| Description |
According to the Thu Lao people's concept, the forest is the dwelling place of the gods, so the sacred forest is protected and cared for very carefully by the people. The forest worship ritual is a ritual to worship the gods residing in the sacred forest, praying for peace in the village, health and solidarity of the villagers, growth of crops and livestock, and bountiful harvests.
The forest worship ritual takes place twice a year in the spring and summer at the base of the mother tree - the wife forest god and the base of the father tree - the husband forest god. The men participating in the worshiping ritual are representatives of each family. The offerings include chicken, pig, fabric, wine, incense. The main shaman and the assistant shaman represent the villagers to present the offerings and perform rituals with the gods. After the ritual, the villagers can enjoy: stilts, spinning tops, chicken badminton, round ball, swallow fighting...
The forest worship ritual partly reflects the close relationship and connection between forest - water - land to ensure the life of each ethnic group; indigenous knowledge is in harmony with the environment. |
