Tale of the Tail
17:00 18/03/2009

Charms to ward off bad luck have a history of thousands of years. They are of infinite variety, with many specific to particular cultures. But, in this era of economic globalisation, it is not surprising that many charms cross cultures and acquire…yes, commercial value.      

So it has come to pass that most visitors to the Central Highlands Province of Dak Lak are looking for more than a souvenir to take home. They want to buy a strand of hair from the tail of an elephant. Keeping this with you all the time, will ward off bad luck and bring good luck, it is believed. And that is an offer difficult to refuse.

And if that weren’t enough, it is said that people in the highlands consider the hair from an elephant’s tail a talisman particularly helpful during trips through the jungle. It not only prevents wild beast, ghosts and devils from doing harm, but also gives the person a sixth sense to predict unfortunate events.

For the ethnic M’Nong people living in the locality, the hair brings luck, happiness and loyalty. So it is invariably given as a present to the loved one, the betrothed.

So the hair from an elephant’s tail has become a must-have souvenir in the province. Everyday hundreds of foreign and local tourists buy them, although some say they are getting it out of curiosity and not superstition.

Rings made of elephant tail hairs sell like hot cakes in Buon Ma Thuot City and other tourist destinations in Dak Lak. To make them even more alluring, they are embedded in silver or gold rings, and sold for VND300,000 to VND500,000 each.

With a pachyderm population of about 70 in the province, the inevitable has happened. The hair has become rare, and some locals have resorted to stealing it from elephants belonging to other people.

But the M’Nong people also say that a person caught stealing the hair must compensate with a pig, some jars of wine and millions of dong. And the stolen hair will be burnt as penance to the Elephant God.

VietNamNet/VNS

Source : vietnamnet.vn