VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
***
NGUYỄN VĂN THẮNG
FAMILY RITUALS OF MANG
PEOPLE IN VIETNAM
Major: Cultural anthropology
Code: 62 31 65 01
SUMMARY OF ANTHROPOLOGY PHD DISSERTATION
Ha Noi, 2014
THE THESIS WAS COMPLETED AT
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
VIET NAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
***
SUPERVISORS
1. Assoc. Prof. Bùi Văn Đạo
2. Assoc. Prof. Nguyễn Văn Minh
Judge 1: Assoc. Prof. Lâm Bá Nam
Judge 2: Assoc. Prof. Nguyễn Duy Bính
Judge 3: Assoc. Prof. Nguyễn Ngọc Thanh
The dissertation will be presented to a PhD committee at Graduate
Academy of Social Sciences at: 2014
Readers can look up this Dissertation at:
- National Library
- Library of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences
- Library of Institute of Social Sciences of Central Highlands
LIST OF PUBLISHED WORKS RELATING TO THE DISSERTATION
TOPIC BY PHD STUDENT
1. Nguyễn Văn Thắng (2013), "Rituals of birth delivery and baby rearing of Mang
people in Viet Nam", Journal of Ethnography, No 3, pp. 25-35, Hà Nội.
2. Nguyễn Văn Thắng (2013), "Local knowledge of Mang people in Viet Nam",

rituals is to point out basic aspects of Mang culture in Viet Nam.
Socio-economic life of Mang people in Viet Nam has seen changes,
especially since Doi Moi in 1986 that was followed by changes in their
traditional rituals and has both positive and adversed impact on their lives.
Therefore, researching family rituals of Mang people in this context points
out traditional cultural values and its changes that helps identify the trend
of changes and find out appropriate solutions to reserve and develop good
cultural values.
Under the influence of globalisation, although State and Party has
paid due attention to reserving and developing ethnic cultural values to
serve the industrialisation and modernisation, the rapidly ongoing
acculturation has brought about opportunities for the ethnic minority
groups to access and integrate into the global economy and culture. This
also brings about challenges in the development, especially in
harmonising the development and reservation of ethnic minority groups’
culture.
Given such theoretical and practical issues, a study on Family rituals
of Mang people in Viet Nam is not only of scientific significance but also
contributes to maintaining and developing traditional culture of Mang to be
in line with the existing socio-economic development context shaped by
Doi Moi and integration. The study is also to provide scientific foundation
for state management bodies in their making policies and developing socio-
economic development solutions to reserve and developing ethnic cultural
values according to the direction of “building and developing a progressive
and intensively traditional Vietnam culture” stated at the National Congress
5th of the VIIIth Party.
2. Objectives of the dissertation
First, present clearly and systematically family rituals of Mang
people in Viet Nam.
Second, contribute to examining the values of Mang family rituals

Besides the results of published works and related secondary data,
the dissertation is based on the primary data collected by the author since
2005.
5. Contribution of the dissertation
First, the dissertation is the first work providing comprehensive
and systematic information on family rituals of Mang people in Viet
Nam;
Second, point out the values of family rituals of Mang people and
the changes of their rituals in current context;
Third, through synthesis and analysis, the dissertation points out
the similarities and differences of Mang cultural values in comparative
with other ethnic minority groups;
Fourth, the dissertation provides scientific foundation and suggest
recommendations and solutions for making policies on socio-economic
development and maintenance and development of Mang cultural values
in current context of Viet Nam.
6. Structure of dissertation
In addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, Reference and Index,
the dissertation composes of 5 chapters:
Chapter 1: Literature review, theoretical background,
methodologies and study site
Chapter 2: Life cycle rituals in traditional society
Chapter 3: Occupational rituals, ancestors and Gods’ worship
and festivals in traditional society
Chapter 4: Changes in family rituals since 1986
Chapter 5: Results and discussion
Chapter 1
LITERATURE REVIEW, THEORETICAL BACKGROUND,
METHODOLOGIES AND STUDY SITE
1.1. LITERATURE REVIEW

