Lao

Thai peoples, to which Lao belong, migrated to the Mekong Valley from the highlands in the territory of the present southern Chinese province of Yunnan . The first early feudal states in Laos - Mueang Sin, Mueang Sai, Mueang Hun, Mueang Na, Mueang Sua (now Luang Prabang , Mueang Kamsut, Bassak, etc.). In the middle of the XIV century, a single state, Sang Sang, was formed. In a social organization, the country was divided into districts headed by the Tassengs (or zuons), the districts consisted of counties, headed by fias. The lower posts are Khun Si and Khun Pet, the heads of communities from 4 and 8 villages, respectively.

The traditional occupation of Lao, like other peoples of Southeast Asia, is agriculture . The main culture is rice . Tea , pepper , coffee and other crops are also grown. Agriculture is irrigated, but in some areas there is slash and fire . There is enough land, but among them there is little waterlogged. In livestock breeding there are two areas - breeding of draft cattle ( buffalo , bulls ), breeding of small cattle and poultry (pigs, dogs, goats, chickens, ducks). Livestock plays a supporting role. Another auxiliary craft is picking roots and herbs.

The largest river in Asia, the Mekong, flows through the territory of Laos. It and other rivers are also rich in fish, so fishing is one of the traditional activities. Fish are nonsense , fixed and movable fences, tops , in shallow waters they hit a jail . Fish, like rice, is one of the main types of food. There is a celebration of fishing (10th month of the lunar calendar).

Laos is a mountainous country rich in forests. Logging is an important part of the economy. Although industry, construction and transportation are currently developing in the country, Laos remains fundamentally an agrarian country. Unlike neighboring countries, where they harvest two to three crops a year, only one is harvested in Laos.

The settlements consist of randomly scattered houses. The villages are usually small, 8-10 houses. To get rid of dampness and floods, houses are placed on high piles . The house has 2-3 entrances, 2 hearths, a gable roof. One hearth is for the main members of the family, the other is a common, "guest". The hearth is made of a bamboo frame filled with earth and clay. A tripod and a hook for the boiler are used. Inside, bunks, wooden benches, bamboo stools, and mats are used. The mat is the main piece of furniture. Bedding - cushions, mats, blankets. In addition to pile rural there are other types of houses. Small aristocracy houses were built of teak , therefore they are more often brown. The highest aristocracy lived in white-stone palaces, which included a system of water structures (lakes, canals), and were surrounded by gardens, lawns, trees.

In each village there is a temple complex wat , inside which is a statue of Buddha .

Cities are also small. The main population is merchants, artisans, officials and Buddhist monks.

From clothes, Lao men wear simple canvas shirts and pants, jackets. Sometimes it’s not pants, but a sarong (skirt), wound like pants. Sometimes a piece of cloth wrapped around a belt (sump) is used. Women’s clothes are more decorated: dresses of bright colors, richly ornamented, with embroidery, or short sweaters with a standing collar and non-sewn skirts (blue) with a man-made pattern on the floors of multi-colored threads. Belted with scarves . Hats - headbands, straw hats.

The food is the same as in neighboring countries. The basis of the kitchen is rice. Widely used fish, fresh and dried, vegetables. Northern Laos eat meat.

From crafts developed mural painting , jewelry, woodcarving, the construction of temple architecture and others. Crafts are divided into male and female. Men traditionally produced tools, utensils, bamboo dishes, building materials, were engaged in rattan weaving, jewelry, blacksmithing, stone and bone carving, and the manufacture of vehicles. Of the latter, the main ones are a two-wheeled arba , boats are dugouts . Women's crafts included cotton spinning, weaving , embroidery , rice straw weaving, shoe making, and pottery. Almost all crafts were aimed at the needs of the family. Laotians could fully provide themselves with everything necessary without buying someone else's goods, which was noticed long ago by European travelers.

