Who are the Khơ Mú and what is special about their names?
The Khơ Mú are one of the 54 ethnic groups listed in Vietnam's official ethnic composition. They call themselves Kmụ or Kưm Mụ. In older documents and local usage, they are also known by other names such as Xá Cẩu, Khạ Klẩu, Mãng Cẩu, Tày Hạy, Mứn Xen, Pu Thềnh, and Tềnh. The government portal lists the name "Khơmú" along with other names: Xá Cốu, Pu Thênh, Tày Hạy, Việt Cang, Khá Klậu, Tềnh.
According to the Survey of 53 Ethnic Minorities dated 1 April 2019, published by the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, the Khơ Mú population is 90,612. Earlier, the 2009 Population and Housing Census recorded 72,929. These two figures reflect different survey points, not a contradiction; they show population growth over time and differing data collection methods.
Linguistically, the Khơ Mú language belongs to the Mon-Khmer group of the Austroasiatic family. This group is present in several mainland Southeast Asian countries, and the fact that the Khơ Mú in Vietnam share it with peoples such as the Xinh Mun, Kháng, and Mảng shows the community's historical depth in the region.
Where do the Khơ Mú live, and why are their villages often small and scattered?
The Khơ Mú are among the oldest inhabitants of northwestern Vietnam. The Khơ Mú in the mountains of Thanh Hóa and Nghệ An are recorded as having migrated from Laos. Today, according to the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, they live in Yên Bái, Sơn La, and Lai Châu; the government's ethnic list adds Nghệ An.
Their settlement pattern is tied to farming methods. Because of shifting cultivation and migration, Khơ Mú villages are often small and scattered. Traditional houses are mainly stilt houses with unjointed columns, woven walls, and bamboo floors. Today, many places have built more spacious and solid homes. Note that the description "stilt houses with unjointed columns, woven walls, and bamboo floors" refers to the traditional house type, not the current housing of the whole community.
A less mentioned but characteristic detail is their water habit. The Khơ Mú are used to drinking spring water in mountain gullies and do not have the custom of piping water to their homes. Daily, women and children collect spring water in bamboo tubes and carry it back. This detail shows that residence is tied to natural water sources rather than fixed water systems.
Why are the Khơ Mú called "Xá ăn lửa"?
The name "Xá ăn lửa" comes from their main livelihood of swidden farming. It is a folk term reflecting farming technique, not a self-name. Besides mainly shifting cultivation, settled groups often farm in closed circular cycles.
Crops include rice, maize, gourds, beans, and root plants. Tools include axes, knives, hoes, and most notably the dibble stick. There are two types: single and double iron-shod, usable for many years. Gathering and hunting remain important in the economy. Family sideline crafts are mainly weaving household items; some places also know blacksmithing, carpentry, and cloth weaving.
Exchange and trade are mainly barter. The "kxoong" snail shell was once used as a medium of exchange. The Khơ Mú raise buffalo, cattle, pigs, and chickens for draft power, consumption, and rituals. Basic transport is a back basket with a forehead strap, a yoke, and various bags; those who farm wet rice also use carrying baskets.
| Surname group | Examples in the source |
|---|---|
| Animal names | tiger, weasel, civet |
| Bird names | ground phoenix, wagtail, crake, coucal |
| Plant names | fern, water spinach, bracken, garlic |
| Inanimate objects | pig pen, soup ladle |
How are social relations and lineages organized?
Each Khơ Mú village consists of many families from different lineages, each with a head. Villages already show wealth differentiation. The Khơ Mú have close relations with fellow community members and neighbors, especially the Thái.
A notable point is lineage naming. Khơ Mú lineages all bear names of animals, birds, and plants, divisible into three main groups, plus some named after inanimate objects. The table above summarizes these groups per the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs. This natural naming reflects a social classification tied to the living environment and is an anthropological feature worth noting when studying lineage organization in the northwest.
What are the characteristics of Khơ Mú marriage and funerals?
Khơ Mú marriage follows a direct principle, especially within a lineage. Many matrilineal remnants persist, such as uxorilocal residence, husbands taking wives' surnames, and marriages between brothers-in-law or sisters-in-law. Weddings proceed through matchmaking, uxorilocal residence, a ceremony at the wife's house, and a bride-welcoming ceremony. Young people are free to court, but parents, especially the maternal uncle, decide. The maternal uncle has the final say on bride price and gifts.