Sin Ho district, Lai Chau province (2007); The customs of giving a name to Mang
people in Nam Ban (2007); Livelihoods of Mang people in Viet Nam and the
sustainable development of a race (2012); Wedding of Mang people in Viet Nam
(2012), Funerals of Mang people in Lai Chau (2012), Local knowledge of Mang people
in Viet Nam in check-up and health treatment (2012), Rituals of giving birth and child
rearing of Mang people in Viet Nam (2013), Local knowledge of Mang people in Viet
Nam (2013), Agricultural rituals of Mang people in Viet Nam (2013).
Some authors study on the language of Mang people, including: Nguyen Thi
Loan and Some traites of Mang language in Northwestern Viet Nam (1976), Ta Van
Thong and Exclusion of Mang language (1997), Nguyen Huu Loi, Nguyen Huu Hoanh
and Ta Van Thong and The position of Mang language in Mon-Khmer languages
(1998), Nguyen Van Loi, Nguyen Huu Hoanh and Ta Van Thong with Mang language
(2008).
It is found out that the published works have more or less mentioned Mang
people in Lai Chau but not Mang people in other provinces in the country. In addition,
the rituals of Mang people have yet to become the subject of studies, thus, a systematic
and comprehensive study on this topic has been absent. It is necessary to have in-depth
and comprehensive research on the rituals from the perspective of ethnology and
anthropology to contribute to the overall picture of Mang people’s culture in Viet Nam.
It is to maintain and develop cultural values of this ethnic minority group in current
context. Despite of that, previous works are valuable references for this dissertation in
addition to the primary data collected by the author to delineate a relatively complete
picture on family rituals of Mang people in Viet Nam.
1.2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGIES
1.2.1. Basic concepts
The dissertation uses several concepts, including: rituals, family, family ritual,
practice, customs, taboos as the research tools. The concepts are divided into categories
and presented according to the practical process. The purpose is to provide the overall
knowledge of family rituals of Mang people in Viet Nam.
1.2.2. Theoretical ground

groups and South Asian origin, has been living in Lai Chau province for rather long
time and considered a native group in Lai Chau province. The prehistorically
archaeological relics found in Nam Tum cave and Tham Khuong cave in Lai Chau
indicate that humans were present in this site and it concurs with folk stories of Mang
people. However, there is no evidence on the exact time when the Mang people were
present. The literature so far is limited to the fact that Mang people live in this province
earliest or explored this land.
1.3.2.2. Population and population distribution
According to the 2009 Population and Housing Census, Mang group has 3,700
people living in 14 provinces in the country (see Table 1). However, the absolute
majority of them reside in Lai Chau province, including Sin Ho district where are
home to 1,738 Mang people and Muong Te district with 1,452 people.
1.3.2.3. Socio-economic and cultural characteristics
Mang people’s economic activities include: cultivation, animal raising, hunting,
traditional handicraft, and commercial exchange. Cultivation is the main activity and
rice field in the mountains is the main production.
The traditional social structure of Mang people is managed by Po Gia. Before
August Revolution, Mang people mainly worked as hired workers for French
colonialism and Thai landlords. They were disdained and considered as lower class and
not allowed to participate in leadership positions higher than Tao Long. Mang people
call a village a muy. The head of village administers all aspects of life in the
community and under the administration of Tao Long and Thai landlords. Mang people
in Viet Nam composed of six clans, including Pan, Tao, Lung, Anh, Ly and Chin.
Afterwards, Mang women marry to Thai men and there is Lo clan. Patriarchial
extended family was a popular pattern in tradition. Today, Mang families are nuclear
families with independent economy. Until now, the matriarchy remains.
Food is mainly from forest, including: mushroom, bamboo shoots, kinds of
vegetables found in forest, and planted vegetables. Fresh food such as crab, fish, wild
animal meat, pork, chicken, and beef are hunted and domestically raised. There are two
kinds of drink, including can wine and distilled wine. Pipe tobacco is traditional

