Mnong Elephant Races
Buon Don, Dak Lak (see top centre of below map marked with an elephant icon. 400km from HCMC).
24-25 March, 2012
The M'nong are a matrilineal, subsistence, agrarian hill-tribe people living mostly on the central highlands in Vietnam. Animists for the most part, they believe that life depends on having a good relationship with various spirits. Animal sacrifices play a major role in appeasing the spirits. Until relatively recently a pre-literate tribe, their culture is passed down through the singing of time honoured poetic stories.
Formerly part of the Kingdom of Champa the Mnong have been marginalised over the centuries including recently by the Vietnam's policy of assimilation; indeed as recently as 2002 the USA accepted Mnong from Vietnam into the USA on the basis of their being political refugees.
Interestingly, the Mnong are the originators of one of the world's oldest known musical instruments - the lithophone. Played on ceremonial occasions the instrument is made of stone & resembles a xylophone. It is believed to be more than 5,000 years old.
The Mnong are renowned elephant trappers & tamers (& known also for the propensity of their male members to smoke tobacco communally from large bongs).
We were at Buon Don village, almost on the border with Cambodia, a little over 40kms west of Buon Ma Thuot for the Mnong Elephant Races. Wonderfully situated along the beautiful Srepok River & adjoining Vietnam's largest National Park - Yok Don - a park where wild elephants & tigers still roam whilst four ethnic minority villages find themselves well within its boundaries.
Buon Don village was founded by N'Thu K'Nul, a Mnong chieftan who captured the white elephant that was given to the Thai royal family in 1861, for which he became known as Khunjunob (King Hunter of Elephants). He is buried in a clearing down a red dirt road of Knong Ne village, Buon Don, in a large square tomb. Only exceptional elephant hunters can be buried here; those who have captured & tamed say at least a dozen elephants - N'Thu K'Nul captured & tamed over 400 elephants! It is held that he lived for 110 years - 1828-1938.
The event has grown in activities as the following photos attest - the first a shot of a game dear to the Mnong where the aim is to pull your opponent outside the circle; the second, elephant soccer:
The traditional events run over 2 days & includes 3 ceremonies of great importance to the Mnong; ceremonies of such significance that UNESCO has pushed for their safeguarded for humanity as being of great traditional culture & folkloric value.
On the first day a ceremony takes place down by the Srepok River where the male village elders will seek the blessings of the waters & a successful harvest, a ceremony immediately followed by the blessing of the elephants. Some photos & associated commentary to set the stage:
The village elders head all such ceremonies amongst the M'nong. Note the men dressed in traditional hunting attire, & also the signs of the pig slaughtered for the ceremony:
Village Patriarch Y Then E Ban:
The head of the slaughtered pig is placed on the head of each elephant before the pig's blood is rubbed on the elephant's forehead ( water poured over the elephant's eye:
The village elders enjoy a well deserved drink - its a concoction made from a local leaf to which alcohol has been added - after a hard day's celebrations:
The press were intrigued to find a westerner in attendance & particularly one with a broken leg (great practice for my english speaking university students):
Hien, my friend from Buon Ma Thuot, who determined festival dates & activities for us was the excellent translator.
That night a traditional gong ceremony takes place in the village around a large bonfire. The gongs are sounded to call on the gods seeking their blessings. At the moment the gods are deemed to be present amongst them the tone played on the gongs will rise sharply. The ceremony is followed by the killing of a buffalo to appease the spirits. The buffalo is tethered & the man deemed the strongest in the village will put it to death using a wooden or bamboo rod to repeatedly attack the animal's heart behind the shoulder. The killing can take some considerable time. Once killed the meat of the animal is cooked before being eaten by all present.
The next day the famous Mnong Elephant Races take place. The race honours the strength, courage & bravery of the Mnong people as witnessed by their ability to trap & tame elephants. The race attracts a large crowd & the best photographic spots are difficult to secure. My daughter, Moana, would station herself unflinchingly atop a massive ant's nest to capture the excitement via full-on frontal shots of the race (whilst others around her would pick the ants from her shoulders & eat them)!
