Made from the same materials (wood, thatch, bamboo, rattan...) found in nature as the communal houses of other ethnic minorities, the place that keeps the village soul of the Gie Trieng people has its own unique features thanks to its architectural style. and spirituality related to the buffalo.
For any village community of the Gie Trieng people, first of all, the communal house is chosen to be built at the end of the village; Expressing discreetness and humility, but still being "inclusive". From here you can observe the entire residential area. This is also where everyone is headed. The communal house was chosen to be built on flat, spacious land with four open sides, with all materials taken from nature. In front is a large yard where people can gather.
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| Impressive communal house of the Gie Trieng people in Kon Tum |
For the Gie Trieng people, buffalo are not a production tool, nor are they used as food. Buffalo is a sacred object, offered to the gods, showing respect and respect for the supreme being. Perhaps stemming from this solemn meaning, since ancient times, the communal house of the Gie Trieng people has carried the symbol of a buffalo.
Looking at the overall view from the front, although the sizes are different, the communal houses of the Gie Trieng people all have the shape of a horizontal buffalo. In particular, the two ends of the high roof of the communal house have the shape of two buffalo horns. The top of the roof is like the strong backbone of the buffalo, pulling down to the corresponding hollow roof like the two sides of the buffalo with layers of ribs in harmony. Not only that, the layout and display inside the communal house also has many elements associated with the buffalo.
Organizing cultural events in the communal house of the Gie Trieng Dak Rang people.
First of all, in the structure of the communal house, besides the decorative patterns on the main frame at the door, wooden cuts bearing the buffalo horn symbol are indispensable. After each "buffalo eating" ceremony held by the villagers, the buffalo head (or buffalo horn) is chosen to hang in the communal house. The communal house is also the place to hang large drums, store gongs and display the village's traditional musical instruments.
The communal house of the Gie Trieng people is built on a sturdy wooden truss, usually consisting of 10 main pillars made of green star tree, catfish, or some other type of durable tree that is resistant to termites and termites. Notably, the main columns of the house are rounded from the ground up to the floor, but from the floor up to the roof frame, they are rectangular.
According to the typical design of a buffalo's back, the communal house roof of the Gie Trieng people is dome-shaped. On both sides of the communal house, there are 3-5 round columns erected straight from the ground up to the roof. The two sides of the communal house are designed in a typical fan-shaped structure and are thatched in a delicate, beautiful circular frame; different from cutting square corners like the communal houses with ax net-shaped roofs of other ethnic groups.
The communal house doors of the Gie Trieng people are often opened on two front sides. On each door there are also symbols of buffalo horns and wild boar heads - symbolizing sacrifices to the gods.
Regarding the construction of communal houses of the Gie Trieng people, there is a unique and notable feature: the system of columns and rafters are connected together with wooden beams and rattan fibers, which are not only durable but also aesthetically pleasing. High beauty thanks to flower-shaped knots and spider webs.
As a symbol of the strength and spirituality of the villagers, long ago, the communal house of the Gie Trieng people was built with all the strength and enthusiasm of the whole community. To meet the requirements as a solid fortress to protect the villagers, the communal house has been carefully calculated.
The roof is covered with many layers of thatch not only to cover the sun and rain, but also to shield the people inside if the enemy shoots arrows or throws spears into the communal house. The walls of the communal house are made of bamboo panels, but traditionally, inside the communal house, each wall is built with large, thick wooden panels, high above the head of the person sitting, to shield the person sitting next to them. In case the enemy uses arrows to shoot at the communal house. The wooden post is 1m to 1.5m above the ground to avoid attacks by wild animals as well as to avoid floodwaters from flooding the floor of the communal house. Wooden or bamboo floors are also peeled (or crushed) to be durable.
As a symbol of the strength and spirituality of the villagers, building a communal house is always a very important thing for each person, family and community. According to Mr. Kring Ban in Nong Noi village, Dak Nong commune, Ngoc Hoi district, before starting construction (or repairing) the communal house after the annual rice harvest, people had to prepare all the necessary materials. The time to start building a communal house is chosen by the village elder, usually during the full moon. The "groundbreaking" ceremony is not elaborate, but carries many spiritual elements of the community. In the past, the elderly in the village had the custom of burying grinding stones underground to "find luck" before building a communal house, but later, "choosing a day" was much more open.
“Before building a communal house, the village elders listen to see if there are any omens or if there is peace. If you don't hear the animal cry, it's a good day, choose to do it..." - Brol Ve village elder in Dak Rang (Dak Duc commune, Ngoc Hoi district) shared. The simplest offerings to build a communal house include salt, a chicken, and praying to the gods to bless the construction of the communal house smoothly and conveniently.
Gie Trieng people hold a huge festival to inaugurate the communal house. The villagers set up a tree and ate buffalo to thank Giang and their ancestors for blessing the villagers to build beautiful, solid communal houses.
Previously, each Gie Trieng village usually had two communal houses. The men's communal house (with the buffalo horn symbol on the roof) is made large and is the place where the main activities of the village are held. The communal house for women (without the horn symbol) is smaller and lower. Over time, today's Gie Trieng villages only have one common communal house, a place to gather, convey and share everyone's thoughts and feelings. In particular, bearing the symbol of the buffalo, up to now, these communal houses have basically retained their traditional beauty, not being "corrugated" or "cemented".
By: Thanh Như