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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