirits.

Folk Beliefs Commentary

The Sedang will not engage in trading when Trading under IlUch circumstances would about to build a house. tempt an adverse reaction from the spirits.

A tribesman is forbidden to take a meal in his o .... n house after eating at the common house. 10

Before building !l house, a Sedang male goes alone to a previously selected spot and places seven grains of rice on a banana leaf held on the ground by a piece of wood.

The burning of a village is often attrib­uted to the spirits, as punishment for incest or secret premarital i!ltercourse.

A Sedang will sit and watch his house burn to the ground and make no attempt to put out the fire. He lIill extend a red cord around the fire. If the fire stops, all is well; if not, the spirit being manifested by the fire is still angry. The tire will subside only when the spirit is no longer angry. l'

A Sedang will bathe only once a year and then only after the saCrifice of a buffalo.

To see a snake suddenly on the path when returmng from a trip signifies future mis­fortune. 16

It is an unfavorable sign when a roebuck crosses a tribesman's path,

A bird singing on the right or left or the trail is a bad omen.

Snails are used to foretell the outcome 01 military operations.

If the grains of rice are undisturbed on his return the follo .... ing morning, the signs are favorable for his building the bouse and for the rice fields to flourish. If, however, the rice has been disturbed, he must select II new site and go through the same ritual until the signs are favorable. 11

The guilty parties must offer up sacrifices to placate the angered spirit and to strengthen the power of the rice souls of the hearths of the village, which these violations have weak­ened. U

The observance o[ this practice has often lead to enUre villages being wiped out by lire, While the tribesmen sit by and watch, I~

The sacrifioe is to appease the "river spirit" [or tbe terrible thing that will happen to it when the entire village goes in for its annual bath. 15

To encounteI: a snake when !;etting out on a trip, however, is not a bad omen. L1

A bird singin~ in front or behind the tribesman 011 the tran is a good omen. L8

Two rpw,., ,,) ~nails-six inonerowand five in th" "th"r-fac(' eaeh other; the row moving in­to th,' oth,"r signil,ies the victoriOUs group.!!

Folk Belief8

A fixed ritual in the common house always precedes :In attack apinst another village. A chlef cuts a special root into three pieces, plaees the root on the blade of his sword, and I~ts the pieces fall one by one on his shield while offerin« II religious invocation .•

If, "'hile on the warpath, $he birds are singing and no mice are on the trails, the 1\'arr:lors consider the oper:atlon progressing to the satisfaction of the spirits. 21

A bird of prey circliDS' overhead i;J an omen that much booty will be seized.. 22

;Comm:':~':'-~:~M'*, ", ... : If the root l~s in a the attackers will be invincible.

While most Sedang tribesmen will attempt SO ob8erve their taboos, It should be noted t1Iat those tribesmen who are In rer;ula.r contact with Vlemamese and Americans may not observe their customs and taboos as closely as tribesmen U"rillg in lVeater isolatioll from Olltaide 111.­fluences.

DlWereux, "1be PoCeatlal CcmtributiOllB of the Mol to the Cultural Landscape of Wo-CblDa." Far Eastern Quarterly. VI (1946-47), pp. 393-95.

1Spec1al OperatiODa Research Office, Ethnographic Study Series: Selected Groups In the Republic of Vietnam: The Sedang (Washington, D.C.' Special Operations Research Office [prepublication copy], November 1965), p. 7.

3Ibi.d., p. 17.

(Frank M. LeBar et al., Ethnic Groups of Southeast Asia (New Haven, Conn.' Human Relations Area Files Press, 1964), p. 140.

SDam Bo ~ Jacques DournesJ, "Les Populations montagnardes du Sud-lPdochinois," France-Asie, Special Number (Spring 1950), pp. 1130-37. ---

iGerald C. Hickey. The .Major Ethnic Groups of the South Vietnamese Highlands (Santa Monica, Calif. The RAND Corporation, April 1964), pp. 63-64.

;Dam Bo, op. Cit., pp. 1130-3i.

~George Devereux. "Functioning Units in Ha (rh) ndea tng) Society," Primitive Man, X (1937), pp. 4--5.

~SORO, The Sedang, op. cit., p. 18.

10Dam Bo. op. cit, p. 1149.

l!Ibid., p. 1021.

!2Devereux, "Functioning Units," '?E..:...£!!., p. 31.

13U. S. Army Special Warfare School, Montagnard Tribal Groups of the Republic of South ~ (Fort Bragg, N.C.' U.S. Army Special Warfare School, 1965), p. 192.

141bid., p. 193.

15Ibid.

111SORO, The Sedang, ~., p. 14

!lIbId.

I8Dam 50, ~., p. 1152.

ItGeorge Devereux, "Principles of Ha (rh)ndea (ng) Divination," M!!-.!!, XXXVIII (1938), pp.I25-27.

18

2118000, The SedaM, op. cit., p. 15.

21DamBo,~.,p. 978.

DIbid.

THE HALANG

PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

No specific InformatiOll. i.s available at this writing.

RELIGIOUS BEIJEFS

The animistic reli«lo;m Df the Halanc is based on a vast pantheon of spirits, both good and evil, who inhabit every ebject and creature of the environment. The good spirits are not honored, for the HaIanc consider it UWlecessary. I

CUSTOMS AND TABOOS

Believing that the world arOUDd them abounds in both good and evil spirits, the Halang are constantly tryi~ to avoid actions, activities, and contact with objects or animals that they be­lieve migbt displease the spirits.

Folk Beliefs

Powerful spirits are believed to dwell in old or large trees and in stones or roots of WlWllual shape and color. 2

If a tribesman brings home an unusual rock and then has nightmares, he will immediately sacrifice at least a chicken to the spirit of the rock.J

Birds are considered intermediaries be­

tween man and the spirit.

Evil spirits cause sickness and require sacrifices.

Commentary

If the tribesman, on the other Ilaad, baa a good llight's sleep. be will consider the rock a useless object and throw it away _,

Before undertaking any activity a Halan&: will listen to the birds and postpone action if the songs are unfavorable omeas.s

If a villqer has a fever, he makes an offeriJlg, phak-chak. to the evil spirit. by placing bamboo stakes at the villap en­trance. The basket-sbaped atakes, with opeI1in&'s at the tap, cCHltain the offerInc of bamboo tv.lIes, the bottom of a pard, and ec:P pierced. with a stick.' 8erlou.s illIIeA requ.ires the sacrifice of a bu1fa1lt.'

