Thi Thoi Ha is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City. Her thesis topic is the folklore of the Mnông and Stiêng. She has been conducting fieldwork during 2022 and 2023. E-mail: missthoi.folklore@gmail.com
Culture that Respects Nature: A Case Study of the Folklore of the Mnông and Stiêng Ethnic Groups
Abstract: The Mnông and the Stiêng are two ethnic groups belonging to the Mon-Khmer language family and living in the southern central highlands of Vietnam. Their traditional folklore reflects a culture of closeness, attachment, and nature worship. This case study of the folklore of the Mnông and Stiêng aims to analyze and clarify the relationship between traditional folklore and the natural-cultural understanding of mountain peoples. Using documentary research and fieldwork, the paper will illustrate this relationship through verbal folklore, especially Mnông and Stiêng epics and myths. The aim of the study is to present the beauty of the traditional folklore of these ethnic groups and their connection with nature from the perspective of environmental humanism.
Keywords: traditional folklore, Mnông, Stiêng, culture, nature