Bahnar people

Bahnar
Ba-Na

Bahnar traditional women's dancing.
Total population
≈ estimated 300,000
Regions with significant populations
Vietnam	286,910
United States	≈ 10,000
France	≈ 5,000
Languages
Bahnar–Rengao • Vietnamese • Haroi
Religion
Traditional religion, Animism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Sedang, Jarai, Haroi

The Bahnar or Ba-Na (Vietnamese pronunciation: [ɓaː˧naː˧] are an ethnic group of Vietnam and the indigenous people of the Central Highland provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, as well as the coastal provinces of Bình Định and Phú Yên. They speak the Bahnar language, a language in the Bahnaric language group that belongs to the Mon-Khmer (Austroasiatic) language family.

Etymology

The word bahnar is similar to phnom (ភ្នំ) in the Khmer language, which means mountain. The Bahnar have many names, such as Bonom, Jolong, Rongao, Tolo, Kriem, Roh, Konkodeh, Golar, and others.

Sub-ethnicities

Bahnar has several sub-ethnicities, including the following.

• Bahnar Jơlơng
• Bahnar Rơngao
• Bahnar Gơlar
• Bahnar KonKde
• Bahnar Kriem
• Bahnar Tơlô
• Bahnar Bơnâm
• Bahnar Roh

Ethnic linkages

The Haroi people, who are currently considered a sub-ethnic of the Cham people, were historically said to be the Bahnar people who lived in the Champa city-states. They then slowly assimilated with other Austronesian-speaking ethnic groups such as the Cham, until they became the Cham people and adopted the Cham language and culture which had quite a high Austroasiatic influence.

Religion

Bahnar Cathedral in Kon Tum province.

The Bahnar people are followers of traditional religions (animism and polytheism). However, there is a large Christian population among them, just like other central highlands ethnic groups (Montagnards) where they experience discrimination because of their religion.

Culture

Arts

Epics (Bahnar: H'amon) such as Dam Noi represent centuries-old aspirations of Bahnar people.

Like many of the other ethnic groups of Vietnam's Central Highlands, the Bahnar play a great number of traditional musical instruments, including ensembles of pitched gongs and string instruments made from bamboo. These instruments are sometimes played in concert for special occasions, which may also involve ceremonial rượu cần (rice wine) drinking and group dancing.

A Bahnar rong (communal house) in the Kon Kotu village.

Festivals

• Koh Kpo (or Groong Kpo Tonơi): a festival to express gratitude toward Yang (the god) with the main activity being the stabbing of a water buffalo. A possible Chamic reconstruction of this name would be Gleng Ka Ppo Tanguei 'Dedication to the God of the Corn'. Contemporary Bahnar refer to this ceremony as the even more truncated 'Gong Kpo'.

Notable people

• Dinh Nup, a hero who led villagers to carry out a war of resistance against the French colonial regime. He became the main character of a famous novel entitled Đất nước đứng lên ("Country rising up"), written by Nguyên Ngọc.
• Ya Dok, a heroine, the wife of Nguyễn Nhạc
• Siu Black, popular singer

See also

• Bahnar language
• Bahnaric languages
• Haroi people
• Champa
• Degar
• Tây Nguyên
• FULRO

External links

• Bahnar language page at Ethnologue site

Bibliography

• Bùi Minh Đạo. 2011. The Bahnar people in Viet Nam. Hanoi: World Publishers. ISBN 978-604-77-0319-7
• Đào Huy Quyền. 1998. Nhạc khí dân tộc Jrai và Bahnar [Musical instruments of the Jrai and Bahnar]. Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản trẻ.