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FOOTNOTES

lSpecial Operations Research Office, Ethnographic Study Series: Selected Groupa in tbe Republic of Vietnam; The Halang (Washington, D. C.: Special Operationll Research Office !"prepublication copy), February 1966), p. 12.

2Ibld.

3A. Baudenne, "Les Kh88 de la region d'Attopeu," Revue Indochinoi8e (January-June 1913), p. 426.

'Ibid.

5Ibid.

'Henri Maitre, Les Jungles Mol (Paris: Emile Larose, 1912), p. 238.

lAo Lav.Uk, ''Notes ethDographiques BUr dlvel'8es tribus du lud-eat de l'lDdoch1ne," Bulletin de l'Ecole Fran9aise d'Extreme-Qrient, 1(1901), p. 301 .

21

Pirrc:IIOIDOI('AL CHARACTERlBTICS

In Jarai society, the family is preeminent, socially and economically. Little interest is shown in the individual; he is only part of the family group.!

The Jara! are reportedly quite industrious and are generally reliable; they are slow but methodical workers. The Jars! ridicule lazy people and appear to try to do their best on any job.2

When a Jars! group raids another village, the leader of the raid is one of the village bach­elors. The tribesmen submit to the leadership of this person who, by reason of his bachelor­hood, is not yet considered to be a full-fledged member of thB tribe. 3 Trt'o;iltionally, the tribes­men have not submitted to any external authority.

The Jarsi respect men whom they believe to be favored by the spirits. Age is also a basis for respect. The elderly are considered, because of their long experience, to have much knowledge. Age is honored by positions in Jarai village councils. 4

RELlGIOVS BEUEFS

The Jarai religion is based on a multitude of spirits-yang-who creat.ect the ,:;arth and rule it. The spirits are masters of the world, as well as guardians of society and religion. Any action contrary to social or religious tradition is conSidered an attack upon the spirits and re­qUlres the tribesmen to make amends to the spirits in order to escape punishment.,

The Jaral believe that the spirits or yang govern the movement of the entire cosmos. They control the rhythm of the seasons, the movement of the stars, rainfall, the fertility of the soil, the grov.th of the plants, riches and poverty, and the multiplication of herds. Particular spirits have importance for the entire Jarai tribe, while other spirits have only local or regional im­portance; some spirits-such as the spirit of a special rock-may be worshiped in only one vil­lage. The good spirits, fewer in number than the bad spirits, receive special attention from the Jaral. Household spirits, such as the spirits of the hearth and the broom, are accorded special treatment. There are two types of evil spirits: those which cause epidemics, accidents, and death among animals and plants, and those which punish men for acts contrary to the es­tablished customs of the tribe. These latter spirits are responsible for temporary illnesses and nonfatal accidents. Again, regional variations determine the significance and manifesta­tions of the various spIrits: a spirit believed in one area to punish with drought might in another area punish with rain. 6

A technique of divination designed to ascertain the desires of the spirits and the exact sacrifices required for ceremonies is called Topa Gai. In the Topa Gal ritual, a special re­ligious practitioner questions the spirit of the stick (Yang aie) by holdlng a stick parallel to his outstretched arm. Replies from Yang Gte are derived from the motion of the muscles of the extended arm; the Jaral believe the distances that the muscles, in contractlng, move away from the stick indicate the spirit's answers. Only married men may question the spirits with this tecbD1que, whicb La also used to select 10nghou8e sites, interpret dreams, determine the cause of sickne .. , and chOOse land for cultivation. 1

CUSTOMS AND TABOOS

Sim.1lar to the other Molltagnard tribes, the Jarai have numerous folk beliefs and taboos of wbleb the better mown ones are listed below .

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The Jarai clans and SOme of their food taboos ar(' as follows (clan-food taboo):~

RO'rnah-Eels and elephants.

RO'chom-Domeatlc and Wild cattle.

Siu-Iguanas, toucans, and kites.

Ro'h!an-Toads, ih:ards, grackles.

The Jaraj han' specific food taboos which sre Identiried and explnined in their tribal folklore.

One legend lells of members ollohe Ho'mah clan who fell into the water, and how they were sustained while In the water by nourishment from eels. Consequently, the RO'mah do not eat eels. Another story tell$ of no'mah fishermen who used the technique of poisoning the water to catch fish. When they ate these fiah, their skin turned to leather. and they became elephants; since then the Ho'man have not eatell elephants,

Once two Ro'chom sllite'rs washed a fishing net and put it out to dry, Dul"1.ni the night the net diaappeared; the older sillter accused the younger of having stolen It, A fight ensued in which the older Sister killed the younger one. Later, when a cow was killed, the stolen net was found Inside its carnus. Since then the Ho'cham have not eaten the flesh of COWB, because R cow caused the death of one of their people.

An ancelltor of the Siu clan found an iguana skin in his house and Ii. kite and a toucan (bil'ds) perched on his bouse; this was a very l"are OCCu:rrence. These events were considered to be the manlfestatiOl's of the sympathy of the spil"its for these IUlimals and of the animals' desire to contract an al­liance with that family,

Two sisters from the Ro'hlan clan once lived together. One day the older aister tl"apped a toad and cooked It for her diMer. while she was away, the younger sister ate' the cooked toad, When the older Sister re­turned, the y~er one confessed her deed and swore that neither she nor her deacend-8.Ilts would ever agaJn eat toads.

Another Ro 'hlan tal.., concerns a clan ancestor who had a valuable jar in which a grackle and a lizard lived; to the tribes­people this meant that the spirits of the grackle and lizard wanted to have a special connection with the clan,

Folk Bellefll

Ku 'pa- :'Ilonitor H~ards.

Ro'-o--Toads.

Kao'r-Reptiles.