dialectically related to other factors of Mang people and ethnicity. Ethnology is the
main method. In addition, the dissertation uses other methods like expert consultation,
synthesis, analysis, statistics, photography.
Mang people concentrate in two districts of Muong Te and Sin Ho of Lai Chau
province. Therefore, these districts are the main site of the study. The dissertation
provides an overview of natural condition, history of race, population distribution,
socio-economic and cultural tradition and changes in an effort to provide a
comprehensive outlook on the site and subject of the study. It should be noted that
because inhabiting in an underdeveloped border area, the economy of Mang people
depends heavily on subsistence cultivation of rice in high mountains. The cohesion of
community is based on equality and strong attachment of family members to the clans.
Social institutions and prestigious people in tradition remain relatively strongly
influencing people’s lives in all aspects. Mang people’s culture is rich and diversified
manifested in their faith, rituals and folklores.
Chapter 2
LIFE CYCLE RITUALS IN TRADITION
2.1. BIRTH GIVING AND CHILD REARING RITUALS
2.1.1. Viewpoints on birth giving and child rearing
The birth of a child changes social position of related individuals, such as, a man
becomes a father, a woman becomes a mother, a child becomes a sister or brother.
Mang people believe that a family with many children is blessed and vice versus.
Parents raise children and children will take care of parents in their old ages. Couples
without a child are sometimes criticised as not blessed or punished by their ancestors or
gods for their bad performance in their lives. Son preference is not clear for Mang
people. For them, all creatures in the universe have souls. Birth giving is considered
not clean, therefore, Mang women often gave birth at a shack previously and now close
to their stilt house. Family members are not allowed to give any utensils in home to the
woman who has just given a birth. During pregnancy and after giving a birth, women
must keep off many things. In a month before giving a birth, women are not allowed to
grow plants, especially rice because it is believed the soul of rice will go and thus loss

kinship member at three-generation gap; getting married to people outside the kinship;
getting married to people from other ethnic groups. Each pattern has principles to keep
the race and the appropriateness of the ethnic culture.
2.2.2. Rituals before wedding
Pre-engagement ceremony is the first ritual of marriage. When the boy and the
girl love each other and the boy informs his parents to choose a nice day and ask a
matchmaker to do pre-engagement ceremony to ask for permission from the girl’s
family. The boy’s family chooses a good day and ask a matchmaker to bring gifts to
the girl’s family to do betrothal ceremony. Two or five days after betrothal ceremony,
the boy’s matchmaker and family members take the boy to the girl’s family to start the
ceremony of living at wife’s family. Previously, the period of living at wife’s family is
3-7 years. Now, it is about 3 years and depends on the wife’s family. If the wife’s
family needs a strong person to work, the period of living at wife’s family is longer and
vice versus.
2.2.3. Rituals in wedding ceremony
Mang people often select a good day after harvest time to organise a wedding
(between the eleventh month to third month in lunar calendar). Rituals of wedding
often take two days at least (previously three days) in each family. It starts with a
ceremony of face painting that followed by a wedding ceremony at the bride’s family
with several rituals including: handover of pigs; eating chicken and pork to thank
matchmakers. During the receiving bride ceremony, Mang people has two rituals of
drinking wine to worship for luck and bride abduction and then taking the bride to the
bridegroom’s home.
During the wedding at bridegroom’s family, there are rituals such as washing
feet, drinking wine, handover of bride, and sending off bride’s relatives. After all the
above mentioned rituals, the couple is officially recognised a husband and wife by
parents, community and Gods.
2.2.4. Post-wedding rituals
Informing ceremony is taken place right after the delegation of bride’s family
returns to the bride parents’ home. It is to inform the result of handover the bride and

