Overview of Lang Son Folk Culture

The customs of this ethnic group have been formed for thousands of years, creating a tradition of environmental behavior and extremely diverse and rich indigenous knowledge.

Lang Son is an ideal place for the life of these two ethnic groups, so this is also the place where the Tay - Nung people live the most, and occupy the leading position in the ethnic structure of the province. According to the 1995 statistics, the Nung population accounts for 43.9% and the Tay population accounts for 35.6% in the ethnic structure of the province.

* Tay ethnic group: researchers have pointed out that " Tay " is a name that has existed for a long time, possibly in the second half of the first millennium AD, with a common origin with the names of many ethnic groups belonging to the Thai Choang group in South China and Southeast Asia such as Tai, Tay, Thai... all meaning "people". The Tay people also have another name, Tho people, meaning indigenous people. This is an ethnic group originally from Lang Son and is also one of the few ethnic groups that appeared earliest in Vietnam.

Two major migrations to the South and Southwest in the second half of the first century BC and the beginning of the second century AD stabilized the Tay people. The Tay people became numerous and played the role of the main force in the Viet Bac region, including Lang Son, where the Tay people lived the most. With a relatively complete level of development, they controlled a large area of land. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in many places in Viet Bac, the Tay people with the surname Nong are considered to be the ones who reclaimed the land, built fields, and established Muong villages.

* Nung ethnic group: is a member of the Tay - Thai language group, the 6th ethnic group among the ethnic minorities living in Vietnam after the Tay, Thai, Muong, Hoa, Khmer... Nung (Nong) is originally the name of a clan in the four major clans in Guangxi - China, during the development process it became the ethnic name around the 15th century. The Nung people living in Vietnam before merged with the Tay people, and the

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The Nung people who live today only moved to Vietnam about 200 years ago.

Lang Son has the largest population of Nung people in Vietnam and is also the place where the Nung people occupy the leading position in the ethnic structure of the province. They have lived in Lang Son for a long time, partly as indigenous people, partly as migrants from southern China. Lang Son has been a residential center of the Nung people since the time of the Hung Kings, and is the land at the head of the Van Lang territory. The Nung people in Lang Son are mainly Nung Phan Slinh, Nung Inh, and Nung Chao. Within Nung Phan Slinh, there are two branches: Nung Hua Lai and Nung Cum Koot.

Ethnic history and living conditions have created a unique, rich Tay - Nung folk culture imbued with national cultural identity.

1.1.3.2. Historical characteristics of other ethnic groups in Lang Son

*Kinh ethnic group: is the most populous ethnic group in Vietnam. In Lang Son, the Kinh ethnic group accounts for 15% of the province's population, the third largest after the Nung and Tay ethnic groups. Due to historical characteristics, the Kinh ethnic group in Lang Son has two sources: the ancient source and the new source, also known as the Kinh people who came first and the Kinh people who came later (reclamation). The ancient source is the indigenous Kinh people who were among the first residents of the province. The origin is the descendants of the Mac dynasty (late 16th century) and the Mac dynasty's officers who were defeated by the Le Trinh forces, so they fled to Lang Son - Cao Bang to both take refuge and consolidate their forces. Following them were many relatives. Lang became the base of the Kinh people who were close to the Mac from the lowlands. They lived in their own villages, built solid citadels and ramparts. Currently, there are many Mac dynasty relics remaining in Lang Son. Many Kinh people have lived interspersed in Tay - Nung villages, some have become Tay - Nung, others still retain their original ethnicity.

* The Dao ethnic group ranks 9th among 54 ethnic groups. The Dao ethnic group belongs to the Meo - Dao language group. Their self-names are Diu Men, Kin Men, Kem Mun, meaning people of the mountains, people of the forests. This way of calling is often used in daily life.

days. Previously, the Dao people were also called Man, but today it is no longer used. The Dao people appeared in Lang Son from the 16th century due to migrations from southern China. The Dao people living in Lang Son include 4 main Dao groups, belonging to two dialects: Dao Lu Dang (also known as Du Cum, Coc Man). Dao Lu Giang (also known as Thanh Phan). Dao Do (also known as Du Lang, Que Lam). Dao Thanh Y (also known as Po ay).

*San Chay ethnic group: Lang is not the main residential area of the San Chay ethnic group. According to statistics, this is the 5th largest ethnic group in the province. The San Chay ethnic group is also called Cao Lan, San Chi, Man Cao Lan, Hon Ban. The San Chay people have two groups that are distinct from each other in terms of language: the group that speaks Cao Lan language, which is close to the Tay and Nung languages, and the group that speaks San Chi language, which is close to the Han dialect. Although divided into two groups, the San Chay people still have many close ties with each other in terms of customs and practices, and are similar in cultural characteristics. In the villages of the San Chay people, the population lives in dense concentrations. Coming and settling in Lang, the San Chay people have brought their culture into living together with the culture of Lang, creating the Vietnamese cultural identity.