Race 1, uphill:
Note the guy in the tree in the background:
There are also spectators in the tree at the top right:
Races are conducted on a course up to some 500m in length depending on the terrain, & capable of accommodating at least 10 elephants per race. The race starts with a salvo of the 'tu vu' (musical instruments made from horns) & is accompanied by a boisterous, cheering crowd & the beating of gongs.
Each elephant has 2 jockeys - the first handler seated atop the elephant's neck carries an iron pole known as'kreo' used to encourage speed & to control the direction of the animal. The second handler hits the elephant with a wooden gavel, the 'koc', to ensure the speed. Elephants can reach speeds approaching 50km/h. Race 2, downhill - let the photos do the talking:
How good is that!!!!!!!!
Every second year the event is held in conjunction with the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival. On occasion the event may be held around Lak Lake the picture perfect & largest fresh water lake in Vietnam. Such a setting can see a large number of elephants from several villages competing before an equally large crowd.
A PRACTICAL NOTE
1. It is difficult to determine the time during which the Festival will be held;
2. It is even more difficult to determine the schedule of ceremonies & the timing of their enactment - most people will not know; those giving advice will propose different dates, different timings, whilst days for events will change & so on. You need to be flexible, patient, ready for delays..........
3. There is no printed material available to effectively assist you. Forget it if you cant speak Vietnamese or have someone with you who can;
4. There is no effective transport system in place.
Therefore:
1. Take your own motorbike - it will assist you not only in getting to events but even in finding them!
2. Stay in Buon Don village; this will enable to attend all events, irrespective of when staged;
3. Set aside in full the 2 days for the festival.
It is worth considering a tour of Yok Don National Park in conjunction with the Mnong Elephant Races.
Bed-time after the elephant races:
For more information on Buon Ma Thuot see: https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/35525-DA-NANG-to-MEKONG-DELTA-Pt-1-Ho-Chi-Min-Trail-(south)
Buon Don, Dak Lak (see top centre of below map marked with an elephant icon. 400km from HCMC).
24-25 March, 2012
The M'nong are a matrilineal, subsistence, agrarian hill-tribe people living mostly on the central highlands in Vietnam. Animists for the most part, they believe that life depends on having a good relationship with various spirits. Animal sacrifices play a major role in appeasing the spirits. Until relatively recently a pre-literate tribe, their culture is passed down through the singing of time honoured poetic stories.
Formerly part of the Kingdom of Champa the Mnong have been marginalised over the centuries including recently by the Vietnam's policy of assimilation; indeed as recently as 2002 the USA accepted Mnong from Vietnam into the USA on the basis of their being political refugees.
Interestingly, the Mnong are the originators of one of the world's oldest known musical instruments - the lithophone. Played on ceremonial occasions the instrument is made of stone & resembles a xylophone. It is believed to be more than 5,000 years old.
The Mnong are renowned elephant trappers & tamers (& known also for the propensity of their male members to smoke tobacco communally from large bongs).
We were at Buon Don village, almost on the border with Cambodia, a little over 40kms west of Buon Ma Thuot for the Mnong Elephant Races. Wonderfully situated along the beautiful Srepok River & adjoining Vietnam's largest National Park - Yok Don - a park where wild elephants & tigers still roam whilst four ethnic minority villages find themselves well within its boundaries.
Buon Don village was founded by N'Thu K'Nul, a Mnong chieftan who captured the white elephant that was given to the Thai royal family in 1861, for which he became known as Khunjunob (King Hunter of Elephants). He is buried in a clearing down a red dirt road of Knong Ne village, Buon Don, in a large square tomb. Only exceptional elephant hunters can be buried here; those who have captured & tamed say at least a dozen elephants - N'Thu K'Nul captured & tamed over 400 elephants! It is held that he lived for 110 years - 1828-1938.
