Folk Tales of the Giay Ethnic Group from the Perspective of Cultural Memory: A Mechanism for Preserving and Recreating Community Identity

In the context of globalization, the intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities in Vietnam is facing the risk of disruption. This study approaches the folk tales of the Giáy people from the perspective of "Cultural Memory" theory. Instead of analyzing traditional poetics, the article considers this narrative system as a "living library" preserving important cultural codes. The results indicate that Giáy folk tales function as a memory storage mechanism along three main axes: Historical, Social, and Ecological. The study affirms the role of folk tales in non-formal education and the preservation of ethnic identity for sustainable development.