Art Council of Mongolia, Culture Naadam Project

Art Council of Mongolia, Culture Naadam Project

Logoa'i Kamisi and Sulusi Mulia are from the village of Lotoso'a, Saleimoa, where sennit had not been made for many years. Despite this, the process could still be recalled.

Trần Thương Temple Festival\nin Nhân Đạo Commune, Lý Nhân District, Hà Nam Province\nTrần Thương temple - one of the three largest and holiest temples in the Red River delta is dedicated to worship Trần Quốc Tuấn or Trần Hưng Đạo, a supreme commander of Viet Nam during the Trần dynasty and his army to defeat the Mongolian – Yuan invaders in the 13th century.\n

Coconut husks are beaten to remove the pith from the fibres that are used to make sennit.

The bast is carefully beaten and folded to create an ever widening cloth that can be up to a metre in width at the large end of the tree.

After four decades, women in Ney village in Gangzur Gewog (block) in Lhuentse revived a tradition of weaving fabrics from nettle yarn that was about to disappear. With the assistance of Tarayana Foundation, local women’s group secretary Yangchen Tshomo led the group to revive and promote kui tha the nettle yarn tradition. According to them, it has been more than 40 years since they saw their grandparents’ weaving fabrics from nettles. Earlier people used to make Thakpa (rope), Khorga (bag), Shingka (ancient female dress), Phatsa (sacks), and Bra-ger (ancient male dress). It is still being used for traditional bowstring in other parts of Bhutan. The foundation also supports the women’s work by marketing the product and they weave tablecloths and scarves, which help them in generating income for their families. \n\nTypes of Nettles: Zea Kuley - further distinguished in two categories:\n1.\tNgoi Kuley (Green)- harvested in July and August \n2.\tSer Juley (Yellow)- harvested in November\n\nAn elderly resident from Ney, Tenzin Wangmo, remembers how they used nettle to weave. According to her, in the past they used a different process of degumming. First, they would dig a hole to fit the nettle bark and built a hard wood fire to heat stones. After that, ash mixed with water was applied to nettle bark and it was placed in hole. The ash was applied to the bark in thick layers to protect it as the hot stones were placed alongside the bark. The ash prevented burns from destroying the fibers, and this was kept for two to three nights. Finally, the thread was washed in running river water and beating continuously until it was white.

After four decades, women in Ney village in Gangzur Gewog (block) in Lhuentse revived a tradition of weaving fabrics from nettle yarn that was about to disappear. With the assistance of Tarayana Foundation, local women’s group secretary Yangchen Tshomo led the group to revive and promote kui tha the nettle yarn tradition. According to them, it has been more than 40 years since they saw their grandparents’ weaving fabrics from nettles. Earlier people used to make Thakpa (rope), Khorga (bag), Shingka (ancient female dress), Phatsa (sacks), and Bra-ger (ancient male dress). It is still being used for traditional bowstring in other parts of Bhutan. The foundation also supports the women’s work by marketing the product and they weave tablecloths and scarves, which help them in generating income for their families. \n\nTypes of Nettles: Zea Kuley - further distinguished in two categories:\n1.\tNgoi Kuley (Green)- harvested in July and August \n2.\tSer Juley (Yellow)- harvested in November\n\nAn elderly resident from Ney, Tenzin Wangmo, remembers how they used nettle to weave. According to her, in the past they used a different process of degumming. First, they would dig a hole to fit the nettle bark and built a hard wood fire to heat stones. After that, ash mixed with water was applied to nettle bark and it was placed in hole. The ash was applied to the bark in thick layers to protect it as the hot stones were placed alongside the bark. The ash prevented burns from destroying the fibers, and this was kept for two to three nights. Finally, the thread was washed in running river water and beating continuously until it was white.

This dance was introduced in the 15th century by Pema Lingpa, to whom it was revealed in a vision. When King Thrisong Detsen of Tibet was building Samye monastery in Tibet, Guru Rinpoche applied his supernatural powers and manifested in the form of Ging, representing immense positive force to combat and subdue the evil spirits that were hindering the construction of the monastery, which was an important part of establishing the teachings of the Buddha. The dance depicts Zangdo Pelri, the paradise of Guru Rinpoche. The enlightened sages of India and Tibet are seated in a row on his right and the scholars are seated on his left. In the intermediate areas are the 108 treasure discoverers who are his incarnations and his 25 disciples including King Thrisong Detsen. The inner dance, called the Ging dance, is performed by an assembly of spiritual heroes, deities and dakinis in their peaceful and wrathful forms. The outer dance called Tsholing is performed by the the Tsholings, terrifying deities seen as protectors of the religion. After they have destroyed the evil spirits symbolised by an effigy in a black box they are chased away by the Ging, who then perform a victory dance while beating their drums. The Tsholing dancers wear long colourful dresses and terrifying masks, while the Ging dancers wear imitation tiger skins and terrifying masks with a flag on the top and carry drums in their left hands and drumsticks in their right. This dance symbolises the victory of good over evil.