* The Chinese ethnic group: is also an ethnic minority in Lang Son. In Vietnam, the Chinese have many different names such as Guangdong, Hainan, Lien Chau, Trieu Chau, Phuc Kien... But up to now, Hoa or Han is the most common name. The presence of the Chinese in our country is the result of many waves of migration and long-term, complex development processes. Previously in Lang Son, the Chinese were quite numerous, ranking 4th after the Tay, Nung and Kinh ethnic groups. Up to now, the Chinese in Lang Son only occupy 6th place. As an ethnic minority in Vietnam, the survival interests of the Chinese are closely linked to those of other ethnic groups in the locality and throughout the country. For generations, the Chinese have voluntarily joined the community of Vietnamese ethnic groups, linking their interests with the fate of the Vietnamese Fatherland. Especially in Lang Son, the Chinese brought Han cultural elements to this place, making the cultural color of Lang Son more vibrant.

* The Hmong ethnic group: in Vietnam today, all originate from the North. According to Vietnamese ethnologists, most of the Hmong people in the northern mountainous provinces migrated directly from Guizhou, Guangxi and Yunnan (China) and they settled mainly in the highlands. The Hmong are divided into four different groups according to the color of their clothing and language. They are the White Hmong, Red Hmong, Black Hmong and Han Hmong. The Hmong in Lang Son belong to the Black Hmong group. They call themselves Na Mieu - Na Mieu Sa.

Thus, Lang is a place of warm, harmonious, close-knit, and supportive communities of many ethnic groups . “There are ethnic groups with hundreds of thousands of people and there are also ethnic groups with only a few dozen people. From the ancient primitive Bac Son tribe to the Lang Son community today, there is a long historical flow full of rapids and waterfalls. The ethnic groups of Lang have held hands, stood shoulder to shoulder, shared joy and sorrow, hunger and fullness, lived and died together like brothers in one family. The ethnic community in Lang is like a solid block of solidarity like Mau Son mountain, like the red color of peach blossoms every spring, loyal like To Thi, eternally existing with the Ky Cung river” [5, p. 53]. Coming and settling in Lang Son, although there are differences in origin, bloodline, language, and cultural nuances, all are similar in the spirit of loving their homeland, country, love for comrades, sacrifice, and community spirit, thereby creating the Vietnamese cultural identity.

1.2. Culture and folk literature of Lang Son

1.2.1. Overview of Lang Son folk culture

With the population of the two ethnic groups Tay - Nung accounting for 80% of the province's population, Xu Lang is a region with a strong Tay - Nung culture: that is the valley culture , a culture that has adapted to the valley to grow wet rice like in the plains, and has to adapt to the mountains, forests, and clear forests for dry farming.

In daily life, besides Vietnamese which is the common language of the whole country, the people of Lang Son also use Tay - Nung language to communicate. As two ethnic groups have lived together for a long time, they can both hear and speak each other's language. Along with the development of economy and culture, Tay - Nung language has also reached a high level of development, from a folk language to a learned language, with a written language and recorded literary works.

In terms of worldview, people in Lang Son are also influenced by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism to varying degrees, most clearly expressed in etiquette, in marriage and funeral customs... the theory of fate, animism, reincarnation, the three obediences and four virtues... are all introduced into the spiritual life of the people of the ethnic groups here. People in Lang Son worship the local god of the land according to their villages or hamlets: the local god is the embodiment of the land, worshiping the local god of the land is worshiping the person who governs the land. They also worship in village temples, this worship custom often includes praying for a bountiful harvest, avoiding natural disasters and pests, praying for livestock and poultry to grow... The worship custom in the family of people in Lang Son also reflects their concept of ancestors, the family that gave birth to them, and human society. Through worship, the people of Lang Son have exposed their entire worldview - a minimal worldview closely linked to the material world - which is the foundation for everyone's life, that is ancestors and society, heaven and earth.

From the above beliefs, rich and diverse rituals and festivals have been formed. Besides the community festivals, " long tong " is the most typical festival of the Tay - Nung people, taking place after the Lunar New Year every year, consisting of two parts: "ceremony" and "festival". In essence, the long tong festival is a " going to the fields " festival , a spring festival with the meaning of praying for a good harvest and all good things. The festival is a place to express the faith, belief, culture, and art of the people and is an opportunity for the whole village to participate in cultural activities. This is also a good land, a good opportunity for folk literature to exist and be passed down through generations.

