The sacred mountain peak of Ha Nhi people
Standing from the The Pa valley looking up at the towering cliffs at Ngai Thau, Mr. Phu Gia Xe, the people of Lao Chai village, said it was the sacred mountain of the Ha Nhi on the highland of Bat Xat, especially in Y Ty, A Lu. In their spiritual life, in critical worshiping ceremonies, the Ha Nhi often tend to the top of that mountain to pray for good rain, good wind, and good crops.Ngua Mountain makes Y Ty picture more majestic |
The legend of the Ha Nhi people tells that, a long time ago, the Ha Nhi people came to Y Ty to settle and reclaim the land, cultivate terraced fields, cultivate rice in The Pa valley, near Thien Sinh bridge. That year, the weather was the drought; without a single drop of rain, the grass and plants withered, the rice fields and maize fields people planted in the Thả Pa valley also withered and did not produce cotton or corn. Falling crops make life extremely difficult for Ha Nhi people.
The most prestigious old people in the area go to see, the priest said that, on the top of the highest Ga Ta Mo rocky mountain, looking down into the valley of The Pa, there was a magic horse inhabiting, constantly flying down the valley to disturb, eat. Rice, maize of local people, therefore, maize and rice cannot produce seeds. That mountain is also called Ngua Mountain or Than Ngua Mountain. If you want the god's horse not to crush the rice, you must make offerings to the horse god on the mountain top.
So the Ha Nhi people hold a ritual to worship their family. Every village cuts buffalo to make a common worshiping tray. Each family prepares its own worshiping tray to worship in the forest park of the village. The offerings included buffalo meat, wine, rice, and various kinds of agricultural products made by relatives to offer to the gods. Along with that, at the foot of the swing pole, there must be a match of paddy and hold the green grass to make a reason, pray for the god's horse to receive the gifts, not to break the corn and rice of the people. After worshiping, the Ha Nhi in some villages even put the rock tiger Ha Gu, facing the rocky top, to prevent the Horse God from destroying crops. Since then, the crops have always been good, the Ha Nhi have had a warmer life.
I do not know how the legend of the Ha Nhi people really is, but until now, every year in the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the Ha Nhi people in the villages and villages in the highland of Bat Xat do eagerly organize the Kho Gia Gia Festival to pray for good rain, good wind, good crops. In the terraced fields in Lao Chai village, Choan Than still has mysterious stone tigers lying there, facing the top of Ngua mountain in the distance. Village Elder Ly Seo Cho, the oldest prestigious person in Lao Chai village, said: In 2016, someone in Lao Chai village voluntarily hired someone to carry a rock tiger to their home. The priest said that the stone tiger was taken away, so the magic horse went down to destroy the rice and corn. People in Choan Than village decided to go and reclaim the stone tiger to put it in the correct position. Strangely, after that, the dark clouds rolled, the sky suddenly poured down, the fields were filled with water, and the rice was green again.
From mystical stories, the top of Ngua Mountain becomes the sacred mountain of the Ha Nhi not only in Y Ty commune but also in some other communes in the highland Bat Xat. When going to the Kho Gia Gia Festival in Lao Chai village (Trinh Tuong commune) or in Kin Chu Phin village (Nam Pung commune), we also saw Ha Nhi people use paddy, green grass to worship Horse God on the top of Ga Ta Mo mountain follows the ancestral traditions. In a number of other important rituals, the Ha Nhi also use the paddy, green grass to worship to Horse God as the Mu Thu Do ceremony held on the occasion of the beginning of the year when the rice transplant is completed.
Coming to Y Ty commune today, no matter standing in the village, every village can see the top of Ngua mountain standing in the clouds, like a giant horse walking on the mountain. In particular, the top of Ngua mountain is also a symbol of this land, making the landscape of Y Ty more wild and majestic.