“Legend of a land - Cultural space of the Central Highlands through the Ede epic”: by Professor, Doctor, Meritorious Student Nguyen Van Kim - a new discovery about the value of the Central Highlands epic through a multidimensional, interdisciplinary perspective.
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Thursday - January 12, 2023 23:18
USSH Media respectfully introduces to our readers a new monograph by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim (Director of the Center for Sea and Islands, University of Social Sciences and Humanities), with the publishing cooperation of the Social Sciences Publishing House and MaiHaBooks Company.
During my childhood, after simple dinners, under the insufficient light of oil lamps, my father often told me about the lifestyle, cultural activities and many customs and practices of ethnic minorities in the Truong Son mountain forest, where he fought and worked in the medical stations of the Binh Tri Thien battlefield with drought, rain, storms and fires... The stories my father told were associated with the memories of my childhood and with a time when the country was immersed in bombs and bullets of wars. During our years studying at Hanoi University of Science, we had the opportunity to read literary works and some research works on the history and culture of the Truong Son - Tay Nguyen region. Along with the legendary feats of N'Trang Long, Hero Nup, ... the students of the University at that time also listened to teachers and some experts teach about the good, the beauty, the realism, the historical imprint, the historical character in the myths and legends from Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh, Chu Dong Tu - Tien Dung, Lac Long Quan - Au Co, An Duong Vuong - My Chau - Trong Thuy to the epics: Dam San, Xinh Nha, Dam Di, ... of the Tay Nguyen people. Study, read, then learn, think, go to survey the relics in the South, the North, the highlands, the lowlands; participate in rituals, share a jar of rice wine with the people stored in ancient jars; listen to storieskhan,listen to the explanation aboutkhanIn Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Phu Yen... I understand more and gradually love more the beauty, cultural depth and messages that the ancients conveyed in epics, long poems, legends...
The unique cultural heritages, rich in contemplation of the Central Highlands people, are the achievement of a whole process of labor, creation, supplementation, and perfection from the very origin and cultural foundation of the Central Highlands; but they are also the result of communication with the cultural centers of Vietnam and the region. Along with Champa, the imprints of Dong Son, Sa Huynh culture and some Asian cultures, especially India, in the Central Highlands culture, in the epics of Ede, Giarai, Bahnar, Mnong, ... are quite profound. Therefore, in general, since the beginning, the Central Highlands has been an open cultural space due to internal driving forces, endogenous factors and both direct and indirect cultural influences and exchanges with the outside world. In 2005, the Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space was recognized by UNESCO as aMasterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of HumanityIn that space, attached to that space is the Central Highlands Epic Cultural Space with rich potential, worthy of being a precious gem, a typical cultural heritage of Vietnam, Asia and the world.
The book consists of 9 chapters, hoping to bring readers new perspectives and approaches to the Ede epic, the cultural space of the Ede people, the sea and marine thinking in the Dam Di epic, the living spaces of the Ede people, the way people respond to the living environment and ecosystem, the Ede people in regional and inter-regional trade relations, etc. The last chapter of the book presents a viewpoint onformation and age of the epic, thecultural genetic codepreserved in the epic, and at the same time evaluating the reserves and multifaceted values of the epic (and the Ede customary law), contributing to affirming why the Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity, in which the epic is an important "entity" that constitutes the unique values of that cultural space. In this monograph, from the historical approach, cultural history and interdisciplinary research, it has systematically introduced the contents that have been recorded and reflected in the Dam San epic and the epics of the Ede people such as: Dam Di, Chilokok, Dam Kteh Mlan... Besides the outstanding value of the mystery, the tragic, heroic, majestic... that has been affirmed, the chapters in the book have focused on researching a number of sources of documents (Archaeology, History, Ethnology - Anthropology, Ecology...) including the Ede Customary Law as a reference basis with the information shown in the epic to clarify more.realism,real substance,unique valueof the Dam San epic and the Ede epics. Therefore, it is hoped that the contents of the book can contribute more voices and perspectives on the natural characteristics of the Central Highlands; the potential and role of the ecosystem and the living spaces of the Ede people; historical substance, infrastructure, historical reality and social life practices; the rich knowledge contained in the epics; thinking, methods and economic activities; the cultural response of people in the "Dam San era" to the living environment,... Those analyses and approaches contribute to increasingly deeper and more comprehensive perceptions of the Ede epic, an integral part of the Central Highlands epic and a typical and unique cultural heritage of the Truong Son - Central Highlands cultural space. The content presented in the book is also the result of experiences through field surveys, research and participation in the life, economic activities, culture and festivals of the people of the Central Highlands provinces. The book is published in collaboration with MaiHaBooks and Social Sciences Publishing House. Hopefully, with a cultural history approach and specialized research thinking combined with interdisciplinary, considering the epic as a historical source, the content of the book:Legend of a land - Cultural space of the Central Highlands through the Ede epic,will bring to researchers and readers some new thoughts and perceptions about the Dam San epic and some typical epics of the Ede people - Heritage of the Central Highlands culture, Vietnamese culture that we need to continue to join hands, coordinate to research, preserve and promote the value of this extremely valuable heritage.
