
Traditional motifs of the Cils ethnic group
Our adventure on the Southeast Asian textile route continues! Opportunity for Women offers you a series of articles to familiarize you with the traditional patterns woven by the different ethnic minorities of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma.
Are you thinking of giving a cushion soon? Niamsa or a table runner to a loved one for Christmas? Why not learn more about the history of the unique patterns that make it up? This week, we introduce you to the traditions and skills of the Cils people of Vietnam. Let’s go for culture!

Ethnic group
The Cils ethnic group is a matrilineal society in Vietnam: children are named after their mothers and women ask men to marry them.
To celebrate the marriage, custom dictates that women offer a buffalo to their husband's family, as well as jewelry and "oi" (traditional clothing). The man will come to live with his wife's family and work in the fields of his legal family.
Today, the main challenge of the Cils is to succeed in making young people love traditional culture, especially crafts such as weaving. Indeed, by remaining working in their village, they will help its development.


Cils fabrics are handmade near Da Lat, in Lam Dong province, Vietnam. In the village of Dung Kno, where the Cils weavers are supported by TrendEthics, the population lives mainly from coffee growing. They also harvest plants and honey in the jungle . Three-quarters of the inhabitants are Catholic, while a quarter are Protestant.
It is in the village of Dung Kno that our cushions from the Niamsa collection are woven.
History
The Cils group is very famous for its textile craftsmanship woven for centuries. Women inherit this know-how transmitted by their mother. They learn to dye and weave from the age of fifteen. Weaving is a passion for them, which they practice in their free time. It is also an activity for older women who can no longer go to the fields. They make their tools from local resources: wood and bamboo. They also make baskets from raten (a local grass) and bamboo.
New for 2022: table runners with Eyelash patterns
Meaning
THE pattern catalog Cils consists of 16 different designs, typical of the village of Dung Kno. Traditionally, Cils women weave these patterns to make their traditional clothes. The latter change colors and patterns depending on the occasions on which they are worn or the people to whom they are given as gifts (married, deceased, etc.).
Eyelash patterns often have a meaning related to nature or family. Try to guess their meaning and then use the legends to help you unravel the mystery! In your opinion, which ones are the most difficult to achieve?
Can you guess the hidden meaning of these Eyelash patterns?
So, are you giving up? The hardest Eyelash patterns to weave are of course those with the most complex shapes: Na guôl, Klông pôp and Kar wih!
We hope that this article has allowed you to (re)discover Cil weaving and culture. From now on, you will see your Klong Pop cushion with new eyes!
Join us next week to meet a new ethnic minority in Southeast Asia and their traditional know-how.
Keywords: Asia, Burma, Cambodia, culture, ethnicity, heritage, Laos, patterns, know-how, technique, textiles, weaving, Vietnam