“Legends of a Land - The Cultural Space of the Central Highlands through the Ede Epic”: by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim - a fresh discovery about the value of Central Highlands epics through a multi-dimensional, interdisciplinary perspective.
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Thursday - January 12, 2023 23:18
USSH Media is pleased to introduce to our readers a new monograph by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim (Director of the Center for Marine and Island Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities), published in collaboration with the Social Sciences Publishing House and MaiHaBooks Company.
During my childhood, after simple evening meals, in the dim light of an oil lamp, my father would often tell me about the lifestyle, cultural activities, and many customs and traditions of the ethnic minorities in the Truong Son mountain range, where he had fought and worked in military medical stations in the Binh Tri Thien battlefield, enduring droughts, torrential rains, and raging storms... The stories my father told were intertwined with my childhood memories and with a time when the country was engulfed in the bombs and bullets of war. During our years studying at Hanoi University, we had the opportunity to read literary works and research papers on the history and culture of the Truong Son - Central Highlands region. Along with the legendary exploits of N'Trang Long, Hero Nup, and others, the university students at that time also listened to their professors and experts teach about the beauty, realism, historical significance, and historical essence in myths and legends from the time of Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh, Chu Dong Tu - Tien Dung, Lac Long Quan - Au Co, An Duong Vuong - My Chau - Trong Thuy, to epic poems like Dam San, Xinh Nha, Dam Di, etc., of the Central Highlands people. We studied, read, researched, reflected, and surveyed historical sites in the North and South, in the highlands and lowlands; participated in rituals, shared rice wine with the locals brewed in ancient jars; and listened to their stories.dry,listen to the explanation aboutdryIn Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Phu Yen… I came to understand and gradually grow to love the beauty, cultural depth, and messages that our ancestors conveyed in epics, long poems, and legends…
The unique and thought-provoking cultural heritage of the Central Highlands people is the achievement of a long process of labor, creativity, supplementation, and refinement from the very roots and foundations of the Central Highlands' culture; but it is also the result of interaction with Vietnamese and regional cultural centers. Along with Champa, the imprint of Dong Son, Sa Huynh, and several Asian cultures, especially Indian, in the culture of the Central Highlands, in the epics of the Ede, Jarai, Bahnar, and Mnong, etc., is quite profound. Therefore, generally speaking, from its origins, the Central Highlands has been an open cultural space driven by internal forces, endogenous factors, and both direct and indirect cultural influences and exchanges with the outside world. In 2005, the Central Highlands Gong Culture Space was recognized by UNESCO.A masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity.Within that space, and closely associated with it, lies the Central Highlands Epic Culture Space, rich in potential, worthy of being considered a precious gem, a representative cultural heritage of Vietnam, Asia, and the world.
The book, comprising nine chapters, hopes to offer readers new perspectives and approaches to the Ede epic, the cultural space of the Ede people, the sea and maritime thinking in the Dam Di epic, the living spaces of the Ede people, their responses to the environment and ecosystem, and the Ede people's role in regional and inter-regional trade relations, etc. The final chapter presents a viewpoint on...The formation and dating of epics, thecultural genetic codePreserved within epics, and simultaneously assessing the reserves and multifaceted values of epics (and also Ede customary law), this contributes to affirming why the Gong Culture Space of the Central Highlands was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in which epics are an important "entity" that constitutes the unique values of that cultural space. This monograph, employing a historical, cultural history, and interdisciplinary approach, systematically presents the recorded content reflected in the epic of Dam San and other epics of the Ede people such as Dam Di, Chilokok, Dam Kteh Mlan, etc. Besides the outstanding values of mysticism, tragedy, heroism, and grandeur that have been affirmed, the chapters in the book focus on researching several sources (archaeology, history, ethnology - anthropology, ecology, etc.), including Ede customary law as a reference point, further clarifying the information expressed in the epics.realism,food,unique valueThis book focuses on the epics of Dam San and other Ede people. Therefore, it is hoped that the content of this book can contribute a voice and a perspective on the natural characteristics of the Central Highlands; the potential and role of the ecosystem and living spaces of the Ede people; the historical context, foundation, and appearance of historical reality and social life; the rich knowledge contained in the epics; the thinking, methods, and economic activities; and the cultural response of people in the "Dam San era" to their living environment. These analyses and approaches contribute to a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the Ede epics, an integral part of the Central Highlands epics and a typical and distinctive cultural heritage of the Truong Son - Central Highlands cultural space. The content presented in this book is also the result of experiences gained through field surveys, research, and participation in the life, economic activities, culture, and festivals of the people in the Central Highlands provinces. This book was published in collaboration with MaiHaBooks and the Social Sciences Publishing House. It is hoped that, with its cultural-historical approach and specialized research thinking combined with interdisciplinary approaches, considering epics as a source of historical data, the content of this book will:Legends of a Land - The Cultural Space of the Central Highlands through the Ede EpicThis will provide researchers and readers with some new thoughts and insights into the Dam San epic and some other typical epics of the Ede people - a heritage of Central Highlands culture and Vietnamese culture that we need to continue to work together to research, preserve, and promote the value of this extremely precious heritage.
