The Kor
05:13 PM 21/01/2016 Views: 3273 PrintThe Co have a population of more than 22,600 inhabitants settling mainly in Tra My district of Quang Nam-Da Nang province and Tra Bong district of Quang Ngai province. The Co have other names such as Cor, Col, Cua and Trau. Co language belongs to the Mon- Khmer Group. The concepts of animism prevail among the Co and they believe in the souls, mostly the soul of the rice.
The Co live mainly from slash-and-burn agriculture. They also grow rice, maize, cassava and other plants. In particular, they develop cinnamon plantations. Cinnamon becomes a specialty of Tra My district which gives high quality and output and well-known to all localities in the country and many places over the world. Cinnamon has brought a great income to the Co every year.
Each Co village is called after the nafne of its village chief or name of a river, stream, earth or forest. In the former days, the Co lived in a long house on stilts which was enough to accommodate the extended families. The house was divided into many compartments and each compartment for a nuclear family or called a kitchen. Recently the Co have built short houses level with the ground.
The Co do not know how to weave, so have to buy cloth and garments mostly from the Kinh and the Xo-dang. According to tradition, men leave their upper torsos naked and cover their lower torsos with loincloths. Women wear skirt, bra and shirt with short sleeves. In winter, they cover with blankets.
They like to wear necklaces, bracelets and earrings made from copper or silver, especially from glass beads. Women often tie colorful bead strings around their waists.
The Co old people are respected by all. The elderly man who plays the role of village chief must be knowledgeable, experienced in production, well-behaved and enjoys the trust of the villagers. He also belongs to the lineage who had contributed to the building of the village. In the past, each lineage of the Co had no private name, thus they all took the family name of the Dinh. For some recent decades, they have taken the family name of Ho, after that of President Ho Chi Minh.
The young Co people can make a careful study of their partners before having a decision of marriage. The wedding is organized in a simple, not expensive ceremony. After the wedding, the bride comes to live in the groom's house. Formerly, the Co did not marry people of other groups. Now, they have sons-and daughters-in-law from other groups such as the Kinh, Xo-dang and Hre. The Co like to sing, dance and beat drums and gongs. Their folksongs are popular such as Xru, Klu and Agioi. The ancient stories are narrated from generation to generation.