VietNamNet Bridge – Thinking that he would die sooner or later because his sow gave birth to only male piglets, a man in the central province of Quang Nam committed suicide.

The poor village of Ca Dong people, where bad practices still exist.

The man was Xuan Ngoc Lanh, 31, a Ca Dong ethnic minority, chief of Ong Dai village in Tra Don commune, Nam Tra My district, Quang Nam. 

According to the custom of Ca Dong people, whenever a sow gives birth to all male or female piglets, the sow must be killed immediately, otherwise it will bring bad luck to the owner. 

Local residents believed that Lanh was “incited by the forest ghost” to kill himself because he had not killed his sow when it delivered birth to all male piggy. Moreover, it delivered birth in the house of Lanh’s neighbor, which is another taboo of Ca Dong people.

Locals say they don’t know why they have to do so but it is their tradition, which has been passed from generation to generation.

Lanh’s wife – Ms. Ho Thi Thuy, 30 – said bad luck came to her house more than 2 years ago. At that time, their sow - the biggest asset of the family – gave birth to four male piglets. Villagers advised the family to kill the pigs immediately and hold a ritual; otherwise the family would be haunted by the forest ghost, Thuy said.

However, as the sow was the largest and only valuable asset of the family, Lanh decided not to kill it.

"But then my two children and I were constantly sick. Perhaps he thought that our illness was caused by the forest ghost because he did not kill the sow so my husband was determined to commit suicide to take the consequences for the whole family and he also thought that he would die sooner or later," Thuy said.

For a long time, the family had to live in fear. In early November, the sow was about to give birth and this time she went to the house of the neighbor to make its nest in preparation for the birth, another taboo of Ca Dong people.

Lanh brought the sow home and tied it in the piggery but after five days it still did not give birth, which worried Lanh.

"He [Lanh] believed that the sow did not deliver birth because of the forest ghost. Thinking that he would die sooner or later and would be kept away by villagers, he hung himself by his belt on November 11 night," Thuy said.

Lanh had tried to commit suicide three times but he had been detected each time. He did not tell anyone why he committed suicide so the villagers believed that he was incited by the forest ghost to kill himself, which he deserved to because he dared to contravene customs.

After the "bad death" of her husband, Thuy will have to remove her house to a new place to cast the forest ghost away, according to the belief of Ca Dong people.

The sow was disemboweled for worship.  

Local authorities said that the custom is in their blood so it is very difficult to persuade Ca Dong people from acting contrary to their custom.

According to Nam Tra My authorities, so far this year nearly 20 people have committed suicide, mainly because of minor reasons and bad practices. 

Le Ha