Funerals are complex. Khơ Mú funerals include many ritual rites, especially a soul-farewell chant lasting hours before burial. Moving to a new house is also a joyful occasion for the family and village: the host often slaughters a pig to feast neighbors, and it is a time for community cultural performances.
What do the Khơ Mú worship?
The Khơ Mú believe in five most important spirits: sky spirit, earth spirit, dragon spirit, ancestor spirit, and house spirit. According to the source, these spirits bring good to people but can sometimes be angry and cause harm as punishment.
Besides mường worship, the Khơ Mú have village worship, especially house-spirit worship during Tết and when family members are ill. The house-spirit altar is placed on the kitchen loft; grandparents are worshipped in a private, secluded room, strictly off-limits to outsiders. Each lineage maintains its own lineage-spirit worship with specific rituals and gestures.
It is important to distinguish two levels of worship in the above description: community level (mường and village worship) and family/lineage level (house spirit, ancestor worship, lineage spirit). This layering helps explain why, during the same Tết, rituals occur at multiple levels.
When do the main festivals and Tết of the Khơ Mú take place?
Besides Lunar New Year, the Khơ Mú celebrate the new rice Tết. The new rice Tết is held after the October lunar harvest, a joyful time for the whole village after hard labor. The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs source emphasizes that the new rice Tết shows distinct ethnic cultural features. The Khơ Mú also maintain many rituals related to agriculture and cultivation.
In arts, the familiar folk song Tơm is widely loved, rich in epic and lyrical qualities, sung in call-and-response style. The Khơ Mú enjoy xoè dancing, blowing various flutes and self-made bamboo percussion, especially the lip reed. During festivals, children play badminton with chicken feathers, spinning tops, and other folk games.
For instruments, the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs source notes the "dao" lute (hun mạy) made of a type of small bamboo or bamboo, crafted and performed by women. This is a notable detail about women's role in preserving traditional instruments.
What is notable about clothing, food, and calendar reckoning?
In clothing, the Khơ Mú dress like the Thái, but differ in decorating rows of silver coins and snail shells on women's bodices. Today, most Khơ Mú, especially men, dress like the Vietnamese.
In food, the Khơ Mú often steam glutinous rice or maize, mixed with cassava. They like spicy, sour, and bitter dishes and grilled foods with strong smells such as chẻo, nậm pịa, and sour fish.
For time reckoning, besides following the Thái calendar, the Khơ Mú widely calculate days and hours based on the cà la table for house building and marriage. Many Khơ Mú can read and write Thái script. Using the Thái calendar and script in daily life shows deep cultural exchange between the Khơ Mú and the Thái in the northwest, a relationship recorded as close in neighborly life.
Where do sources disagree?
At least two points need clarity to avoid misunderstanding. First, population: the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs source cites the 1 April 2019 Survey of 53 Ethnic Minorities with 90,612, while Báo Tin tức cites the 2009 Population and Housing Census with 72,929. These are not conflicting versions of the same survey but results from two surveys at different times. When looking up, note the time marker with the number.
Second, residence area. The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs source says "today they live in Yên Bái, Sơn La, Lai Châu," while the government's ethnic list includes Sơn La, Lai Châu, Nghệ An, Yên Bái. This difference may be due to different scopes and compilation times. A safe approach is to list all provinces named by official sources rather than choosing one and omitting the other.
The Khơ Mú's place in Vietnam's 54 ethnic communities
According to Decision No. 121-TCTK/PPCĐ dated 2 March 1979, Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, with the Kinh making up over 85.4% of the national population, and the remaining 53 called minorities, about 14.6% of the total. The Khơ Mú are among these 53 ethnic minorities.
Ethnic minorities live across regions but mainly in high mountains, border areas, and remote areas, concentrated in the northern mountains, Central Highlands, North Central Coast, and Southwest. The Khơ Mú belong to the northern mountains and North Central Coast group.
It should be stressed that names like Xá Cẩu, Khạ Klẩu, Mãng Cẩu, Tày Hạy, Mứn Xen, Pu Thềnh, Tềnh are other names once used in documents and neighborly communication, not self-names. The self-name is Kmụ, Kưm Mụ. When writing about the community, the official name "Khơ Mú" is preferred; other names should be mentioned once for recognition.