1.2.2. Overview of Lang Son folk literature

Lang Son is a poetic and attractive land with amazing mountains and rivers, with many famous places throughout the country. The admirable beauty blends with the strong wine and warm human affection. Living together in the same area, the ethnic groups of Lang Son have created a rich treasure of folk literature, containing a clear mutual influence. The works that have been passed down among the people often become common to all ethnic groups, completely beyond the locality as well as the nationality. The main genres of folk literature can be mentioned as:

* Fairy tales and miracles still remain : Like everywhere in our country, in Lang Son, myths, legends, fairy tales, and jokes of all kinds have been circulated. Fairy tales of Lang not only express the concept of the ethnic groups here about good - evil, right - wrong, life - death... about the events that happen every day in society but also express the dream of a prosperous and happy life. In Lang Son, there are still many miracles (written in Chinese characters) circulated and stored in temples, pagodas, and district offices.

* Tay and Nung tales : Living together in one area, the ethnic groups of Lang have created a rich cultural treasure, containing a clear mutual influence. The works that have been passed down through the folklore often become common to all ethnic groups, completely beyond locality and nationality. Lang folk tales are mostly popular, with many genres whose boundaries are not clear (myths, legends, fairy tales...) researchers call them Folk Tales. A characteristic of Lang folk tales is that they reflect the fairly early life of agricultural residents.

*Legends of Lang Son: One can immediately see the unique phenomenon in the folk literature treasure in Lang Son is the abundance of anecdotes. The reason is also very easy to understand. Lang Son has many beautiful landscapes, a long history of fighting, and is a place

Cultural exchange, being the gateway for domestic and foreign embassies, there are certainly many stories. Some stories have become legends, but the anecdotes are still strong. In general, they can be divided into the following topics: Anecdotes about landscapes, anecdotes about wild history, anecdotes about diplomacy, and literary anecdotes. In addition, there are also Chau literature articles circulated during worshiping occasions, and Mo and Then versions in Muong villages, from which one can draw out anecdotal elements that make people more attached to life.

* Folk songs : due to the characteristics of language and culture, Vietnamese folk songs in the Northern mountainous ethnic groups are not very numerous. They are often circulated and become very rich, mainly thanks to the Luc Bat form and thanks to the living environment of the fields and rivers. The mountainous regions do not have this advantage, most of it has given way to folk songs. Particularly in Lang Son, because it is a long-standing residence of many Kinh people and especially a place of convenient exchange, witnessing many historical events, the situation is a bit different; many quite skillful folk songs have been circulated, typically the opening verse " Dong Dang has Ky Lua street " has many variations and versions.

* Nursery rhymes and games : There are many nursery rhymes and fun songs for children in Lang Son. In Kinh families, children still play and sing familiar Vietnamese nursery rhymes throughout the country. Works in Tay and Nung languages are also abundant, with content reflecting many aspects of childhood activities, expressing feelings for nature and hyperactive tendencies. The titles are often similar (Kinh, Tay, Nung). Nursery rhymes are often accompanied by games. An interesting unique feature of Lang Son nursery rhymes is that there are nursery rhymes in bilingual pairs Nung - Tay or Nung - Vietnamese.

* Proverbs and sayings : With the form of short, rhyming sentences, easy to transmit and remember, the proverbs and sayings of the ethnic groups in Lang Son province are very rich, the content refers to many areas of life: from sentences summarizing practical experiences, production experiences, awareness of

laws, about natural phenomena to summaries, moral education, about the treatment between people. For example: about life experience there are sentences "Long sick nights. Short sli nights", "Green sau sau leaves, girls just go out" .

* Riddles : Riddles in the folk literature treasure of Lang Son ethnic groups are also a very popular genre, widely circulated in localities... with the characteristic way of speaking being metaphors, the mysterious way of speaking of ethnic groups. The form of riddles has contributed to enhancing people's awareness and association from one thing to another, one phenomenon to another. Most of the riddles are structured in a rhyming style, have rhythm, contain intellectual content, but at the same time are also very witty and easy to remember.

* Summary:

Through the study of the basic features of the land and people of Lang, the chapter has shown that this is not only a land with an important role in economics - politics - society but also a unique cultural region. Lang has a poetic and attractive nature with amazing mountains and rivers, magical caves, fresh climate, many rare and unique products, located at the headland of the Fatherland, directly affecting the process of formation and development of the soul and personality of the ancient Vietnamese community in the borderland. The special arrangement of Lang's nature is also the cradle for the birth of majestic and poetic ideas of folk tales, including legends. Place names in Lang have entered countless legends and myths, leaving questions for all generations, thousands of people want to explore and explain.

The ethnic communities of Lang Son with the valley culture closely attached to nature still leave a strong mark in festivals and customs in which there exists and circulates a treasure trove of myths, legends and fairy tales. It can be seen that legends are mentioned quite a lot in Lang Son, especially legends about places including legends about mountains. This land is the place to nurture, develop and preserve legends.

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