The Jal"ai are afraid to cut their hair; they believe that the soul gf • man dwells especiall)' in his head and that to cut a man's hair ia to take away his soul. Sight of the man's hair enables the soo.l to recognize its home when it returns from its nocturnal wanderings dUl"lng dreams.~

The JRl"a! fear dying away fl"om the!l" home village. II

In ordel" to wan'! off evil spirits that may have brought death to the villagers, a grotesque figure of straw and bamboo, complete with bow and arrow, Is placed on the path near Jani village entrances, 12

It is taboo to touch the big Hans plant called ana khea, which bears froit similar to the Indian horse chestnut, because it causes a weakness in the knees,

A closed door and branches tied to a wo/,den post before a Jarai house incli­cate the hou>!e is taboo. U

Once, when a Ko 'pa' near a river, abe saw a and rice and a gourd of rice wi~w',i;' consvmed. A little later some kinsmen cam.e by the river, saw a lizard, and ktUed it . Upon opelling the lizard, the kinsmen foorKl inside It all the things the woman had eaten; they realized that the Woman had bee!! transformed Into a lizard. Since then, the Ko 'pi! do not trap or km lizards for fear or itlju.ring their ancelltor.

Once, among the Ro'-o, the people saw a toad sitting next to a newborn baby girl. The baby's father threw the toad into the river, but it came back, to be thrown into the river a total of seven times. The girl's family then realized that the spirit of the toad wanted to form an affiliation with their oI,n.

In the Kao'r elan, lID ancelltor once dis­covered the scale9 of a dragon In the rice storehouse. She asked a sorcerer what this meant, and he replied that the reptiles (ac­cording to an oral tradition, '~ll reptiles are descended from dragons) wanted to make an agreement with her clan and to help them. Therefore, Kso'r do not trap or kill any reptiles.

If the hair is cut and buried, the soul will search for It and, finding it buried, will tblak "my subol'dinate (body) is dead." This will cause the soul to flee to the realm of the spirits. Deprived of its vital principle, the body will then be obliged to die. 10

This fear has a tendency to inhibit Jaral travel away from the village.

The Jarai reportedly place great faith in the power of thia figure to gual'd the vil­lage against evil spirits.

The Jarsi beUeve this plant is the home of a spirit which steals the soul of those who touch it. lJ

;; ....... ,: and ~ ...... -peaded • the eIItraDCe pte or the COD­

tam1nated villap. 11

It ta reported that l:Iome Jarat object to being photographed because they fear their spirtt ~ill be stolen. 16

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pte ... well .. p .... leadb!g to the village. ltI closed by DUmeroue taDg1ed branches.

If the spirit LB stolen, the Jarat believe, the person will become weak or sicken and die.

F(X1T'iOTES

!Piel'l'e-Bernard Lafont, Toloi Djuat: Coutumier de la trlbu Jani (Parts; L'Eco1e Fran'iaiBe d'Extreme-Qr1eat, 1963), p. 12.

2U. S, Army Special Warfare School, MOntagnard Tribal Groups of the Republic of Viet­Nam (Fort Bragg, N.C.' U.S. Army Special Warfare School, 1965), p. 90.

iSpecial Operations Research Office, Ethnographic Study Series; Selected Groups in the ReJll.lblic of Vietnam: The Jarai (Washington, D. C.: Special Operations Research Office ;Pre­publication copy], October 1965), pp. 12-13.

4l..afont, cp. cit. , PII. 156-75.

'SORO, The Jarsi, op.cit., p. 25.

sLafont, op. cit., pp. 158-59.

; J. Kerrest, "La Consultation du Baton (chez Ies Mot Roode et Jarai)," Bulletin de !'Institut Indochinais pour l'Etude de l'Hamme, IV (1941), pp. 215-17.

BLafant, op. cit. , p. 155.

~R. P. Kemlin, "Au Pa~'s Jarai," Missions Catholiques, XXXIX (1909), p. 246.

IOIbid.

119000, The Jarai, Gp.clt" p. 26.

IlEvelyfl M~, "Superlltitions," JuilJle Frontiers, XI (ltJ.mmer 1960), p. 10.

UKemlin, op. cit., p. 2-16.

14Ibid., p. 247.

I~BeJ"D8rd Jouln, ''HiBtoire IeceMaire dill BIIdet du Feu," Bv.u¢in de 1& Soclite del Etudel Indochinai8ea, XXVI {IItSl), pp. 79-80.

I;U. S. Army Speclal Warfare School, MoaiqUrd Tribal.Grcupa. ~., p. '3.

"

THE RHADE

PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Rharh- helieve that man cannot challenge supernatural power; they accept their fate and take no practical mra~ures to safeguard themselves from natural calamities. They accept serious mis­fortunes, sue), .is fire and disease, because they attribute such occurrences to the evil influences of local spirits. 1

Despite their fatalistic attitude, most observers consider the Rhade the most intelligent Montagnard tribe, showing a strong desire to learn new and better ways of life. 2

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The Rhade are surrounded by good and evil spirits of all their deceased ancestors. The spirits inhabit Inanimate and. animate objects and can dwell in a human body, as well as In rocks, trees, and streams.

The most important god is Ae Die, "Master of the Sky." He is the ruler of the universe and of all other spirits. 3

H'Bia Dung Dai, the sister of Ae Die, is the goddess who oversees the cultivation of rice and the ricefield, the ~ or paddy. She is concerned With fertiUty and With the birth of children and their early years. She is responsible for the souls of all those who died .".hen they were young.

Ae Du is the husband. of H'Bia Dung Dai. He is a good spirit who governs harvests and rain, and he is also the spirit of cold, heat, Wind, storms, and night-but only to the extent that these are beneficent. He serves as an assistant to Ae Die. 4

The chief of the evil spirits is Yang Lie. He commands all the greatly dreaded evil spirits and the M'tao and K'sok who do lesser evils. Ae Die can Intervene against the systematic and habitual malice toward humans caused by Yang Lie. If A" Die forgets Yang Lie for a moment, Yang Lie will at once cause mischief and accidents. The Rhade represent Yang Lie in human form, his neck under a yoke, his feet fastened to a wooden block, and his head split by a 6aber blow.

Accidents and sudden deaths are caused by two types of evil spirits. The first type includes Yang Brieng Pomg and Hong Klang, with all of the hignE'r ranking evil spirits under their com­mand; and they are termed collectively Yang Brieng. The second type, M'tao and K'sok, gener­ally perform lesser evil acts than the Yang Brieng.