The event has grown in activities as the following photos attest - the first a shot of a game dear to the Mnong where the aim is to pull your opponent outside the circle; the second, elephant soccer:
The traditional events run over 2 days & includes 3 ceremonies of great importance to the Mnong; ceremonies of such significance that UNESCO has pushed for their safeguarded for humanity as being of great traditional culture & folkloric value.
On the first day a ceremony takes place down by the Srepok River where the male village elders will seek the blessings of the waters & a successful harvest, a ceremony immediately followed by the blessing of the elephants. Some photos & associated commentary to set the stage:
The village elders head all such ceremonies amongst the M'nong. Note the men dressed in traditional hunting attire, & also the signs of the pig slaughtered for the ceremony:
Village Patriarch Y Then E Ban:
The head of the slaughtered pig is placed on the head of each elephant before the pig's blood is rubbed on the elephant's forehead ( water poured over the elephant's eye:
The village elders enjoy a well deserved drink - its a concoction made from a local leaf to which alcohol has been added - after a hard day's celebrations:
The press were intrigued to find a westerner in attendance & particularly one with a broken leg (great practice for my english speaking university students):
Hien, my friend from Buon Ma Thuot, who determined festival dates & activities for us was the excellent translator.
That night a traditional gong ceremony takes place in the village around a large bonfire. The gongs are sounded to call on the gods seeking their blessings. At the moment the gods are deemed to be present amongst them the tone played on the gongs will rise sharply. The ceremony is followed by the killing of a buffalo to appease the spirits. The buffalo is tethered & the man deemed the strongest in the village will put it to death using a wooden or bamboo rod to repeatedly attack the animal's heart behind the shoulder. The killing can take some considerable time. Once killed the meat of the animal is cooked before being eaten by all present.
The next day the famous Mnong Elephant Races take place. The race honours the strength, courage & bravery of the Mnong people as witnessed by their ability to trap & tame elephants. The race attracts a large crowd & the best photographic spots are difficult to secure. My daughter, Moana, would station herself unflinchingly atop a massive ant's nest to capture the excitement via full-on frontal shots of the race (whilst others around her would pick the ants from her shoulders & eat them)!
Race 1, uphill:
Note the guy in the tree in the background:
There are also spectators in the tree at the top right:
Races are conducted on a course up to some 500m in length depending on the terrain, & capable of accommodating at least 10 elephants per race. The race starts with a salvo of the 'tu vu' (musical instruments made from horns) & is accompanied by a boisterous, cheering crowd & the beating of gongs.
Each elephant has 2 jockeys - the first handler seated atop the elephant's neck carries an iron pole known as'kreo' used to encourage speed & to control the direction of the animal. The second handler hits the elephant with a wooden gavel, the 'koc', to ensure the speed. Elephants can reach speeds approaching 50km/h. Race 2, downhill - let the photos do the talking:
How good is that!!!!!!!!
Every second year the event is held in conjunction with the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival. On occasion the event may be held around Lak Lake the picture perfect & largest fresh water lake in Vietnam. Such a setting can see a large number of elephants from several villages competing before an equally large crowd.
A PRACTICAL NOTE
1. It is difficult to determine the time during which the Festival will be held;
2. It is even more difficult to determine the schedule of ceremonies & the timing of their enactment - most people will not know; those giving advice will propose different dates, different timings, whilst days for events will change & so on. You need to be flexible, patient, ready for delays..........
3. There is no printed material available to effectively assist you. Forget it if you cant speak Vietnamese or have someone with you who can;
4. There is no effective transport system in place.
Therefore:
1. Take your own motorbike - it will assist you not only in getting to events but even in finding them!
2. Stay in Buon Don village; this will enable to attend all events, irrespective of when staged;
3. Set aside in full the 2 days for the festival.
It is worth considering a tour of Yok Don National Park in conjunction with the Mnong Elephant Races.
Bed-time after the elephant races:
For more information on Buon Ma Thuot see: https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/35525-DA-NANG-to-MEKONG-DELTA-Pt-1-Ho-Chi-Min-Trail-(south)
