Mythologies of the Rơ-măm People

 

The Rơ Măm people are a small ethnic group in Vietnam (639 in 2019). They speak a language in the Central Bahnaric branch of the Mon–Khmer family. They mostly reside in Le Village, Mo Rai Commune, Kon Tum. Hunting, Gathering, Agriculture, and Weaving are the main sources of wealth in current Ro Mam society. The Ro Mam tribe lives in a restricted area near the Cambodian border.

The Ro Mam people live in the mountainous areas of central Vietnam, especially in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces. They have a rich cultural identity and are known for their unique weaving techniques, creating intricate patterns on their clothing and baskets. They also have a tradition of building communal houses where they gather for important events and ceremonies.

The Ro mam have about 230 people inhabiting in Le village, Mo Rai commune. Sa Thay district of Kon Tum province. Ro mam language belongs to the Mon-Khmer Group. The Ro mam live mainly from cultivation on burnt-over land. Sticky rice is their staple food. Cultivation techniques are traditionally done, men dig holes by two sticks and women go behind them to put seeds into the holes and cover them with soil. Hunting and gathering play a fairly important role in their economic life. Among extra occupations, weaving was most developed but it has declined now, because the Ro-mam used to buy industrial goods sold in the market. Ro mam women used to wear jupes and shins with short sleeves. The jupes are made from coarse cloth without decoration and fall down below their knees. Men wear loincloths, front lap hang over their knees and back lap fall down to their shins. According to old custom, young people have tour to six of their upper teeth filed for aesthetic reasons. Nowadays, they do not follow this practice. Women like to wear earrings, bracelets and necklaces made from glass beads. The village of the Ro-mam is called a de headed by an old chief who enjoys the trust of all the villagers. The Le village now comprises only about 10 houses and a rong (communal house). Each family comprises 10-20 persons of various generations who have blood ties. The couples live under the same roof, but each nuclear family forms its own economic unit.

The village of the Rơ-măm (called đê), is sur-rounded by a solid hedge and has well-defined boundaries. The village chief is an old man who enjoys the trust of all the villagers. The Rơ-măm live in houses-on-stilts arranged in a square or rectangle, opening onto the central area in the middle of which is the communal house. The interior design is that for a long house; each cou¬ple occupy a compartment surrounded by parti¬tions made of plaited bamboo and opening onto a corridor running the whole length of the house. Each house is thus inhabited by several nuclear families. The central part of the house is reserved for accepting guests. Men wear loincloths and women pagnes which fall to below their knees. The loincloths and pagnes have no decoration whatsoever. Everyone wears a short sleeveless vest which is also totally plain. Young people have four to six of their upper teeth filed for aesthetic reasons. Women like wearing large, heavy earrings; some have the holes in their earlobes enlarged with an ivory ring 5-6 cm in diameter. The Rơ-măm practise mainly slash-and-bum cultivation. Sticky rice is their staple food, then comes plain rice, com and cassava. The farming tech¬niques are similar to those of the Gia-rai. Hunting and gathering play a fair¬ly important role. Fishing with nets, poisonous leaves or by hand is well- developed. The Rơ-măm weave cloth for their clothes, but industrially-pro¬duced goods are causing the traditional fabrics to disappear. The Rơ-măm regularly exchange tobacco and forest products with the Lào, Ba-na and Xo- đang for salt, iron tools, ivory earrings and other goods.

The RO MAM have about 418 people inhabiting in Le Village Mo Rai Commune, Sa Thay District of Kon Tum1 Province. The RO-MAM language belongs to the Mon-Khmer group. Formerly, the RO MAM lived mainly on growing sticky rice as their staple food on milpas. Men dug holes by two sticks and women went behind them to sow seeds Into the holes. Hunting and gathering still play a fairly important role in their economic life. At present, they cultivate not only rice and com but also coffee and pepper. Husbandry is promoted too. Among their sidelines weaving was most developed but it has declined recently, because the RO MAM adopt industrial cloth ard ready-to-wear garments. RO MAM women often wear lungis and short-sleeved shirts. The lungis are made from coarse cloth without decoration and fall down below their knees. Men wear loincloths of which the front lap hangs over their knees and the rear lap to their shins. According to old customs, young people had their upper teeth filed. Nowadays, this practice is abrogated. Women like to wear earrings bracelets and necklaces made from beads. The village of the RO-MAM is caled a de-headed by an old chief who is elected by villagers. In the past a RO-MAM village comprised about ten long houses. Nowadays the long houses are no longer built instead, the RO-MAM live in small tile-roofed houses-on-stilts. There is a rong (communal house) at one end of the village.

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