Yang Brieng Pong is responsible for accidental and sudden deaths. The most dreaded of the Rhade spirit;;, he IS responsible for deaths caused by dro"'mDg. burning. falling trees, wild ani­mals, and in fact all accidental deaths. In addition, he is also responsible for deaths occurrin!'," during prP!":!"llC:', for miscarriages, and for stillbirths. After a normal delivery he can still suddenly ~ppear and cast a speil on the baby: if he arrives ahead of the good spirits, the Yang :\Inut Hra. the child is slated for death.

The evil partner of Yang Brieng Pong, Hong Klang, is found on earth and enters the corpses of all who die from accidents. He is found in the bones of a co~se, where he assumes the form of a wasp, from which he gets his name. Hong Klang literally means "wasp of the bone. " People attending the funeral of anyone who has died suddenly are afraid to be in the vicinity of the grave after sunset, for fear they might be in danger of this spirit, which roams near the corpse.

The word K'sok designates the imps, jiIUl, and little devils who are blamed for nasty tricks. In general, tht·y appear suddenly before the Rhade, causing severe shnck and, at time,;.. ' '''car­nages. The\ assume diverse and deceptive forms. These errant spirits are invisibl~ "'! llVf' in villages, as well as deep Witmn the forests. Their high chief is Yang Lie.

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the •• IlUmeroua aplrll8. the Rhade believe that a person haa three souls. The !!1!!1!! t. the DTst _I. Tepl'eseDUng the Individual during life and continuing to represeftt him after death., After death, It is called ~.

The second soul, ~, also called ewa, meaning life or breath, is the soul which after death quits the body and goes to another body to give It life. It is called ~ for the shQrt period after it has left one body and before it has entered another. The firs! cry of a baby IS a sign that the :!'.!:!..!! has entered the body of the infant to give it life, m 'ngah.

nang hia is the third BOul, and it is represented by a bird whit'h leaves the body at death and becomes dew. This dew is used in the infant~naming ceremony to obtain the consent of the de~ ceased maternal aunl.,,; and uncles to use one of their names. 6

Relationships beh1'een the Rhnde and the spirits can be adjusted to a degree by rituals and ceremonial sacrifices to the spirits. These relationships are handled by special reUgiO\ls prac­titioners called~. They can be either male or female, although in practice few ~ are fe­male. Among their duties. thE' ~ protect the tribesmen from attacks by the spirit of the tree trunk. the spirit of the molehill, the spirit of the forest, and the spirit of the spring. all of which are e\il forces. 1

ceSTOMS A~ TABOOS

The folk beliefs of the Rhade are intimately related to their animistic religion. Evll spirits can cause anything from petty annoyances to major disasters. and they must be constantly ap­peased by sacrifices.

A technique of divination, called epa gie, or "measuring the stick with the arm," is designed to ascertain the desires of the good daily life. This consists of interrogating a spirit and of the intermediary, who then measures his arm on a hamboo stick previously cut to that length. Under the influence of the spirit of the stick, the intermediary goes into a trallCe and is unable to stretch out his arm. The differences of degree of ann movement are observed and interpreted as re­sponses of the spirit of the bamboo stick. 8

Folk Beliefs

The Rhade want to die in their own vil~ lages because their local spirits cannot pro~ tect them outside the immediate area.

If a IlIrtle facing eastward is seen in the rice fields, a speedy death is presaged.

The movement of birds and small ani~ mals in the bnlsh, the howl of the roe-deer, and the song of the m'lang birds are ill omens. II

If a deer barks three Urnes In a newly prepared r1cefleld, death wtll strike the family. 12

Commentary

If the Rhade are in a hospital and believe they are dying, they will insist on being taken home. If a Rhade dies in a hospital, the tribes­man responsible for his being there will be in trouble with the deceased perllOn's family.'

The Rhade bury their dead with the head toward the east. and the turtle shell resembles the mounded shape of Rhsde graves. I'

If a e~'lallda: on a lon,bou .. du.rtnllta construction, the IItructure mu,t be abandoned or the fmily will suffer bad luck. IS

"''ben a Rhade .. alkll throop. tae foreat, a call from a certain bird on his left Iterald8 bad luck, whereas a call fn)ln the richt foTe­casts good fgrtune. I'

The appearance of a tiger, a snake, or a monkey is a bad gmen. Ii

It is forbidden to kill any kiJld gf snke In the tribal fields. II

The sigbt of a Hzard i_ lUI uafavorable omen.

An early morning sneeze befoTe ~ing to work insures good luck for the Test of the da~·. However, a sneeze during a trip or upon starting a trip or departing from a person's home requires a short delay to prevent mis­forrune. I!

A person who leaves a village, taking his mats. jaTS, dishes, cbickens, RDd pigs, Without offering rice or corn to each house arouses the anger of the dead and of the spirits. I'

Some significant omelUl in dreama: tI

Dreamlns: of wateT -

Dreaminc of larce flab or ius -

Dreaming that one's teeth are broken -

Dreaming about lUI accident -

Dream1nc aboat a red blanket -

Dreambl.,sbou.t fllllhilll -

Dreamiq of harYesttag egplaat -

Its appearance is sufficient reason to stop Mlrk and make special sacrifices.

A Hurd is a prediction of death. IT

The Rhade believe sneezing irritates the spirits and, after a sneeze by a person or arumal, one must remain still until the spirits recover from their anger.

If a person in the village should become sick, the departed person is brought back and re(Jlired to pay for all the sacrificed animals. If the sick person dies, the departed person must pay the blood price because he Is con~ sidered responsible for the death. 20

Dreams assume a great imp:!rtaDce in the lives of the Rhade.

- Dle8D8 fire will destroy the boIule or po8sibly evell the village.

- evokes a sellae of death.

- means there will be deaths in the fam~ fly. The upper teeth represeD.t the mother; the bottom, $he father; aDd those aD the IiI1del, brothers, slneTs, and cou.m..

- I. a Wlll'Din&' to remaiD at Itollle aDd avoid an inevitable mishap.

- forecasts trcNble.

_ lDdieates that If the tribelPnM tbn p_ fllIhiDI' and catches .. wtdte a._It. he wU.I have aood fortune.

_ me .... that people wW. be stm!Irel, crttloal of the dreamer.

..

r Folk Beller.

A prepant woman dreaming about:

A knUe or a cross_bow _

A basket_

An elepbant is a kind of talisman to too Rhade.

Commentary

- will give biJ:'tb to a boy.

