Dec 22, 2018

Bahnar Communal House, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Bahnar Communal House
 
Role of the communal house

The communal house has a significant meaning in villages. It is the largest and the most spectacular architecture, showing power and talent of the community.

Traditionally, the communal house was used for social and ceremonial activities. It was a place for guests to be received, for men to be together during their free time for the elderly to transmit knowledge to younger generations, for old villagers to deal with village affairs, and for villagers to deal with village affairs, and for villagers to concentrate togerter in community events. Collective rituals were also held at the communal house. In the past , the youth were on duty here to prepare for fights or to defend the village. Young bachelors and widowers also spent nights in the communal house. Women did not usually enter this house.

Heads of sacrificed buffalos and hunted animals are often hung in the communal house. These are trophies and pride of the community. Other ritual objects and protecting talismans of the villages are also preserved in the communal house.





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