Impressive special offerings in the worship of the Mother Goddess of the Three Palaces
(Baonghean.vn) - Three years after the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Practices were officially recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, unique ritual activities associated with this heritage are taking place vigorously in many localities. The most impressive of these is the Hau Dong ritual.
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| The Mother Goddess worship is a purely Vietnamese folk belief, adapting to changes in society. According to studies on cultural beliefs, the Three Palaces in the Mother Goddess worship correspond to different regions in the universe: Thien Phu (Heaven), Nhac Phu (mountainous region) and Thoai Phu (river region). The head of each palace is a Mother Goddess: Mau Thuong Thien, Mau Thuong Ngan and Mau Thoai. The picture shows a typical Mother Goddess shrine. |
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| Practitioners of the Mother Goddess worship believe that the ritual of Hau Dong can help people communicate with the gods, and the mediums act as intermediaries to connect. The costumes of the mediums when practicing this ritual are called khan chau, ao ngu. Each medium has its own costume corresponding to each god. |
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| To serve the Mandarins and the Emperor, the medium will wear a turban and a costume embroidered with a dragon. In the picture, the medium is serving the Tran Dynasty's Lord. |
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| A bronze rod is "entering" the price of Ong Hoang Muoi. According to experts in cultural and religious research, the ritual of Hau Dong is essentially a form of folk performance based on the combination of spiritual music with graceful dances and solemn rituals. |
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| The ritual of Hau Dong has many male and female Saints. For male Saints (from the rank of Quan to the rank of Ong Hoang, and the rank of Cau), the Thanh Dong has its own costumes (depending on whether the Saint is a civil or military mandarin, the age and personality of the Saint, etc.). In the photo, the Thanh Dong is performing the role of Quan De Ngu, wearing a brocade robe embroidered with dragons, a solemn expression, and strong movements. |
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| For the attendants of the Saintess, the costumes are more abundant and diverse. However, the ao dai is still the main costume, with different colors and designs to suit each attendant. In addition, the bronze also has scarves, headbands, belts, scarves, colorful feather fans, jewelry, etc. In the photo, the bronze is serving the First Lord of the West. |
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| The Second Upper Mountain Priest wears a long dress with colorful embroidered brocade patterns, a gold necklace, a turban in hand, and a bronze drum performing dance steps in harmony with the bustling Chau Van music. |
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| Every time the price changes, the bronze statue is covered by a cloth by the servants to change into new clothes. |
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| The practice of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship is a mixture of the indigenous religion of the Vietnamese and some elements of imported religions such as Taoism and Buddhism. The Mother Goddesses and deities in the Three Palaces shrine originate not only from the Kinh people, but also from ethnic minorities in Vietnam such as the Muong, Tay, Nung, Dao..., demonstrating cultural exchange, equal relationships, and close ties between ethnic groups in Vietnam. |
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| Many mediums said that the ritual of Hau Dong takes place all year round, notably on important occasions such as Hau Dong Thuong Nguyen (January), Hau Dong in the summer (April), Hau Dong out of the summer (July) or Hau Dong Tat Nien (December)... Hau Dong ritual meets the needs and aspirations of each person such as praying for national peace and security, family health, prosperity and fortune... At the same time, through the artistic combination of folk cultural elements such as costumes, music, Chau Van singing, dance, folk performances..., Hau Dong ritual is also considered a "living museum" preserving the history, heritage and cultural identity of the Vietnamese people. |
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