Pa Hng in Vietnam


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Pathen in some locations believe a frog created the heavens and the earth. After a time of living in perfect contentment, man destroyed the harmony of his peaceful existence by killing the frog. "The frog's dying curse was to divide the world into a realm for humans and a realm for spirits. Before that time, mankind did not know sickness, and when a person would die, he would rise again from the dead on the 13th day. After the curse, this no longer happened."


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Pathen live in communities according to family clans. They forbid marriage within each clan. A Pathen man must not have sexual relations with any woman of his clan. This taboo is strictly enforced. Pathen children are told horror stories of what will happen if they break this taboo. This prohibition stands for people of the same family name, even if they live in different provinces and have never previously met.

After the birth of a child, they put the placenta under the floorboards of the house. At the end of the person's life, he must make a journey back to the spiritual village of his ancestors. The dead person's soul must stop to pick up the placenta, which they believe helps the spirits identify who the person is.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Pathen believe a person has 12 souls. "When a body is placed in a coffin, it is sprinkled with 12 measures of grilled rice, and 12 sandstone bowls are put in along with the rice." Each Pathen home contains an ancestral altar. The Pathen believe the spirits of their ancestors are fed by placing rice and meat out on the table for them. The male head of the household calls on the spirits of his ancestors to come and share in the feast and to protect his family from sickness and injury.


What Are Their Needs?

This tribe has rarely been focused on with the gospel and are an unevangelized people group. Their intricate rituals of ancestor worship create barriers that prevent them from embracing the gospel, yet some believe they are ready to embrace the gospel. Most simply have never had the chance to hear.


Prayer Points

Ask God to raise up Pathen who are more desirous to know the truth than to stay on the broad road to death.

Ask God to send loving, committed workers to the Pathen in the near future.

Pray the Pathen would no longer be hidden away from the influence of Christ.

Pray for dreams and visions of the victorious, risen Christ to come to the Pathen people.


Scripture Prayers for the Pa Hng in Vietnam.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Pa Hng
People Name in Country Pa Hng
Pronunciation pah-THEN
Alternate Names Baheng Bunu; Meo Lai; Pa Then; Pa-Hng; Pathen
Population this Country 8,400
Population all Countries 56,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 18891
ROP3 Code 114839
Country Vietnam
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 35  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Small enclaves, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang provinces.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Vietnam
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 35  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Small enclaves, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang provinces..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 2.00 %)
2.00 %
Ethnic Religions
98.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Pa-Hng (8,400 speakers)
Language Code pha   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Pa-Hng (8,400 speakers)
Language Code pha   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Pa-Hng

Primary Language:  Pa-Hng

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  Operation China, Asia Harvest  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source Joshua Project / Global Mapping International  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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