- will gtve birth to • girl.

ElephaDta have supposedly mystical ties with the clan. These Ues are 80 stroll( that they are considered part of the family and are given name •. 22

FOO1NOTES

I Special Operations Research Office, EtI!noJraphic BIudy Series: Selected 0r0u.J!! IB tile ReJ1lbJic of Vietnam: TIle Rhade (WasflinctoD. D. C.: Special OperaaOlls Research Office [pre~ publicat10n copy]. July 1565), p. 13.

2.1)1d,

lBemard Jau.in, La Mort et la tombe: L'A""'. de la loIIlbe (PartI:: fDl:Ubatd'Eth 3 t, 'J' ii\., 1949), p. !to

4 Ibid .• p. 10.

I Ibid .• pp. 61-62.

'Ibid .• p. 34.

'SORO.~.op. cit.,p. 37 .

• ibid .• p. 28 .

• TnD.cripUon of interview with Dould Votll, Mea.oIaiIe .u.s1ou.ry ill Darlae Provblce, .July lK4.

"SORO, The Rhade.~ .• ,. 2'.

II Ibid.

ulbid.

13 !'lliL Ulbid.

II Jbld.

I'A, Maurice and G. PrOW(, "L'Ame du. rtz," BIlIleUn de Soe1I!ti des ~1Iude. Ilidoch1sotaea. XXIX 11954), p. 27.

ITA. Maurice, "L'Habitatton Rhade," Bulletia de I'III.tim, IlIdochineis pour l'ttulle de l'Homme, V (1942), p. 98.

lIS0RO, The Rhade, of. cit., p. 29.

19L. Sabat1er, Recueil des couiumes Rhule •• Darlac tHu.oi: IIIIprJmerie d'Extreme-Orient, 1940), p. 102.

~Ibid.

21 Maurice, "L'Habltation Rhade," 22.:.....£!! •• pp. 92-93.

HMaurice and Proux, 2P.:....2!h.. p. 144.

THE M'NONC

PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The :'If'nong are group oriented and seldom approach tasks and problems as Individuals. Their behavior is strongly influenced by the conIormity required by their traditions and customs.

The behavior of the M'nong i.s often unpredictable: at times they are overactive, excitable, and aggreSbh-e; at other times they are calm and almost indolent. 1 In situations of great stress, the :'I1'nong lIill quickly disappear into the forest. For instance, an attempt by the Central Gov­ernment to relocate a M'nong group failed because being a" .. ay from their lands and spirits so distressed tbe M'nong that, at the first opportunity, they all moved out of the new village, dls~ apP<iaring into the forest to prearranged traditional hiding places. 2

RELIGIOCS BELIEFS

The :'It'nong !Ja\"e ,In animistic religion: they bdieve that spirits inhabit all parts of their world. In additlOn, spirits are associated lIith mythical birds and mythical heroes. The M'nong hvc in constant inUlraction with those spirits; life is a continuing struggle to thwart the evil spirits. J The M 'nang believe that their ancestors have an existence after death, and they, too, watch over human beings and help them in their relationships with the spirits ,.

The most important spirit in the M'nong religion is Nduu, who repres('nts the soul of the rice IfertilityJ a"d is also the myt.'lical or legendary hero who started the human race.' This spint is called Tum Nduu by the Gar and Prah ba by other M'nong grOUps.·

Next in IInportance are the spirits of the elements: earth, fire, v.:ater, and sky_ The spirit of the carth or land, ~'glar Nguec. plays an important role in the selection of sites for fields and houses. The name Nglar Nguec means, literally, '"Bird of the Rock Crystal. "1 There are sev­eral sky spirits of thE' rain, the sun, the moon, and the stars, and there are also subsidiary land spirits-for example, spirits of topographical features and streams. Moreover, there are spirits connected v.ith the village and its houses-for example, spirits of the village gate, of the columns

of the house, and of the hearth. s In addition to the various spirits, the M'noug also have demons believed to be responsible for

illness. These demons, called cask, are believed to steal the souls of the tribesmen, thereby

causing illness. 9 Prominent among the religious ceremonies performed by the M'nong are the rituals for the

purification of a field when incest is suspected, for heal1ng the sick, for preserving or Improving the cropS, for the burial of the dead, and for cementing alliances between parents and ch1ldren or

between tribal groups. 10

CUSTOMS AND TABOOS

Believing that trees, rocks, and animals-in fact, all their surroundings-are Inhabited by spirits, the M'nong are alwaYB on guard against evil spirits; they avoid committinr offenses which might anger them. The M'nong believe that spirits make their wishes knoWD through

dreams and omens,

z o Z Gl .,. c:

'" Gl ,., o c: ." .,.

S n > s:

" · ~ " 0 ~ ~ z

~ · 0 c z 0 • " ~

I I I

I ~ " ~ " ~ . 0 c z ~ ~

g

~I~l ~ ~ z ~ z • ~

~ • • " 0 z z • 0

~ ~ Z " 0 ~ 0 0

" g ~ ~

I

,V '-.

I

) r

I W-u ( O:J:

ZC

Folk Beliefs

During the se}",clion of a house site, it \s considered a ~d omen if thE' o'j\mer of thE' new house dreams about fruit, rice, a paddy, a tomb, hunting, or sWimming.

Seeing flames devour the loincloth of a person In a dream predicts that person's death. II

A violation of the taboo of sexual rela­tions between members of the same family through the maternal line can precipitate disaster. U

If t'lce is scraped from a pot with a knJfe. tigers are sure to eome aDd attack one. 14

After the filing down of one's teeth. the person is prohibited from eating ch.lcken or the vegetable ~ for eight days. Ii

To the M 'nong, the tiger has super­natural significance and is associated With the apt:riq.

If a dog steps over a newJy born inftUrt. tbe dog mu.t be aac:riflced at once, then cooked and eaten by the people who attended the deli'IftY of the ch.lld. If

A swallow caught outldde tbe boo" may be eaten; if a swallow Is caugbt illstde a house, eating it is taboo. It

It is taboo to touch animal dung; the M'nDng believe lightning w1ll strike a persOll who does."

When a village Is taboo, a cord Is usu­ally stretched acro .. the village gate, or some sort of barrier will be erected to pro­hibit entrance.

