Bit February 7

History: The Bit have ethnic YUNNAN relatives in both and •Mojiang Vietnam, yet their language is distinct from the Khmu whom they •Lancang •Pu’er VIET- NAM are counted part of in China. The •Jinghong Khmu claim to be the original MYANMAR •Menghai LAOS • Scale Mengla inhabitants of Laos, living there 0 KM 80 before they were driven from the Population in China: best land by Lao invaders from 500 (1990) China during the twelfth and 640 (2000) thirteenth centuries.3 830 (2010) Location: Yunnan Religion: Animism Customs: Funerals are elaborate Christians: None Known affairs for the Bit. The deceased are buried in the mountains. A funeral house is constructed over Overview of the Bit the grave and is filled with the Countries: Laos, China person’s personal items such as Pronunciation: “Bit” a rice basket, drink pipe, bowls, Other Names: Khabit, Phsing, Phsin, Buxin, Buxia, Buxinhua, Bid and chopsticks. At the front of the Population Source: grave a four-to-five-meter (13–16 500 (1990 J.-O. Svantesson); ft.) pole is erected. A wooden bird 1,509 in Laos (1995 census) and a shirt belonging to the Location: S Yunnan: Mengla deceased’s wife or husband is County in Xishuangbanna

Prefecture Dwayne Graybill attached to the top of the pole. Status: The Bit are officially included under Khmu, who were Location: In 1990 just 500 members of the Religion: The Bit practice a mixture of counted as an Undetermined Bit ethnic group were reportedly living in Theravada Buddhism and animism. They Minority. two villages in southern Yunnan province.1 believe a person has five souls. After Language: Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Northern Mon-Khmer, Approximately three times that number death, one soul remains in the house; one Khmuic, Khao inhabit the forests of northern Laos. The goes to the fields; one settles in the foot of Dialects: 0 Bit are located within Mengla County in the the tree that was felled to make the coffin; Religion: Animism, Theravada Xishuangbanna Dai . one lives in the funeral home; and the last Buddhism, Ancestor Worship remaining soul flies to the sky.4 Missionary Christians: None known Identity: The identity of the Bit — who are William Clifton Dodd, who visited the Scripture: None called Buxin by the Chinese — is a Mengla area during the first three decades Jesus film: None complicated matter. The Chinese officially of the twentieth century, described the Gospel Recordings: None view the Bit as part of the Khmu, but the loose ties the inhabitants of the region feel Christian Broadcasting: None Khmu do not belong to any of China’s to the Buddhist religion: “Buddhism ROPAL code: official nationalities. They were included in presents a well organized front; and BGK00 (Bit); BXT00 (Buxin) a list of Undetermined Minorities in the although we have yet to hear of any great 1990 national census. In Laos, the Bit mass movement of Buddhists into Status of Evangelization were counted separately in the national Christianity; yet it is true that Buddhism 86% census of 1995. furnishes many preparations for Christianity. It includes a spirit of religious toleration. Its Language: The Bit language belongs to the temples and monastery grounds are Mon-Khmer linguistic family, although hospitable inns. In our tours of evangelistic 14% 0% scholars disagree on whether it is part of itineration we habitually sleep in these the Khmuic or Palaungic branch.2 Bit is temples, preach under the nose of the big A B C related to the Khmu language of Laos and Buddha, and sing our Christian songs in his A = Have never heard the gospel Khao of Vietnam. In Vietnam, where the ears. Often the abbot and the monks B = Were evangelized but did not 5 become Christians Khao are better known as Khang, they are courteously join us in these services.” C = Are adherents to any form of one of 53 official minorities. The Bit Christianity language, which is nontonal, does not have Christianity: There are no Christian its own orthography. Few older people can believers among the Bit in China or Laos, speak Chinese, but most people under the although there are many Christians among age of 40 are bilingual, having been the related Khmu of northern Laos. educated in Mandarin.

76 BIT