dead (thit). Mang people believe there are two kinds of death – good death (thit im)
and bad death (bop thit). When a family has a funeral, family members have to go on a
diet free of herbals, sour leaves, sour fruits, and they are prohibited from using soap.
Married children of the dead must not have sexual intercourse, do big things, work in
the field and they have to go to bed early. Those who attend the funeral are not allowed
to have sexual intercourse with their spouse, work in the field, do big things for their
home and have to go to bed early. The villagers or community must not do important
things, go out overnight and people have to go to bed early.
2.4.2. Rituals in preparation for funeral
Informing of the death ritual is carried out right after the death occurs. After
that, a family member withdraws a board in their door to measure the length of the
dead and asks for relatives and neighbourers to go to the forest to choose a big tree to
make coffin (loang gua). There is not a cemetary for all Mang people and the grave is
often located in the west of the village. After choosing a location, people set up a shack
(khi trang) made with 6 poles, 6 bundles of straw grass, 15 strips of rope.
2.4.3. Main rituals of funeral
Changing new costume ritual is an important ritual in the funeral of Mang people.
Right after the death occurs, the family breaks the bamboo partition separated the place
of the dead with other spaces. The dead is placed in that bamboo partition and get clothes
changed. Then, a series of rituals are carried out: dividing property of the dead, paying
tribute to the dead, rice offering, burning candle, laying body in coffin, burning the smell
of the dead, lowering coffin into the grave, sending off the soul, driving away ghost.
These rituals are strictly carried out to make the good start for a new cycle of a person.
For Mang people, the funeral is a necessary preparation for a new start, samara and
resurgence.
2.4.4. Post-funeral rituals
After funeral, each Mang kinship has their own rice offering ritual, differently from
kinship to kinship. Lo kinship often offer rice for the dead for 7 days, others 3 days. After
that, a grave closing ritual is to identify whether the reason of the death is normal or
harmed by a ghost.

the grave closing ceremony is the end of a life cycle. Funeral rituals open a new world
and life where is expected to return to start a new journey. Mang people believe it is
the samsara. Therefore, funeral is well prepared and seriously carried out. Through it, a
copious and diversified worldview of Mang people is presented. It describes the
sentiments of the alive people towards the dead, the relationship between family, clan,
neighbour and community. It is also the chance where people share the grief of the
dead’s family, doubling the cohesion and attachment among people, educating children
and relatives of the traditional moral standards.
Amongst the rituals of life cycle, shaman and fortune tellers and matchmakers
are important. These people impart the wills and words of Gods or ghosts on behalf of
them to individuals, families and communities as the bridge linking the two worlds. In
current trend, Mang culture is integrated into other cultures in the region, especially
Thai culture in terms of language, marriage, funeral. However, the typical traits of
Mang culture remain exist with its own capacity, acculturation and enrichment added
by new values while the quintessence of the traditional culture remains.
Chapter 3
CEREMONIES FOR WORKS, MERRY, ANCESTORS WORSHIPING,
SPIRITS AND FESTIVALS IN TRADITIONAL SOCIETY
3.1. CEREMONIES FOR WORKS
By doing surveys and researches on ceremonies for jobs, we have realized that
Mảng people’s ceremonies are mostly about planting and fishing etiquette. Ceremonies
such as husbandry, hunting and gathering, especially those related to hand made job,
are very little.
3.1.1. Planting Ceremonies
Mảng people considered such farming works as planting rice, maize, cassava,
beans, squash were very important and sacred. It did not only ensure the food for
families but also related to spirits and ghosts. A good planter means that he is
supported by spirits or ghosts and vice versa.
Mảng people often picked plans where there were big trees, lots of humus,
termites with holes digged by worms. The lands here were in black did not keep water

farming land, moving to live with relatiives, or a better place, they would do the
ceremonies for moving in and out. The ceremony would be done in two places –
moving in and moving out ones.
3.2.4. Some ceremonies about the souls and human health
As the idea of eveything has its onw soul, Mảngpeople considered all livings
have souls and should be treated equally. They have ceremonies as calling souls of
familyafter done the planting on farms, asking for luck if they have anything difficulties
in life or are ill or unlucky; chasing bird ghost, tree ghost;worshipping stone ghost and
chasing them away, worshiping ghost of rice wahrehouse All are for the merry and
happiness in their life. .
3.3. CEREMONIES FOR ANCESTORS, SPIRITS AND FESTIVALS
3.3.1. Some concepts about ancestors, spirits worship and festivals
ceremony
For Mảng people, death was going back with ancestor and their souls should be
released from the normal world to start a new life circle. The world, where people is
living,is one of four levels of the universe. Sky level (mon ten) is on the top and places
of creative genies and spirits (mon plỉnh) and souls (nhủy y); land (mon long) is places
of human and ghosts; undeground (mon lò) is the place of ugly, small and monstrous
people. The concept of festival is not clear and detailed as other concept of life.
3.3.2. Ceremonies for ancestors worshiping
Mang people do not only worship their own ancestors, but also worship people
from the wife’s side. It is a speacial ceremony of these people.
3.3.3. Ceremonies for spirit worshiping
There are many genies in the belief of Mang people, for example, genies of
lightning, thunder, wind As a result, they will have ceremonies for each of these
genies as a way to say sorry or ask for the merry in life.
3.3.4. Festivals
After the reformation in 1986,Mảng people started to organize the Traditional
Tet and the festival of Mid –January in lunar calendar. However, the ceremonies were
simple and only some families, who often contact with Viet people, will celebrate it.

