The Pieu scarf or the charm and beauty of the Thai people's soul

Among the brilliant colors of the Northwest mountains and forests, if there is something that is both familiar and sacred, both touching the eyes and touching the soul, it is the Pieu scarf of the Thai people. Not only a brocade item, a fashion accessory to keep warm, or to decorate the outfit, the Pieu scarf is the crystallization of skillful hands, of a soul that loves beauty and the secret desires for happiness and love of Thai girls.

Thai women incorporate the Pieu scarf into their traditional costumes during festivals.

Colors from the loom

On mid-autumn days, the mist hangs like smoke on the roof of the stilt house, in the corner of the house, next to the loom, Thai girls in the Northwestern provinces such as Dien Bien , Lai Chau, Son La are still absorbed in each needle and thread. The creaking sound of the shuttle blends with the murmuring stream outside, creating a rhythmic melody, like the peaceful rhythm of life in the village. The Pieu scarf starts from pure white cotton threads, which are spun, dyed, woven into smooth strips of fabric, then embroidered with brilliant patterns.

In each village, depending on the region, the Black Thai or White Thai group, the Pieu scarf has a different way of embroidering and folding. But wherever it is, it shares a beauty that is both pure and brilliant, like the soul of a mountain girl. For the Thai people, knowing how to embroider a Pieu scarf is an important milestone in a girl's life. From the age of 13-14, girls are taught by their mothers and sisters how to choose thread, stretch fabric, and embroider patterns. At first, they are just simple lines, but gradually, their hands become skillful, the stitches are soft, the patterns are symmetrical and delicate. The Pieu scarf usually has a black or indigo background, symbolizing loyalty and steadfastness. On that background, the Thai people embroider patterns of birds, bauhinia flowers, peach blossoms, and diamond shapes... Each embroidery stitch is a story. The bird motif represents the desire for freedom, the white bauhinia flowers are a promise of spring, and the diamond shape is a symbol of warmth and prosperity. The embroidery thread colors are also delicately coordinated: bright red like passionate love, fresh green of life, golden yellow of autumn sunshine...

Embroidering a Piêu scarf is not only learning a profession, but also learning the virtues of patience, meticulousness, and carefulness, which are qualities that Thai people value in women. To have a complete Piêu scarf, if done by hand, Thai women have to spend 3 to 4 weeks embroidering. The embroidery is also very elaborate and only focuses on embroidering decorations at the two ends of the scarf. When embroidering diverse patterns on the two ends of the scarf, they look at the model, but do not mechanically copy it. During the embroidery process, the embroiderer can create patterns as they like. Every time they sit to embroider, the girls also listen to their grandmothers and mothers tell fairy tales, Thai songs, and advice on human morality. There are evenings, under the dim light of the oil lamp, the sound of their mother embroidering on the fabric blends with the sweet Thai singing voice: "I embroider white bauhinia flowers/ To send to someone in the distant mountains/ The embroidery thread has not yet been put away/ But my heart has already returned home...". Those simple lyrics penetrated the young girls' souls with each stitch, so that later, when they made Piêu scarves with their own hands and sent them to their loved ones, they also sent a warm memory.

Pieu scarf and love

In the life of Thai people, the Piêu scarf is associated with beautiful love stories. At spring markets or village festivals, young men often look at the Piêu scarf to guess the skill, aesthetic taste and even the thoughts of the girl. A delicately embroidered Piêu scarf with harmonious colors will make many eyes stop.

According to Thai beliefs, if a girl does not know how to embroider a Piêu scarf, she is considered lazy and is not noticed by boys. Because of that meaning, in many Thai villages today, after school, little girls are taught by their mothers how to embroider each needle and thread, or dances that are imbued with traditional identity.

Thai ethnic women are always attached to the Pieu scarf. Photo: Thuy Le

Besides, Thai people have the custom of giving Pieu scarves to the person they love. When love is ripe, the girl will weave and embroider a new Pieu scarf herself, and send it to the boy as a promise. That scarf is not only a gift, but also a "love letter" in embroidery thread, so that each needle is a word of love, each pattern is a memory. Legend has it that in Muong Then, there was a girl named Xom, a beautiful girl, the best at embroidering in the area. Xom fell in love with Lo Van Pinh, a local boy who was good at hunting and singing. When Pinh went hunting for a long time in the forest, Xom stayed home and wove a Pieu scarf, embroidering a pair of birds with their wings intertwined. When Pinh returned, she gave the scarf to him, softly saying: "The scarf keeps your head warm, and my heart keeps you warm." That scarf followed Pinh on every trip, and on the wedding day, he wore it on his head as an affirmation of their faithful love.

The Pieu scarf is also associated with the lives of Thai people through many rituals. At weddings, Thai brides often wear the Pieu scarf, both as a part of their traditional costumes and as a symbol of industriousness and dexterity. At funerals, women also use the Pieu scarf to bid farewell to their loved ones, sending their love and attachment to the other world . During Tet, the Xen Ban and Xen Muong festivals, the Pieu scarf appears with colorful brocade dresses. The image of shy Thai girls in the xoe dance, their heads wrapped in a Pieu scarf, holding a jar of rice wine to offer to guests has become an unforgettable beauty in the memory of anyone who has ever been to this land.

Today, in the face of the wave of modernization, the Pieu scarf still holds a special position. In many places, the Thai people have brought the Pieu scarf out of the village, introducing it in tourism fairs and national costume competitions. There are designers who have created and put the Pieu scarf pattern into ao dai, modern dresses, handbags, scarves..., helping it enter urban life while still preserving its traditional spirit. In many villages, brocade weaving and Pieu scarf embroidery classes have been reopened, attracting not only young women but also tourists who want to experience it. The elderly are happy to see the old craft revived, while the young are more proud to understand the cultural value of the scarf they once considered a "familiar object". Today's Pieu scarves are not only jewelry, but also tourism products and souvenirs that visitors from far away cherish to bring back. But in whatever form, it is still an invisible thread connecting the present with the past, connecting the child far from home with the beloved village.

The Pieu scarf of the Thai people is not only a handicraft product, but also a cultural symbol, a spiritual treasure. It preserves the story of skillful hands, of love and faith, of the Muong through many generations. In the Xoe dance at night, in the shy smile of a young girl, in the affectionate eyes of a young man, in the blessings of parents..., the Pieu scarf is still there, like a strong thread connecting the past - present - future. And no matter how life changes in the future, the color of the thread and the embroidery on that scarf will always tell the story of a nation that loves beauty, loves life and preserves the soul of the Northwest mountains and forests.

bienphong.com

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/chiec-khan-pieu-hay-net-duyen-va-ve-dep-tam-hon-dan-toc-thai-post880656.html