Sla-tho Offerings in Khmer Rituals in the South Through the Perspective of Cultural Symbo

Abstract

Khmer culture in the South of Vietnam is characterized by tangible and intangible cultural values with diverse symbols and signs in their cultural activities. While the symbols associated with the architecture of Khmer Theravada Buddhist temples such as Neak (Naga), Krud, Keyno, etc., the elements of offerings in traditional ceremonies, beliefs, and religious rituals seem to have not been interested, explored, and decoded. From the semiotic perspective, the article studies Sla-tho offerings in terms of origin, names, and forms, thereby interpreting their expressive meanings, and further clarifies the concept, creative thinking, and aesthetic thinking during the history and development of Khmer ethnic society in Southern Vietnam in general and in the case study of Khmer people in Tra Vinh in particular.