MYSTERIOUS WITH THE FIRE DANCING FESTIVAL

Pa Then ethnic group currently has about 5,000 people, mainly living in Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang. These provinces remain many ancient festivals and custom, including the fire dancing which is special and mysterious. The fire dancing festival is annually held after harvest (in lunar October and lasting to the full moon of the 1st month) to worship the gods who bestowed good crops to them and pray for Timely rains and favorable weather. This is also in the cold weather of winter so that fire will help to keep warm and drive away evil spirits and diseases.

In spiritual life, Pa Then people believe that they are always protected and supported by the gods from danger, misfortune. With respect to Pa Then people, Fire God is their supreme god bringing them luck. Therefore, all villagers acclaim and encourage together during the time of Fire dancing festival. This is one of unique festivals in the northern mountainous border region of Vietnam preserved by Pa Then ethnic minority living in districts namely Bac Quang and Quang Binh (Ha Giang province). They dance on live coals with their bare feet with a view to driving away evil spirits and praying for good crops, good breeding and for their good health.

A big heap of fire is set and a sorcerer starts rituals. The rituals last for about 2 hours before the fire dancing festival takes place. Sacrifices include an incense-burner, an iron music instrument, a chicken, 10 cups of wine and bamboo paper. The sorcerer either says some magic words or beats on the iron music instrument to generate animated sound to pray ancestors, the God of Fire, the God of Water to get their permission for the hamlet to hold the game.

Upon completion of the rituals by the sorcerer, participants sit in front of him use bamboo sticks to beat on the iron music instrument to gain power from the Gods. Any of them who is successful to get into a trance will tremble and oscillate according to the sound, then stand up and jump into the fire surrounded by other people’s encouragement. It seems to be a powerful force lifting the man off the fire. He jumps into the fire without being burned or fear.

They often jump in pair and dance, roll over the fire for 5 – 10 minutes depending on the power bestowed by the Gods. More surprisingly, they are either dancing or dig up live coals with their hands and sometimes put a live coal in their mouth. While the sorcerer continues his rituals with mysterious sound mixed with magic words. When power is ended, they are pushed out of the fire and sit at the rituals, oscillate according to the music sound and wait the Gods to bestow for the new jump.

The more subsequently it lasts, the more attractive the fire dancing festival would be with spiritual and mysterious atmosphere. In the final jump, the sorcerers also join the performances with strong and imposing jumps. A red coat, a colorful hat together with flames as blazing as fireworks constitute an extremely mysterious context. In that way, each pair successive to one another perform such strange and mysterious dances until the live coals are extinguished under their bare feet. There is nothing to cover their bare feet but no one is burned, their eyes are bright and their cheeks are rosy in the flickering firelight.

When the fire is ended, the sorcerer carries out rituals to see off Gods and ghosts. Participants in the fire dance come back in normal state. Fire dance is only set aside for young males from the age of 13 up, with good health. Pa Then young males joining the fire dance are admired by audiences and beloved by girls. Hundreds of eyes follow each skillful jump, and after the festival, they meet and get acquired with each other, get married, and in the following year, they take their child to join the fire dance festival.

Today, hamlets of Pa Then ethnic minority often organize the fire dance festival at the end of the year or in the spring festival with full traditional rites. Fire dancing is descended to the next generations to dispel fearsomeness and improve bravery. This is one of cultural features attracting visitors to Ha Giang.   By Thai Ha Photo: Quoc Phuong