The main community unit in Laos is a village inhabited by several families. This is a kindred-neighborly community led by a headman and a council of elders. The family is dominated by a man, a patrilocal marriage . In some places matrilocal marriage occurs. Previously, there were three-clan unions - marriages were made between three genera . For example, men from clan A took wives from clan B, men from clan B took wives from clan B, and men from clan B took wives from clan A. An alliance of relatives was formed. Now this system is optional. The family is small monogamous , although in the north there are sometimes features of a large family organization. A small family consists of a husband, wife and children, sometimes of the parents of the husband and wife. A large family includes a wider circle of relatives. Divorces are rare.

Wedding is a solemn ceremony. More recently, the sorcerer joined the young hands, he also built horoscopes for them. Now this is done by the abbot of the local temple or monk , versed in astrology .

The inheritance after the deceased is received by his children, wife (or husband).

Most of the representatives of the modern Laotian elite are either direct descendants of the old royal families of Tampasak, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, or the courtiers who served them ^[2] .

Laos is a country of ancient distinctive culture. The historical monuments of Vientiane and Luang Prabang are known far beyond the borders of the country. Vientiane was founded in the 13th century. For one and a half centuries it was the capital of the state of Lang Sang. In the XIV century. under King Setthatirat, temple complexes That Luang (“Royal Stupa”), Wat Pha Keo (“Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha”) were built in it. Here was a jade Buddha statue transported to Bangkok in the 18th century. In Luang Prabang there are examples of wooden architecture, Wat Mai complexes (XVIII century), Wat Sieng Thong and That Makmo (“Watermelon Pagoda”) (XVI century). Their walls are decorated with the finest gilded ornaments. Pagodas in the form of stupas , which are found in neighboring Myanmar and Thailand, are called "that" in Laos. Monuments are carefully guarded by the state.

In addition to Buddhism, Lao has folk beliefs. This is a belief in the spirits of nature. Examples: phi - spirits in general, both good and evil, phi sya - the spirit of the tiger, phi hai - the spirit of the rice field, etc.

The main holiday is the New Year (pi May, April 13-15). It is accompanied by carnivals , dancing, walking, there is a ceremony of causing rain: pouring water over each other.

Buddhist holidays: Buddha’s birthday (September), Khao Pansa (beginning of Buddhist fasting, October), Buddhist holy book day, Buddha's transition to the state of nirvana.

National holiday - Memorial Day of the dead and homeless souls. Public Holidays: Constitution Day (May 11), Independence and Unity Day of the Peoples of the Country (July 19).

Laos has its own national theater , similar to theaters of other countries in Southeast Asia. It developed under the influence of the Thai theater, and is closely associated with it. At the royal court, dramas were staged on the plots of the Indian epic , from Ramayana and Jatak. The court dances of Thailand, the Lakhon Fai Nai and Nang Nye were adapted. The most ancient and widespread genre of village drama is mo lam. Acting theaters express content in song and dance . Musical instruments are mainly bamboo. There is also a shadow theater (Nang Daloong), using plots of Lao and Thai tales.

The secular literature of Laos is little known, its preserved monuments are few in number, but folklore is rich and original.

In the period after the Second World War and the restoration of Laos' independence, theaters present the stories of jataka , Lao myths , and modern subjects. Expressive means also remain song and dance. Lao music is built on a pentatonic scale. The main musical instruments are drums , gongs , xylophones and flutes . A kind of khan, an organ- like instrument, is a set of bamboo flutes with a bamboo resonator.

The musical culture of Laos remains one of the least known and least studied, despite the French occupation and several musical and cultural expeditions to Indochina ^[3]

• Peoples of Southeast Asia, ed. A.A. Huber et al., M. 1966.
• Encyclopedia " Peoples and Religions of the World ", ed. V.A. Tishkova , M. 1989.
• Children's Encyclopedia , M. 1962.
• Encyclopedia for children , ch. ed. M. D. Aksyonova , M. 1999.
• Laos (album), text S. Blazhenkova. M. 1985.
• Joel M. Halpern Observations on the Social Structure of the Lao Elite // University of California Press, Asian Survey, Vol. 1, No. 5 (Jul., 1961), pp. 25-32. (eng.)
• Miller ET and Chonpairot J. Review of the article by Miller ET and Chonpairot J. The Problems of Lao Discography // University of Texas Press, Asian Music, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1979), pp. 124-139. (eng.)