This dance was introduced in the 15th century by Pema Lingpa, to whom it was revealed in a vision. When King Thrisong Detsen of Tibet was building Samye monastery in Tibet, Guru Rinpoche applied his supernatural powers and manifested in the form of Ging, representing immense positive force to combat and subdue the evil spirits that were hindering the construction of the monastery, which was an important part of establishing the teachings of the Buddha. The dance depicts Zangdo Pelri, the paradise of Guru Rinpoche. The enlightened sages of India and Tibet are seated in a row on his right and the scholars are seated on his left. In the intermediate areas are the 108 treasure discoverers who are his incarnations and his 25 disciples including King Thrisong Detsen. The inner dance, called the Ging dance, is performed by an assembly of spiritual heroes, deities and dakinis in their peaceful and wrathful forms. The outer dance called Tsholing is performed by the the Tsholings, terrifying deities seen as protectors of the religion. After they have destroyed the evil spirits symbolised by an effigy in a black box they are chased away by the Ging, who then perform a victory dance while beating their drums. The Tsholing dancers wear long colourful dresses and terrifying masks, while the Ging dancers wear imitation tiger skins and terrifying masks with a flag on the top and carry drums in their left hands and drumsticks in their right. This dance symbolises the victory of good over evil.

Awang Batil is a story-teller only found in the state of Perlis. Originally he was known with the name ‘Awang Belanga’ because he used the ‘belanga’ or cooking pot as his music accompaniment. As cooking pot is covered with charcoal, it was then replaced with ‘batil’ that is copper water container. Thus the story-teller is called ‘Awang Batil’. The storyteller also plays other instruments such as the violin, serunai, rebana and gendang terinai. In yesteryears, Awang Batil travelled village to village and from house to house, especially houses that held wedding feasts, to tell his stories. Awang Batil inherits lots of folk stories. A story is in series and with continuities that drags to many evenings. Comedy elements are inserted in his story-telling while beating the copper water container with his fingers. The most commonly told stories of the Awang Batil are Raja Dewa Lok, Raja Bersiung, Raja Berdarah Putih, Anak Lang Pak Belang, Jabat Jabit, Abu Nawas, Cerita Angan-Angan and Awang Ada Duit Semua Jadi. At certain Acts Awang Batil wears a mask to relate the character of a ‘Hulubalang’ (Soldier) and the ‘Wak Nujum’ (Fortune Teller). Both are used when suitable characters appear in the stories to attract the audiences’ attention. The mask is made of wood and usually painted red and white. At a house that holds wedding feast Awang Batil performs in a small hut with a height of three to four meters. The audiences sit encircling the hut listening to his stories with laughter.

Awang Batil is a story-teller only found in the state of Perlis. Originally he was known with the name ‘Awang Belanga’ because he used the ‘belanga’ or cooking pot as his music accompaniment. As cooking pot is covered with charcoal, it was then replaced with ‘batil’ that is copper water container. Thus the story-teller is called ‘Awang Batil’. The storyteller also plays other instruments such as the violin, serunai, rebana and gendang terinai. In yesteryears, Awang Batil travelled village to village and from house to house, especially houses that held wedding feasts, to tell his stories. Awang Batil inherits lots of folk stories. A story is in series and with continuities that drags to many evenings. Comedy elements are inserted in his story-telling while beating the copper water container with his fingers. The most commonly told stories of the Awang Batil are Raja Dewa Lok, Raja Bersiung, Raja Berdarah Putih, Anak Lang Pak Belang, Jabat Jabit, Abu Nawas, Cerita Angan-Angan and Awang Ada Duit Semua Jadi. At certain Acts Awang Batil wears a mask to relate the character of a ‘Hulubalang’ (Soldier) and the ‘Wak Nujum’ (Fortune Teller). Both are used when suitable characters appear in the stories to attract the audiences’ attention. The mask is made of wood and usually painted red and white. At a house that holds wedding feast Awang Batil performs in a small hut with a height of three to four meters. The audiences sit encircling the hut listening to his stories with laughter.