The cultural space of the gongs in the central highlands of Vietnam covers several provinces and seventeen Austro-Asian and Austronesian ethno-linguistic communities. Closely linked to daily life and the cycle of the seasons, their belief systems form a mystical world where the gongs produce a privileged language between men, divinities and the supernatural world. Behind every gong hides a god or goddess who is all the more powerful when the gong is older. Every family possesses at least one gong, which indicates the family’s wealth, authority and prestige, and also ensures its protection. While a range of brass instruments is used in the various ceremonies, the gong alone is present in all the rituals of community life and is the main ceremonial instrument.
It is said that the gong culture dated back to the Dong Son Civilization in ancient Southeast Asian, where it was also named as the bronze drum culture. The manner in which the gongs of Vietnam are played varies according to the village. Each instrumentalist carries a different gong measuring between 25 and 80 cm in diameter. From three to twelve gongs are played by the village ensembles, which are made up of men or women. Different arrangements and rhythms are adapted to the context of the ceremony, for example, the ritual sacrifice of the bullocks, the blessing of the rice or mourning rites. The gongs of this region are bought in neighboring countries, and then tuned to the desired tone for their own use.
越南中部高地的銅鑼文化覆蓋了多個(gè)省份和近17個(gè)屬于亞洲-太平洋和太平洋中南部諸島族群的少數(shù)民族。這些人依靠傳統(tǒng)農(nóng)業(yè)生活,發(fā)展了自己的工藝傳統(tǒng)、裝飾風(fēng)格和房屋類型。他們最為普遍的信仰來源于對祖先的祭拜、薩滿教和萬物有靈的信仰,這些信仰組成了一個(gè)神秘的世界,同日常生活和季節(jié)周期緊密相關(guān)。他們相信,每一面銅鑼里都隱藏著一個(gè)與古代銅鑼一樣強(qiáng)大的男神或女神。每個(gè)家庭必須至少擁有一面銅鑼以表明他們的財(cái)富、權(quán)力和聲望,并得到它的保護(hù)。在很多的儀式上,他們還使用一套銅管樂器,而銅鑼毫不例外地出現(xiàn)在所有社會生活儀式上,并且是主要的儀式器具。
有人稱銅鑼文化起源于古代東南亞的東宋文明,在東南亞也被稱為銅鼓文化。越南的銅鑼文化以其演奏方式為特征,每個(gè)演奏者攜帶一個(gè)直徑在25到80厘米不等的鼓。男女村民們依據(jù)村別,以3到12面鼓分組。不同的排列和節(jié)奏配合不同的儀式,例如祭獻(xiàn)小牛犧牲的儀式,為稻米祈福的儀式,悼念儀式和收獲慶典。這一地區(qū)的銅鑼并非在當(dāng)?shù)刂圃欤菑泥弴鴤魅?,并調(diào)試成自己所期望使用的音調(diào)。