TIle M'nong women never eat With the men, because a woman can draw down the anger of the spirit which shows itl;leif in certain dishes. 21

The M'nong refuse to carry away dead bodles of alien tribespeop1e Cor {ear that evil spirits w1ll baunt them. tz

Comm~'ntarr

l{ the dream is about bulfalO<'s. killing neer. or the bre:iking of teeth, it is considered :I bad omen. 11

For instance. the crops may fail or tor­rential rains may fall.

In. the past. at puberty the upper frollt teeth of boys IUId girls were filed down and stained black. while the lower front teeth were filed to sharp POiBU:.

'nIey do not like to hwlt tigers, which some believe can become Invisible. II

The tribe_n examine the bird for eTi1 .1pall; &lid U any evil signa are found, the house is purified With a aaCl'ifice of a c:br SAd a Jar of alcohol.

The exceptiOil to this taboo ia touching of aD1mal dlmg u.ed .. feI'U1il'!er for the fields.

Generally, outSiders are not permitted Inside a Mmll( vUlage when a taboo i8 in effect. If the villagerll eXpect a via/tor, the tribesmen will go out to warn the outalder that the restriction Is in eUect.:!O

The M 'nong have also certain taboos whicb indicate that IIOme days are not for work and that specific kinds of meats or fruits are not to be eaten. However, such taboos are primarily clan customs aDd have limited applicability, since they do not bold true for a village or a tribe as a whole.23

FOOTNOTES

I Georges Condom1Das. Nous aVODs rna. la for!!t de la pierre-rDfe G& alii 8U. brU DlaV.­ysang GOOl; chronigue de Sar Luk, v1llap mnona: pr (trJlIU proto-iDdochtnollJe des Haub-Plateaux du Vlet-Nam centraD (Paris: MerCU1"t! de Fra..ce.l'57), pp. 9-12. :lnterview W:lth .Evelyn Mangham. missionary, 1964. !SpecJal Operations Research OCfice. EtllIlographic Study Series: Selected Groups in the ReJlllbltc of Vietnam: The M'ooy (WaBhj~, D. C.: !pectal OperatlCMII Reaearch Office [pre­publication ogpyJ. October 1965). p. 24.

4Plerre Huard and A. Maurice. "Les Mnong du plateau Celltral indochinaia." aill.etiD de I 'lnlltitut Indochinais))(Nr I't1ude de l'HoaJDe. II (1939), p. U2. 5 CondomJnas, Naus avons rna.la forft, ~, p. %St!. 8 Huard and Maurice. Q2.:...ill .• p. 119.

T lbid .• p .• 9.

8Pierre Hu.ard. "Les CroyllDCes de. M'ahc'" plateau cntral IndM:hinols." ~ Tmupe. ColoDiales, CCXLn, September 19H. p. S17.

I COldolni ..... Nov.a nons rna. I. forM:. ~ .• p. 378. l'Georges Condominas. "Notes sur Ie Tal7l Do M.e IIIlBp Kuob. d:chaare de aacriftcu eatre un enfant et BeS perc et mere) Mnong Rlam," lrltenw.ttoll8.l Archive. of EthnographY. XL VII (}955), pp. 133-54.

II Huard and Maurice. op. cit., pp. 56-57.

u COMtOIlli1l8.8. Nws a-. maW 1a forft, ~. p. u •. UIbid .• p. 101.

uNorma.n Lewis, A DraJDI! Apparem: Trnels in indo-ChIna (Lonciftn: J.n.athan Ca~. 1951). p. 116.

liA. Maurice, "A ~s des muttlationa denta..ires chel'! les Moi," BWJeUn de I 'lDstlll.lt Irldo-chinois p!!!r l'tlUde de I 'Homme, rv fI941). p. 136.

ltlJe'wis, ~., p. lI6.

IT Ibid. ,pp. 244-45.

II Ibid. ,p. 106.

!Ilbid.

20 Condommas. Neus .vons D'lam¢ la for~t.!!:.....£!h.. pp. 203-21).;. tIL'. S. Army Special Warfare School. MoJitapard Trit.! Grollps of the i\eJKlblic of Viet-Na. (Fort Bran, N. C.· U. S. Army Special Warfsre School, IN5), p. 152. 221bid.

2Slbid.

"

PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Stieng are considered one of the more warUke tribes of the Republic of Vietnam. 1 By Western standards, the Stieng may appear lazy, for they do not submit to the observance of regu­lar hours. 2 Judged by their performance of rootine tasks, the Stieng arc apathetic and seem incapable of sustained effort. 3

The Stieng love their independence and will obey a chief's directlOns only if they agree 'With them. In disputes with chiefs, villages have been known to split or members have left the vil­lages.4 Stieng tribesmen are oriented first toward the family and then toward the village.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The life of the Stieng is dominated by his animistic belief that gods and spirits inhabit every animate and inanimate object. Sacrifices to placate spirits offended by \;olation of taboos are the primary religious ritual.

The most important Stieng spirits are those of the sun, moon, earth, sky, and lightning. The spirit of the sun is rCElpon",ible for fertility; the spirit of the moon, for the rhythms of life, such as the calendar, vegetation, and crops; the spirit of the earth, for the grov.1h of things; and the "'pirH of ihe sky, for agrarian rites. The spirit of Ii¢ltning is especially feared by the tribes­men; if certain taboos are broken, they believe this splrit will strike down the guilty party, S

The Stieng also have numerous local spirits, including the spirits of the trees, ponds, rocks, and implements, that require certain behavior on thc part of the tribesmen, For example, if a tree is to be cut down, the tribesmen will make a small sacrifice to the spirit of the tree in order to avoid arousing its anger, These local spirits take their names from the objects they inhabit; for example, the spirit of a particular mountain is called ~ (spirit) and the namE' of the moWl­tain, G E,;l spirits, or good spirits that are angered by the tribesmcn, are believed to cause mis­fortune, illness, and death. The Stleng believe tbe evil spirits can "eat the soul" of a living man, thus bringing illness and death. T

CUSTOMS ANTi TABOOS

Numerous fears, superstitions, and prejudices are associated with the Stieng's animistic religion. The Stieng believe that good and evil spirits inhabit all the objects of their world, in­cluding such things as streams, rocks, the soil, crossbars, jars, and gongs. The evil spirits attively oause trooble for the man who fails to observe the appropriate rite when dealing with any

object or when performing any task.

