The Neu pole raising rite and Gu set of the Cor ethnic minority: a National Intangible Cultural Heritage

(QNO) - The recognition of the Cor’s Neu pole raising rite and Gu (a set of worshipping objects) as National Intangible Cultural Heritages was made public on August 3rd in Bac Tra My district (Quang Nam province). They are the cultural features with special meaning in the Cor’s spiritual life that are usually present in the village’s buffalo sacrifice festival.

Cor’s Neu pole in the buffalo sacrifice festival. Picture: SONG ANH

According to the Cor village patriarchs, there are 3 kinds of the traditional Neu pole: o-zo (for worshipping the ancestors), o-rat (for worshipping the Gods of rivers, streams, mountains…), and o-co-trau  (for the Gods of sky, soil and water,…). Each completed Neu pole is averagely from 5-9m high and has 3 parts: its top, the body (with Gu set, trays of worship, strings of cataracts) and the last with a string to fasten buffalo. The Neu pole- the most important factor in the Cor’s festivals, is set up on a good day of a good month after a permission worship.

While the Cor’s traditional Neu pole is worshipped in the open air, the Gu set (often made of wood) is  indoor. The rite of hanging the Gu sets is the same as the rite of raising the Neu pole. The Gu set is also reconstituted to decorate the Neu pole.

By SONG ANH