The CO TU Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam

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   The CO TU have nearly 56,690 people inhabiting in Hien and Giang Districts of Quang Nam1 Province and A Luoi and Nam Dong Districts of Thua Thien-Hue2. Their other names are Ca tu, Ha, Cao, Phuong and Ca-tang. The CO TU language belongs to the Mon-Khmer3 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 hamlet - holylandvietnamstudies.com
Congdon CO TU hamlet (Source: VNA Publishers House)

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.
◊  The CHO RO Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The CO HO Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The CONG Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The CHUT Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The CHU RU Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The CHAM Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The DAO Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  The GIAY Community of 54 Ethnic groups in Vietnam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo): CONG DONG 54 Dan toc Viet Nam – Phan 1.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi BA NA  trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi BO Y trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi BRAU trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi BRU-VAN KIEU  trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi CHO RO trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi CHAM trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi CHU RU trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi CHUT trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi CONG trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi DAO trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi GIAY trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  Vietnamese version (vi-VersiGoo) with Web-Voice (Web-Audio):  Nguoi GIA RAI trong Cong dong 54 Dan toc anh em o Viet Nam.
◊  etc.

BAN TU THU
07 /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

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