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The Ede have nearly 195,000 inhabitants
concentrating in Darlac, south Gia Lai and
western parts of Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen
provinces. The Ede are also called Rade, De,
Kpa Adham, Krung, Klul, Dlierue, Blo, Epan.
Mdhun and Bich. Ede language belongs to the
Malayo-Polynesian Group.
The Ede mainly
practice cultivation on burnt-over land. The
Bich alone cultivate rice in submerged
fields with primitive farming methods such
as using buffaloes to trample the fields
instead of plough and using hoes to work the
fields. Besides cultivation, the Ede also
practice animal husbandry, hunting,
gathering, fishing, basketry and weaving.
Dark indigo is the traditional color of Ede
clothing. Their attire is often trimmed with
colorful motifs. Ede women wear a skirt and
vest and men wear loincloths. They like to
wear cope, silver or bead ornaments.
According to ancient principle, the Ede had
to file six front teeth of their upper
denture. Now, the young Ede people do not
follow this practice.
In Ede society, matriarchy is prevailed.
Women are the masters of their families. The
children take the family name of the mother.
The right of inheritance is reserved for
daughters only. After marriage, the man
comes to live at his wife's house. lithe
wife dies and nobody among the wife's
relatives replaces her position, the man
will turn back his home and live with his
sisters. Until he dies, he is buried among
his maternal relatives' graves.
The Ede practice polytheism, so they retain
many taboos and worships to pray for bumper
harvests, health and avoiding misfortunes
and losses.
The Ede possess a rich and unique treasury
of oral literature including myths, legends,
lyrical songs, proverbs, in particular
well-known khan (epics) with khan Dam San
and khan Dam Kteh Mlan. The Ede like to
sing, dance and play musical instruments.
Their musical instruments comprise gongs,
drums, flutes, pan-pipes and string
instruments. Among them Ding nam is a very
popular musical instrument of the Ede which
is much liked by many people.
The Ede live in houses on stilts. The houses
are generally elongated. The length depends
on the number of inhabitants. Some houses
are measured hundreds of meters. Structural
framework has begun to appear as well as
house built of wood or bamboo with thatched
roof. In recent years, the houses are
tending to divide into signaler
constructions with sheet iron covered roofs.
Each side of the house has a door. The
entrance door faces the north or the road.
The interior is divided into two parts. The
main part, called Gah, containing the
entrance door is reserved for receiving
guests. The rest called Ok is divided into
compartments, each for kitchen and for the
couples. In each side also has a floor-yard.
The yard lying in front of the entrance door
is called guest yard. Anyone who wants to
get in the house must pass this yard. The
more prosperous the owner is, the more
spacious and wider yard will be.
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