people toward human and the world around them. It showed the good traditional values
of culture which they have maintained through generations. And it has become the
foundation for solution to keep and prmote valuable tradtions which are suitable with
the current circumstance.
Chapter 4
VARIATION IN FAMILY RITUALS FROM YEAR OF 1986 TO
THE PRESENT
4.1. VARIABLE CONTENT
4.1.1. Some variation in life cycle rituals
- Birth rituals and parenting young children have been many
variations, from concepts to practice. The concept of more children
means families well being; the concept that the parents bring up children
when they are young and their children shall take care of them when they
are old is still existing but it is not as important as before. Having several
children is no longer a criterion that affirms position, strength of family
or more labor force, and the notion of married couples don't have
children currently have changed much, the direction is no longer fully
believe that the rare or late having child due to gods, demons punished
for misbehaves, which can cause disease of husband or wife. Today, the
majority of youth say that the baby son or daughter does not really need
the matter is how to have children and do parenting for good. Childbirth
of women is not regarded as unclean, but mothers still do not give birth
in the home, they can give birth behind the decks or the medical
establishment. There were some couples interested in distance between
the birth and the contraceptive to be proactive in childbirth and ensure
health for mothers, young children. In General, the variation in rituals of
giving birth and parenting of minor children is concentrated in the
rearing of children. The ritual variations take place in the form of non-
performing of the new or simplifying elements which are inconsistent
with present life.

changed against tradition, especially in those places near the Center.
People say that unsafe food, lack of food and clothes is the main cause of
reducing health and causing sickness but is not entirely due to the spirits
and the supernatural causes. People of Mang Ethnic Group have come to
the clinics, the hospitals for examination and treatment.
- In the funeral rituals: people of Mang Ethnic Group are more
active in the preparation of the funeral for their family members without
fear of the villagers’ slurs as before. Instead of a man in the family in
traditional dress going to each house in the Village to inform the mourn
and now regardless of anyone in the family can also notify this bad news.
There are coffins built from many different wooden pieces because the
wood is not enough to make a traditional coffin. About the time for an
organized funeral is shortened, instead of to keeping a dead body indoor
for 3 days 2 nights, now it is kept indoor 1 day 1 night according to the
mobilization and propaganda of the authorities. Previously, all people
who came to help the funeral had to stay in the owner’s mourning house
until the end of funeral, now they can take time to back their home doing
some work, sometimes also need to eat at the funeral house. During the
funeral, the envelope containing money in varying degrees of mourning
and condolences and bereavement have been almost completely replaced
for the traditional sacrificial objects such as: rice, wine, chicken Before
the members of the family in mourning should abstain many things and
last longer, but now the time of abstain lasts only 10 to 15 days instead
of 1 month. They are able to eat green vegetables, do everything after 7
days, in particular they can use soap after burial a day without fear of
having the bad luck.
It may be said that funeral's little component less variable in the
family system of Mang Ethnic Group by the mentality of live people
wishing for a new start for their relatives in another world. However, the
rituals of Mang Ethnic Group are transformed towards adaptive, more

