Buffalo stabbing ceremony is one of the most special ritual of the Central Highlands. Once for each ten year, as a performance, this ceremony lasted only two hours. This is one of the traditional festivals of Tay Nguyen ethnic groups in Vietnam.
Buffalo stabbing is a great event which aimed at worshiping gods or those who contributed to establishment of villages, celebration for a good harvest or other important events.
The ceremony was organized in the yard in front of the communal house
Villagers choose a strong buffalo to have a bath and feed then using a wire to bind with a 5 meters high-pillar .This pillar is made of wood or bamboo that is decorated with special patterns, forest flowers, beautiful flag. On the top of the pillar , there is a symbol as wooden phoenix. Ba-Na people call this pillar “gưng sakapô”, Gia-Rai people call “ ging ga”, Ê-đê people call “blang kbâo”.
Young girls dance to open the ceremony. Village patriarch prays for thanksgiving to invite deities to the ceremony to eat buffalo meat, drink “ruou can”-traditional wine drank by pipe- an indispensable of ceremonies in the Central Highlands. Then, leading the buffalo to the ceremony tree. "Gong" performance begins before stabbing the buffalo. "Crying-buffalo" is one song that has artistic value and deep humane during performance whose content is goodbye, thanks for buffalo's sacrifice.
Performing the buffalo stabbing rituals. This is the most important part of the festival. The person who performs this action is equipped with a long dart to kill buffalo: the dart has to go through buffalo's heart, immediately it downs. The buffalo is killed that is divided into small parts to eat in villages along the festival.
“ Buffalo stabbing” is one of countless festivals in Tay Nguyen, a land of mystery with no small appeal to domestic and international travelers. In the dry season you may ride an elephant from the Don Village to the Yokdon forest; take a trip to the imposing Dreisap Falls, or make your own way to farther villages ... Everywhere can be found a different aspect of the life in the highlands, deserted but magnificent, hidden behind the forest but still full of ruou can, echoing gongs, and flaring firelight.[img][/img][img][/img]
Buffalo stabbing is a great event which aimed at worshiping gods or those who contributed to establishment of villages, celebration for a good harvest or other important events.
The ceremony was organized in the yard in front of the communal house
Villagers choose a strong buffalo to have a bath and feed then using a wire to bind with a 5 meters high-pillar .This pillar is made of wood or bamboo that is decorated with special patterns, forest flowers, beautiful flag. On the top of the pillar , there is a symbol as wooden phoenix. Ba-Na people call this pillar “gưng sakapô”, Gia-Rai people call “ ging ga”, Ê-đê people call “blang kbâo”.
Young girls dance to open the ceremony. Village patriarch prays for thanksgiving to invite deities to the ceremony to eat buffalo meat, drink “ruou can”-traditional wine drank by pipe- an indispensable of ceremonies in the Central Highlands. Then, leading the buffalo to the ceremony tree. "Gong" performance begins before stabbing the buffalo. "Crying-buffalo" is one song that has artistic value and deep humane during performance whose content is goodbye, thanks for buffalo's sacrifice.
Performing the buffalo stabbing rituals. This is the most important part of the festival. The person who performs this action is equipped with a long dart to kill buffalo: the dart has to go through buffalo's heart, immediately it downs. The buffalo is killed that is divided into small parts to eat in villages along the festival.
“ Buffalo stabbing” is one of countless festivals in Tay Nguyen, a land of mystery with no small appeal to domestic and international travelers. In the dry season you may ride an elephant from the Don Village to the Yokdon forest; take a trip to the imposing Dreisap Falls, or make your own way to farther villages ... Everywhere can be found a different aspect of the life in the highlands, deserted but magnificent, hidden behind the forest but still full of ruou can, echoing gongs, and flaring firelight.[img][/img][img][/img]