Ede ethnic people’s water source worship ceremony

This event is held for the people to express gratitude to the deities and ask for blessings, pure water, favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and prosperity for the community.

During the ceremony, villagers, led by the village elder, bring offerings to the water source. Once the offerings are ready, a young woman fills the largest gourds with water to initiate the ritual.

The shaman conducts the worship, reciting prayers to invoke blessings from the deities for a lasting, pure water supply to ensure health and well-being of the community. After the ritual, Ede women fill large water gourds to bring back to the village.

Here are several photos of the ceremony.

Villagers with offerings following the shaman to the water source

Traditional shield dance performed to symbolize protection of the water source

Ritual of applying animal sacrifice blood to a bamboo water conduit to invite deities to accept the village’s offerings

The shaman reciting prayers at the water source, witnessed by the villagers

Translated by Trung Thanh