The BRAU Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam

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    The BRAU are also called BRAO. They have a population of about 350 who inhabit mainly in Dak Me Village, Bo Y Commune, Ngoc Hoi District of Kon Turn Province¹. The BRAU language belongs to the Mon-Khmer² group.

In their concepts of animism, PA XAY is the Creator of the universe, heaven, earth, river, stream, rain, wind, human beings and death.

    The BRAU have led a nomadic life for a long time. They practice slash-and-bum cultivation to grow rice, com and cassava, using rudimentary tools such as axes, knives and sticks to dig holes to put seeds into the holes. Thus they always obtain a low productivity. Generally their houses are built on stilts.

    Normally, men wear loin-cloths and women lungis. All leave their upoer torsos naked. According to customs, the BRAU have their faces and bodies tattooed and their teeth filed. Women wear a lot of chains around their arms, ankles and necks. They also wear large ear-rings made of ivory or bamboo.

    Young men and women are free to choose their partners. The family of a young man hand wedding presents to the bride’s family where the wedding ceremony will be organized. After marriage, the groom must live with his wifeys family for 2-3 years before bringing his wife and children home.

   It is customary that the dead person is brought outside of the house immediately, placed in a coffin made from a hollowed tree trunk. The coffin will be left in a temporary house built by the villagers. All the people come to offer their condolences and play gongs. Some days later, the coffin is buried. All objects such as jars, baskets, knives and axes are left in the tomb house for the deceased.

    The BRAU like to play gongs³ and traditional musical instruments. Gongs comprise various kinds. In particular, a set of two gongs (called chieng tha) has the value of 30-50 buffaloes. Young girls often play Klong put⁴, a musical instrument consists of 5-7 bamboo tubes, long and short which are joined together. The sound comes when air is forced into the tubes by clapping hands. The BRAU have appropriate folk tunes used to lull children or sing in wedding ceremonies. Kite flying walking on stilts and phet⁵ playing an young people’s entertainments.

SEE MORE:
◊  The COMMUNITY of 54 ETHNIC GROUPS in Vietnam – Section 1.
◊  The BA NA Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The BO Y Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The BRAU Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The BRU-VAN KIEU Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo): CONG DONG 54 Dan toc Viet Nam – Phan 1.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo):  Nguoi BA NA  trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo):  Nguoi BO Y  trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo):  Nguoi BRAU  trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo):  Nguoi BRU-VAN KIEU  trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  etc.

BAN TU THU
06 /2020

NOTES:
¹ : … updating…

NOTE:
◊  Source & Images:  54 Ethnic Groups in Vietnam, Thong Tan Publishers, 2008.
◊  All citations and italic textes has been set by Ban Tu Thu – thanhdiavietnamhoc.com