Mythologies of the Co Tu Tribe

Co Tu ethnic group’s language belongs to the Mon-Khmer languages (language family of mainland Southeast Asia), close to the Ta Oi and Bru-Van Kieu languages. Co Tu ethnic minority people live mainly in the two central provinces of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam, particularly Nam Giang, Dong Giang and Tay Giang Districts of Quang Nam Province and a few in Nam Dong and A Luoi Districts, of Thua Thien Hue Province. Co Tu ethnic minority people have long lived in the Truong Son-Central Highlands region. Up to now, the origin of the Co Tu people still only stops at hypotheses, but in general, domestic and foreign scholars rely on their achievements in architecture, sculpture, culture and physical beauty, to determine that Co Tu people were once the owners of a decaying high culture,rather than an ethnic group with a developing primitive civilisation level. This ethnic group has not yet formed local groups but has had groups that are distinguished according to their residential areas, such as highland people (Co-tu Driu), central people (Co-tu Cha Lau) and lowland people (Co-tu Nal).

The CO TU have nearly 56,690 people inhabiting in Hien and Giang Districts of Quang Nam Province and A Luoi and Nam Dong Districts of Thua Thien-Hue. Their other names are Ca tu, Ha, Cao, Phuong and Ca-tang. The CO TU language belongs to the Mon-Khmer group. The CO TU believe in and worship Giang (genie). Living in the Truong Son Range, the CO TU practise slash-and-bum cultivation and dig holes to sow seeds. They also adopt animal husbandry, cloth weaving, basketry, gathering, hunting, fishing and barter. In a CO TU village, houses-on-stilts are arranged in the shape of an ellipse. The Rong (communal house), the largest and most beautiful building, is the place for receiving guests, gatherings, meetings, rituals and cultural activities. Traditionally, CO TU men wear ‘oindoths and leave their upper torso naked. Women wear skirts and short vests, winter, they cover chemselves with a piece of cloth. The popular jewelry comprises necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Tattooing, tooth filing and wearing hair in a chignon (men) have gradually declined. Patriarchy prevails among the CO TU. Children take the family name of their father. The right of inheritance is reserved for sons only. Each CO TU lineage has its own name. All member of a lineage are responsible for mutual assistance. They are buried next to one another in the village graveyard. The rich people build their big and beautiful tomb-house decorated with sophisticated statues and paintings. The CO TU do not conduct anniversaries of death or grave-cleaning ceremonies. According to customs, a man of A lineage marries a woman of B lineage, but men of the B is not allowed to marry women of the A. If a woman’s husband died, she is allowed to get married one of his brothers and vice versa. Marriage by purchase is a common practice. After the wedding, the bride comes to live in her husband’s house. Monogamy is popular, but some rich people sometimes take several wives. Every year, the CO-TU hold many rituals to pray genies for good lucks and health, especially bumper craps. Most of the rituals are family-scale ceremonies and seme village-scale ones, particularly the buffalo-slaughtering rite.

Co Tu ethnic minority people have long lived in the Truong Son-Central Highlands region. Up to now, the origin of the Co Tu people still only stops at hypotheses, but in general, domestic and foreign scholars rely on their achievements in architecture, sculpture, culture and physical beauty to determine that Co Tu people were once the owners of a decaying high culture rather than an ethnic group with a developing primitive civilisation level. This ethnic group has not yet formed local groups but has had groups that are distinguished according to their residential areas such as highland people (Co-tu Driu), central people (Co-tu Cha Lau) and lowland people (Co-tu Nal). Co Tu ethnic minority people live mainly in the two central provinces of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam, particularly Nam Giang, Dong Giang and Tay Giang Districts of Quang Nam Province and a few in Nam Dong and A Luoi Districts of Thua Thien Hue Province. According to census data on 53 ethnic minorities as of 1 April 2019, the total population of Cham ethnic people is 74,173, including 37,096 men and 37,077 women. 88.2% of the population lives in rural areas. Co Tu ethnic group’s language belongs to the Mon-Khmer languages (language family of mainland Southeast Asia), close to Ta Oi and Bru-Van Kieu languages. From the period before 1975, the Co Tu people had languages based on the use of Latin characters to transliterate, but now few people use them.

The Co Tu people are concentrated in the three districts of Nam Giang, Dong Giang and Tay Giang in Quang Nam province. Their wooden houses are scattered in the woods and retain the typical characteristics of the Co Tu. Their Guol thatch roofs ascend to the sky, symbolizing prosperity and peace. The Guol houses are built in the shape of a conical hat or tortoise shell. The Co Tu communal houses are not very tall, which is different from the Rong houses of other ethnic groups in Vietnam’s central highlands. Decorations on the houses are important and include images of buffaloes, birds, lizards, and dancing girls. Bhling Bheh of B’Hong hamlet told VOV: “Guol houses play an important role in the lives of the Co Tu people and are considered sacred places and the soul of the village. If a village does not have a Guol house, it means there is no house”. The Co Tu people used to live close to the nature, clearing trees for cultivation and hunting in the Truong Son mountain range. They believe in ancient gods and offer them buffaloes in worshiping rituals. According to Co Tu tradition, after receiving offerings from the villagers, the gods will protect the villagers and drive away forest spirits. The Co Tu buffalo – stabbing festival prays for favorable weather, a bumper crop, happiness, and prosperity. Before the buffalo – stabbing ritual, a village elder hosts a ceremony to worship the buffalo in the yard of Guol house. BLing Blo of Nam Giang told us:

“The worshipping ceremony should include offerings of fish, mice, squirrels, chickens and grilled meat. All the villagers should be involved in the preparations. The person who is in charge of stabbing the buffalo should offer a chicken. When the buffalo falls down, he should throw the chicken on the upper part of the buffalo’s tail”.

Masks have been produced for centuries by the Co Tu ethnic minority, who consider them a form of spiritual protection. Approximately five kilometres off the centre of Tay Giang District, the Porning Village which has a population of 500, still preserves the traditional culture, arts and customs of their ancestors. In fact, even some of the practices in their community are based on the past rituals of their forefathers. The guol still plays the role of the heart and soul of the community. It serves as a rendez-vous for all the big festivals and meetings held every year. In addition, the villagers still share the food if one of them is back from a successful hunt in the forest. The villagers also frequently gather as a community to discuss the younger generations' future. Brothers Colau Nhat, 76, and Colau Nhap, 61, as well as cousin Colau Nam, 84, are the oldest in the Colau family living in the village. They serve as the guardians of the wooden sculpture of spiritual figures for the communal house. Despite his old age, Nam still hunts. This is an old hobby he inherited from his ancestors. He also hunts to contribute to the food reserve of the village, which is kept for long winter days after the harvest. The old Co Tu man is the 10th generation of the Colau family preserving the art of mask sculpture. "It is a very old tradition. I'm the 10th generation pursuing this art for the village. I was told by my grandfather that the mask serves as the spiritual protection of village from evil spirits and devils," Nam said. "Sculpture is the longest standing tradition of the Co Tu people. It appeared when the minority learned how to build the guol. The masks are believed to represent the souls of the dead, the good and the evil, while wood sculptures depict the daily lives of the Co Tu people."