Folk Beliefs

A person entering a taboo village is thereby responsible for any !linesses or accidents subsequently occurring in the village. 8

Stieng food taboos are tigers, turtles, and domestic elephants. 9

Commentary

That person has offended the spirits, who in retaliation cause illnesses and accidents.

~ ... ~~ ,.".=~ ... -~---~"" ...... ..... -.-c-c ~ ~ -...

s

~~ I~ , o •

""~ • ~- 0 ~ ~i!!i! ~~ • - ... ~-=- <; ...

~ ~

~ 0 z ~ ~

~

g~ om

~ Z

..., ~ z Ii z I

• ~ ~ • ~ 0 • > 0 0 ~ ~ < . <

z z Z • g ~ g 0 • • " ~ z 0 ~ 0 c

~ z 0

~ • • g 0

~ z ~ ; 0

~

;:

W

0

0

,.

.0 oc C> oZ

Gl

'"" ~ ,

'" s;: 0

r······

······· .. , ~;

'j

Folk Beliefs

Th~ hrst seven dm'!'; lollov.1ng th", formal inaugtlr:Jlion of ~ np' ,It village are S:J.~ ('red. It i~ ,<Iso ]Ol"!), .n, n to bring in plldd~', jars of rk.· wme, morLars, pestles, and win­no\\ing baskets. 1G

'1<C ~a(,rIflClal poles-to which 8!lcri­. buffaloes are tied-are being built in ,ow village. all the men must sleep in

the foreat.

When a Stranger comes to Uve perma­nently in a Stieng village. he must sacriftce a chicken or a pig and rice wine. He must then live in the field he 18 culUvaUng-DCtt within the confiJIes of the T1l1ap-IIDUlIbe village III moved to • lleW locatlGIII. u

A bouse Is taboo for three days after the birth of a child or the birth of a buffalo or a pig belon&iDl to the household. U

No out) may eater a but on a cultivated field for three days after a chUd haa been born In it.

A bouse la taboo for three days after a sorcerer haa coMided a bealtng oeremoQY in it.

If a group of stleng W8J:'riors en route to an attack saw something that might be an evil omen, the attack would be abandoned. I.

\\'hen an igu8.Dll or poisonous snake hap­pens to enter a rice field, even at harvest time, the land is Immediately abandoned. If

If the oldest son 01 a family dies pre-maturely, the family must never again eat turtledoves or salted fish. II

If someone sneezes in a house, no one may go outside of the house immediately. If

Entering the house of a sick person may cause his death.

Children are forbidden to eat black rice­birds because their parents will die._

Three or thirteen pigs or chickens born of one litter cannot be raised.

IT chickens spend the night outside of their coops, they must be killed the next day. 21

Commentar\'

No strangers are allowed to enter the village at this time. Durlr,g this same period, there hi no cooking In the houses, and no veg­etables, pork, or chicken may be eaten. II

The sign outside the vlllage warning strafl,ers is a rope, intertwined with a hand­ful of leaves, across the village gate. It

In this way the stranger Will not offend the evil spirits aDd w:I.ll avoid CRuablg illDBS8 and accidents 10 tbe vWage.

If the buffalo or pis is bo1"ll in the forellit rather thaD near the house, the hDu8l' till not cOllSidered taboo.

Warnings that s bouse is taboo are a clOf!led door aDd a bamboo pole, with leaves futeaed at the top, stuck in !be ptIWld in front of the houae. II

ft is not kDown what these omens are.

D" someone goes ouuJde. the Stleng be­lieve he will meet some evil spirit.

There is DO taboo, however, against adults eating these birds.

Those Dlmbers are considered bad luck In this connection; however, the numbers by themselves have no evil connotation.

~'olk Beliefs

Cats cannot be bought, but money may be gh·en before or after they ~re IIccepted. This is done to "fool" the previous owner Iilf the cat so that the cat will not return to him. Z2

Parrot. fiying over a vWap! Indicate that 8.D IIttack by an enemy ~ 1JIlminent.

Stieq believe that the world fa flat, tJae sky is IIOUd, atars are hung in the .ky by striDe, aDd the JaOael and tee su. are IUided acro.a the sky by ropes. D

It is bellned that all rivers rwI. to aJI eDd, wtdch ia a great hole in the p-ouad. There are people wiIB p&ard this hole in order to prevent it from cioatnc "P.

Whet! a baby dies II1s forehead is marked with Ink or aahea.

A wup's _at h.u!il by the cbarway of s bome will friptell a .. , evil ,aptl"tte.

Waterfall. are hnBled DId every effort aJloQld be -.de to uoid them, •

Certain trees deep In the forest are haunted ADd the SUet!( w:I.ll make large detours to aveJd theae tree.. ~r. trees of the aame specie. located 1ft • village are not taboo,ZI

Yellow termites cause sldn disease.

OIraea whlcb are taboo for the SUeng tnchade:

"Maya Uger bite )'QU. "

"You are a scn Iilf a tirrer." ''Y(N are a sen of a witch. "n

Com.mentarr

Cau are COltsidered to be as valuable as a smaU pll.

If the hole become. cloari, there will 1M II fteod.

Whea ctuldree With birthmarka are born to oilier famiUe .. they are ....,....uy tlIe marked deal elRldren wIIo have come bact 10 Ufe,U

It is not kaoWl!. what particular speciea or tree. the StIeng Mileve are haunted.

If the nest of tennltea CaD _ III.scevere4 alld datroyed, a peraon will. CUrM .f She diseaee.

These DUree. ClUI be aDd are use" only spinat atrans enemiea.

While Stieng tribesmen violatine the taboos are pulli.hed, outsiders from a powerful Jr'OU.p, wch as the Vietnamese or AmericlUla, are not uaually held reaponatbte for vlolatlolla ef tribal tabooa. Ho--.er, the SttenSlollg remember the per.,n noutinl their customa and may associate a particular croup, a. well as an ioc:Uvtdual offeJIder, with the taboo violatioR. 21

Operations

~R. P. Henri AZemar, "Les Stlengs de Brolam," EXCUrsions et Reconnaiasances, xn ISaigon, 18136), p. 26.

3 Personal communication from Irving Kopf (Ph. D. candidate, Columbia University; exten­sive t·. S. Government service In tribal areas In Vietnam), July 1965.

