Where the source of Ede culture flows forever

From the Kana A village gate (Cu M'gar commune), the concrete road leading to the village's water wharf is flat and straight, passing through many intersections, winding between houses close together with the lush green of the treetops. Coffee harvest season, when the sunset gradually falls, the aroma of ripe coffee spreads in the cold air, which is also the time when groups of people follow each other down to the wharf, carrying water to bring back.

After filling up with water from the wharf, women of Sah B village (Ea Tul commune) return home bringing joy and community cohesion.

Following that path, after more than ten minutes of walking, the pristine Kana A village wharf appeared in the middle of the vast space. The sound of flowing water mixed with the chirping of birds created a gentle melody of the mountains and forests. Mrs. H'Brem Eban, a villager, gently bent down to wash her face with the cool water and then collected the water in each dry gourd. She shared that since she was little, she followed her mother down to the wharf to get water for daily use. "Nowadays, every house has a well, clean water is brought in, but my family and many people in the village still like to go to the wharf to get water to cook rice, make tea, brew rice wine... The water here is very clear and sweet. People who drink water from the wharf will be protected by the water god and given health," Mrs. H'Brem said as she carefully arranged the full gourds in her basket.

In Sah B village (Ea Tul commune), every morning the elderly still leisurely go to the village's water wharf to wash their faces and hands as a ritual to welcome the new day. Village elder Y Lem Nie said that in the past, when establishing the village, the first thing to do was to choose a place with an abundant, clean water source for the whole community. "The water wharf is the soul of the village. Even though life has changed, the Ede people still do not forget this place where life originated. This is the thread connecting the past with the present," elder Y Lem confided.

Every morning, old man Y Liem (Sah B hamlet, Ea Tul commune) goes to the water wharf to wash his face as a ritual to welcome the new day.

For the Ede people, the water wharf is the heart of the village. They believe that this is where gods reside, giving them cool water to feed people. After each harvest, people hold a ceremony to worship the water wharf to thank the gods, pray for favorable weather, peace for the village, and good crops. The water wharf worship ceremony usually takes place in the second and third lunar months every year, including the main rituals: worshiping ancestors, worshiping the water wharf, worshiping the village's land god, worshiping and praying for the health of the owner of the water wharf. In a warm and solemn atmosphere, the shaman prays for the water source to always be pure and never dry, for the descendants to appreciate the village's source of life. The ceremony ends with the bustling beat of gongs, cheers, warm wine and xoang dances blending with the joy of the community.

There was a time when this beautiful custom seemed to have been forgotten, but now it is being strongly revived. In 2024, Sah B village (Ea Tul commune) coordinated with relevant agencies to organize the restoration of the water wharf worship ceremony.

In the whirlpool of development, those cool streams of water not only quench thirst, but also remind us of previous generations, people who have preserved the community life and love for the village. Many villages have restored the water wharf worship ceremony, so that the sound of gongs, wine and xoang dances resound in the mountains and forests, reminding people to cherish the source of life and the identity of the nation.

Mr. Dung

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202510/noi-mach-nguon-van-hoa-ede-chay-mai-b730d1d/