Lao Loum

It has been estimated that more than 70 different tribes are in Laos. The Lao Loum is the majority ethnic group. The Lao Loum make up for 68% of the Laos population. The Lao Loum live in the lowlands of Laos along the Mekong River Valley, which makes up for 30% of the land of the country. The lowlands are great for rice paddy farming, which is what the vast majority of the culture does for a living. Wet or stick rice is a center of the culture, and main source of food. It is prepared steamed and eaten as a hand food. Usually it is accompanied with a vegetable, meat, or soup to be dipped in. Because Lao Loum is a farming culture, food production is self-sufficient.

The construction of Lao Loum homes reflects the focus of rice farming. The homes are built up on wooden posts that raise the house up by about two meters in case of flooding from the rice paddies. The homes use the extra height as a cooling technique as well because it allows a better breeze than it would if it was on the ground. The area under the house is also used to keep livestock. Another feature of a typical home is a rice granary, a storage place for the rice. It is built on posts, like the rest of the house. The dimensions of a typical house are eight by twelve meters. Most homes have a porch on the longer side of the house. This is where the family primarily visits with guests. Inside the houses, floor mats are used as bedding, and a bamboo table is used for eating meals at.

The family in each household usually consists of a married couple, and their unmarried children. Occasionally a husband and wife and their children will live with the one of their parents. Once a couple gets married they move to the home village of the bride. People of the town help build frames of a new home, and then the groom usually takes over from there. It will take a few weeks for the house to be finished. Polygamy was practiced at one time but is rarely practiced anymore. Either husband or wife initiates divorce. The families will get involved, and even elderly villagers will be involved before a divorce will occur. Chores around the home are secluded to gender. Usually women cook, clean, and care for the young. Women are primary buyers and sellers of smaller goods in nearby markets. Men will usually take care of the buying and selling of cattle, pigs and machines.

The main religion of Laos is Buddhism. 60% of the people of Laos are practicing Buddhists. Religion plays a big role in their culture. Usually most villages have three or four monks. Every village has a Buddhist temple, typically called a wat. Because a village’s wat is typically the only structure large enough to hold the entire village, town meetings are held in them as well. Wats are typically the center of action in villages. Religious festivals, bouns, are held in them as well. Lao Loum also believe in spirits called phi. They celebrate yearly for the phi ban, a village deity. These celebrations were in order to ensure good fortune in the upcoming year, and to show the importance of their village as its own social unit. Sacrifice practices stopped not until the early 90’s in these ceremonies.

Before 1975 the Lao Loum villagers were led by village chiefs called either pho ban or nai ban. Now the leaders are called village presidents or pathan ban. They are elected by the popular vote of the Lao Loum villages. The village presidents don’t have much say in what is done in each village because many of the things that are decided within each village is done at a town meeting by the villagers. The president will make a decision if the town people don’t come to a total agreement on an issue the village president will delay the discussion until a later date.

Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Laotian culture.

If you are Laotian, your feedback is much appreciated.

Image courtesy of Visit Laos

Bibliography

1) “People of Laos.” Laos City http://www.laocity.com/Laos/people.html

2) “Laos: Rural Life” Library of Congress Country Study - Anthropology (July 1994) http://anthropology.about.com/library/LoC/blLaos2.htm?once=true&rnk=r1&terms=Lao+Loum 11/30/00

3) “Visit Laos.” Lycos http://come.to/visit-laos 11/30/00

By, Sara Benson