Group: | Bahnar Ba-Na |
Population: | ≈ estimated 300,000 |
Pop1: | 286,910 |
Ref1: | [1] |
Pop2: | ≈ 10,000 |
Pop3: | ≈ 5.000 |
Langs: | Bahnar-Rengao • Vietnamese |
Religions: | Traditional religion, Animism, Christianity |
Related: | Sedang, Jarai |
The Bahnar or Ba-Na (pronounced as /vi/ are an ethnic group of Vietnam and the indigenous people of the Central Highland provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, as well as the coastal provinces of Bình Định and Phú Yên. They speak the Bahnar language, a language in the Bahnaric language group that belongs to the Mon-Khmer (Austroasiatic) language family.
The word bahnar is similar to in the Khmer language, which means mountain. The Bahnar have many names, such as Bonom, Jolong, Rongao, Tolo, Kriem, Roh, Konkodeh, Golar, and others.
Epics (Bahnar language: H'amon) such as Dam Noi represent centuries-old aspirations of Banar people.
Like many of the other ethnic groups of Vietnam's Central Highlands, the Bahnar play a great number of traditional musical instruments, including ensembles of pitched gongs and string instruments made from bamboo. These instruments are sometimes played in concert for special occasions, which may also involve ceremonial Rượu cần (rice wine) drinking and group dancing.