Fisherman's 'lucky charm'

(Baonghean.vn) - During their trips to the sea, fishermen in the Quynh coastal area often carry a special plant in front of their ships and boats, considered a talisman for those on board to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. That special plant is the wild pineapple.

Busy preparing for a long trip, To Ngoc Truong, from Binh Son hamlet, Tien Thuy commune, Quynh Luu district (Nghe An), still did not forget to find a pandan leaf and place it in front of the boat. It is a habit, or rather a custom, to help people feel secure before each trip and before launching a boat.

Pineapple pulp has accompanied people throughout their journey at sea, sometimes taking nearly 10 days and nights to reach shore.

Sitting at the bow of the boat, Mr. Truong smiled and explained: “Although the sea nourishes us, the sea god has a very erratic temperament and often causes waves to sink any boat. Before setting out to sea, we often hold a ceremony and hang a pineapple tree or a wild pineapple leaf in front of the boat. For us fishermen, wild pineapple is considered a lucky charm, or a “talisman” before going out to sea.”

Accordingly, the pineapple tree (people still call it pineapple pulp) is a thing for fishermen to "drive away disasters and welcome good luck". Therefore, these days, especially during the Northern fishing season, when boats are trying their best to go out to sea, we can easily see the image of lush green wild pineapple pulp hanging from the bows of boats.

In the area, many households sell this type of tree for just over or under 10 thousand VND/tree.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ke - Former Chairman of Tien Thuy Fisheries Association said: Tien Thuy people have now boldly invested in fishing gear and boats to catch seafood in areas more than a hundred nautical miles offshore. The whole commune has more than 350 fishing boats. Of which, 160 boats have from 300 to more than 1,000 horsepower. Every year, more boats are built.

The custom of hanging pineapple rinds on ships and boats has always been maintained by the people. When a new boat is launched, after choosing an auspicious day, the boat owner will perform a ceremony, then choose the best green pineapple rinds to hang at the bow of the boat. Or if a fishing boat has a “bad luck”, meaning the trip at sea is not as smooth as expected, people will hang them to ward off bad luck.

It can be said that pineapple trees have an important meaning in the spiritual life of fishermen. Not only when going to sea, but also when there is an important event in the house such as someone giving birth, getting sick, etc., people leave them in front of the gate. In addition to the meaning of driving away bad air and evil spirits, they are also seen as a warning for those who pass by to be more careful.

Ms. Ha (Tien Thuy, Quynh Luu) shared that her family has been selling pineapple pulp for decades, not for profit because it is not worth much, but more importantly, she wants to maintain a unique cultural feature of her locality.

For generations, the hanging of pineapple trees on ships and boats has been maintained by fishermen and considered a typical cultural feature of the coastal region. Perhaps the wild pineapple tree’s tenacious vitality in the face of many challenges from nature is a valuable spiritual encouragement in the face of storms and waves of the sea.

Thanh Quynh