- In the rituals of ancestor and god worship and the holidays:
notion of the ancestral world, god world slowly changes in the
perception of Mang Ethnic Group. To them, the ancestral world is
always the presence of spirit and purity. God world with 4 floors and the
creation god always reigns in the highest floor. The ancestor worship
rituals of Mang Ethnic Group have changed according to the different
dimension, such as disappear, simply, acquiring new ones, mixing
between the modern and traditional elements, but each has different
lightness. Chinese new year, the full moon, at present due to Mang
Ethnic Group of Vietnamese people, is the result of interference, to turn
the culture according to natural law.
4.2. VARIATION TREND
From the above mentioned variations shows that the variation trend
is primarily in the family ritual of Mang Ethnic Group is:1) oblivion of
traditional cultural values; 2) interference, receiving of new cultural
values; 3) restore, preserve the traditional cultural values to adapt to new
living conditions.
4.3. CAUSE OF VARIATION
4.3.1.In terms of economics
The economic policies of the Party and the State have had a
fundamental change after 1986, opening up tremendous opportunities for
socio-economic development, in which the diversity of economic sectors
is the leap to mark the participation of all the inhabitants in the process
of building and developing the country. The policy of comprehensive
renovation set out in the 6th Congress of the party was the turning point
of the economic thinking of the party and State aiming to eradicate
subsidized and bureaucratic centralized economy shifting to market
economy of Socialist orientation under the management of the State.
That has profound impact on the lives of Mang Ethnic Group in
Vietnam.

living environment has opened the social door for Mang Ethnic Group
for integration, exchange, receiving of the change of the outside world, it
changes the perception of the people and themselves aware of the need to
change towards better life.
SUB-SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 4
The result content and discussion in this chapter have overviewed
the full contributions and new findings about science through research on
the family rituals of Mang Ethnic Group in Vietnam. Besides, the
comments are the author's discussion on a number of issues that need
further research, dealt with in the next period, to complete additional
research on Mang Ethnic Group in Vietnam.
With the focus direction research results into three basic
contents:1) general results, 2) A number of cultural characteristics of
ethnic group through family rituals, 3) family ritual role in the cultural
life of ethnic group, the thesis has taken the most basic results through
practical research, help the reader identify the typical culture of Mang
Ethnic Group through the cultural characteristics. And reviewing the
family ritual role in the current context to identify the positive aspects in
order to preserve, promote and limit these roles which are no longer
consistent with present life.
Through the family ritual research of Mang Ethnic Group, we
discover the typical features for the ritual system and deeply humane,
such as solidarity, sharing, mutual assistance, the essential influence of
family rituals for living people, Mang Ethnic Group through roles and
ritual practices of value in community life, have been directly or
indirectly enrich people, cultural identity, consciousness, human
behavior with the behavior relationship in social life.
Also through practical research we found that these issues have not
been deep understanding by the objective and subjective conditions, it
should be given the necessary discussion and further research directions,

especially Thais Ethnic Group. Sacrifice can be classified into 3 main
groups, the 1
st
group is the animals included: chickens, pigs, squirrels,
mice, fish, the 02
nd
group is the sacred objects such as pieces of cloth,
wax sticks, And the 03
rd
group consists of objects for later use as ritual:
saucepans, carry baskets, bem, pestle,
In marriage, in law is a hard time but it is also the opportunity for
boys to show their ability with the girl's family. Singing, loving singing
is special culture of Mang Ethnic Group that reflects the diversified and
abundant folklore treasures of ethnic group. The "mystery" mentality in
the rituals and healing is a common cultural feature found in the ethnic
minorities, in which Mang Ethnic Group is a vivid example. Sacrifice
chickens, pigs are interested cultural characteristics of Mang Ethnic
Group, it represents the consciousness and conception of human birth,
their world view.
The family ritual research shows that there has not been the
division between the social layers in Mang Ethnic Group in Vietnam.
The couple's ideas show the erotic and proliferate concept of Mang
Ethnic Group expressed through occupational rituals. The remnant
Matriarchy is shown quite clearly over the role of the woman in some
rituals, such as worship spirits of rice, diet, opening barn, new rice,
worship of maternal family Living with respect and in harmony with
nature is typical characteristic of farming ethnic groups in general and
Mang Ethnic Group in particular. Space and the stylization via relocation