View of the universe and the symbolism of the Si tree in Mo Muong of the Muong Mang people

Abstract

Mo Muong is a complete picture of the life of the traditional Muong people. In it, moral thought, cosmic philosophy and religious conception are vividly expressed through Mo verses. With the respect and gratitude of his descendants for the “absolute past”, the Muong folk author creatively used the special artistic symbol of the Benjamin ficus tree, Si tree in Muong, to create the spiritual tradition for Mo Muong. Therefore, after thousands of years of existence, Mo Muong still holds a strong attraction for the Muong in any region, in any era. By document analysis and ethnographic fieldwork, the author has systematically synthesized the cosmology and the symbolism of the Si tree in Mo Muong.