'Azemar, op. cit., pp. 13-14; T. Gerber, "CO!.Itumler Stieng," Bulletin de 1 'tcole Fral>Qaise d'Extreme-Onent, XLV (1951), pp. 227-28.

5Dam Bo [Jacques Dournea), "Lea Po~atiolUi Montagnardes du Sud-Indocbinois," ~ Asle, Special Number (Spring 1950), pp. 1130-37.

Glbid.

:~

!SORO, The Stleng, op. cit., p. 15.

9 Az£'mar, op. cit., pp. 33-34.

lOSORO, The Stieng, op. cit., p. 16.

11lbld.

I2Gerber, Gp. cit., p .. HB.

13SORO, The Stleng, ~ pp. 16-17.

uIbid_, p. 17.

15 Gerber, 2P..:.....£!!. , p. 2513.

16Azemar,~, p. 19.

l1t'. S. Army Special Warfare School, Montagnard Tt-ibal Groups of the Republic of Viet-Nam (Fort Bragg, N. C.' U.S. Army Special Warfare School, 1965), p. 2013.

..

"Ibid.

!IIbid., p.

!(I Ibid.

t1~

22 Ibid. ,p.

23 !!!!!! 2t lbld.

D~

"!!!!!: rfJbld.

209.

210.

-lOBO, 'DIe Sti!ftl', 2R:.....£!!., p. 15 .

BIBLI(}(;R.4PHY

Azemar, R. P. HenrI. "Lea Stiengs de Brolam," Excursions fit Reconnaissances, xn, Sai!on, 11386, pp. 5-54.

Baudenne, A. "Les Khaa de la re'giou d'Attopeu," Rewe Indochinoiile (January-June HIl3), pp. 260-74, 421-43.

Bernard, Noel. "Les Khas, peuple inculte du Laos fI"anqais; Notes anthropometriqueil et ethno­# graphiques," Bulletin de Ge'ographie Historjaue et Descriptive (1904), pp. 283-13'.

Condominas, Louis. ''Notes sur les Mois du Haut Song Tt-ang," Bullett!!. de b. Soci~ desttudes Indochlnolaea, XXVI (1951), pp. 13-38.

Condomlnas, GeorgE'S, "Notes sur Ie Tam Bo Mae Haap KlIon (Echan!f! de sacrifices entre lin enfant et ses phe et mere) Muong Rlam," International Archi\~s of Ethnovaphv, XLVII (1955), pp. 127-59.

Nous avons mangi Ia foret de 1a pierre-pie GOO (Hij saa b!'U mau-yaang GOo);

chronlQUe de Sa!' Luk, village mnong gar (tribu proto-indochiuoise des Hauts-Plateaux du Viet-Nam centraL Paris; Mercure de F!'RDCe, 1957.

Dam Bo [Jacques Dournesl. "Les Popdatiolls ll10ntagnardes du Sud-lIKIochill.Ols," France-~,Specilll Number,-Sprmg 1950. ---

DaupJey, M. "Lea Kha Tahoi," L'Ethnographie, m (April 1914), pp. 43-51.

Devereux, GeQrfe!. "FunctiOftingUnlts in Hairh)ndea/ng) Society," Primitive Man, X (1937), pp. 1-8.

---__ . ''hmcipJes of HaCrhnkiealng) Divinat1on," MaA, xxxvn U93S), pp. 125-27.

"The Potential Contributions of the Mol 10 the Cultural Landscape of Indochina," Far Eastern Quarterly, VI (1946-47), pp. 390-95.

Gerber, T. "Coutumier Slieng," &l.letin de I 'Ecole Francai8e d'Extreme-ortent, XLV fl9511. pp. 227-70.

Hickey, Gerald C. TIle Major Ethnic GrouP! of the South Vietnamese Hlchlands. Santa Monica, Calif.; The RAND Corporation, April 1964.

Huard, Pierre. "Lea Croyances des M'nong du plateau centrallndochinols," Revue des Troupes ~, CCXLII (September 1936), pp. 866-83.

Huard, Pierre, and A. Maurice. "Les Mnong du. platellU central indochioois," Bulletin de l'Inatitut Indochinota pour l'ttude de l'Holftme, IT (l939), pp. 27-148.

Joutn, Bernard. La Mort et la tombe: L'AbaDdcm de 1a tombe. Parl$; IIlatltutd'Ethnoiog1e, 1949.

--,:<;:::;:-::' "Histolre legendalre du &det du Feu," Bu.llettn de Ia SOciete des ttudes Indo­chiDC)fsea, XXVI (1951), pp. 73-84.

Kemlin, R. P. "Au Pays Jarat," Misslona CathoUques, XXXIX (19091, pp. 225-48.

Kerrest., J. "La ConlUltatton du Biten (chez lea Moi Rhade et Jarat)," Bulletin de )'wtltut IndochlDoLs pour l'ttude de I'Homme, rv (19(1), pp. 21S-23.

Kopf, lrvi.ng. Personal communication. (Ph.D. cudldate, Columbia University; exten.lve U.S. Government sernee in tribal areas In Vietnam.) July 1985.

Laion!, Piern'-Bern.:uu. Toloi Djuat: Coutumier de Is tribu .,Jarai. Paris; L'tco!e Fra!l<;al!le d'E:>..trt'me-Orif·nt.1963.

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Customs and Taboos of Selected Tribes Residing Along the Western Border

of the Republic of Vietnam

.. Fallah, Skaidrite Maliks

CRESS/CINFAC R-0426 DA 49-092-ARO 7 b. PRO.JECT NO .

..

Distribution of This Docume1lt Is Unlimited.

DD,:=' •• 1473

OCRD, DA WaohlJocI<m. D. C.

T2aia atu.dy presents infor.ation em tlle CUllto .. ad taboo, of the tribes reaidtDg aloag selected tran. leadiq lato the I\e­pubUc of Vietnam. Nille tribe, are nulled, prtmariq selected for their size. promiD.eace. ad locatieD akaI the CODlmoa border of the Republic of Vteaam. Laoa. and C...-cua. Pb,y_lcal characteriatice ad reHctoua belief, are also ttll-c ... ed.

Vietnamese Montagnard8: Customs Taboos Psychological characteristics Religious beliefs