Redeeming the soul in the beliefs of the Thai people.

(Baonghean.vn) - Once a soul is held captive by spirits, the body becomes weak and sickly. At this point, people perform rituals to redeem it, according to the folk beliefs of the Thai ethnic community.

Clip:The ritual of redeeming souls in To village, Yen Khe commune, Con Cuong district:

Since the beginning of the year, Mr. Phuc, residing in To village, Yen Khe commune, Con Cuong district, suddenly fell ill. Despite visiting numerous hospitals, his condition did not improve. At this point, people considered spiritual remedies. That is, they needed a shaman to determine the underlying problem that was preventing him from recovering from his illness.

The Thai people in Con Cuong perform a ritual to redeem the soul when it is held captive by a divine or demonic force. According to folk beliefs, if the soul is not redeemed, the body will become sick, diseased, or even die. Photo: Huu Vi

According to the spiritual beliefs of the Thai community, besides the physical body, the soul is also very important for a healthy body. Each person has dozens, even hundreds, of souls. When a soul wanders off, it causes the body to become sick and suffer from chronic illnesses.

A young woman was tasked with bringing a shirt belonging to Mr. Phuc to the shaman's house. After the ceremony, holding the shirt, the shaman declared that Mr. Phuc's spirit had wandered off for 23 years. "They (the spirit) have caused the fields to be damaged. The crops have also borne fruit," the shaman said.

To redeem the soul of Mr. Phuc, his family had to perform a ritual to "redeem" him before those holding him captive would release him. The supernatural forces, who owned the land and fields there, demanded a sacrifice including a guard dog, dog blood, a chicken, chicken blood, cloth, and silver ingots. Of course, wine was also essential. The shaman chose an auspicious day in the month and entrusted another shaman to perform the ritual to redeem Mr. Phuc's soul.

The shaman tosses a coin to ask the gods for their opinion. If he gets two heads and one tails, it is considered that the gods have agreed to the person's wish. Photo: Huu Vi

“The ceremony was truly a journey into the spiritual realm,” shared Mr. Vi Van Nguyen, a shaman from Ke Me village, Mau Duc commune (Con Cuong district). According to shaman Nguyen, the spiritual world is also divided into different realms.

Muong Bang Phang is the dwelling place of people and deities who govern the village, the land, and various large and small bodies of water and rivers; it is also the home of the Thuong Luong, a mythical creature in folk legends.

Muong Rung is home to tigers and various spirits such as forest spirits, mountain spirits, tree spirits, and spirits of the fields and gardens… For a long time, people feared tigers even more than the mythical serpent. Therefore, they also regarded tigers as sacred creatures, as sacred as the mythical serpent.

Once the soul has been redeemed, the clothes of the person whose soul needed redeeming are brought home. Photo: Huu Vi

Muong Troi is uninhabited. It's simply an intermediate area. There's a waterwheel there that turns day and night.

Muong Then is the dwelling place of the deities who govern the mortal world. Among them is Then Na, the head of the gods of all four districts. Humans can only reach Muong Bang Phang and Muong Rung. Only shamans can ascend to Muong Troi and Muong Then.

According to the shaman, the spirit of Mr. Phuc is being held captive in Muong Bang Phang. His descendants can accompany the shaman there to redeem him and bring him back. On the appointed day, Shaman Nguyen and his descendants hold a ceremony which, according to him, is purely spiritual in nature. Of course, medicine is necessary for recovery.

Mr. Nguyen added: "In 1976, I participated in campaigns against superstition, so I clearly understand that today's rituals and offerings only have spiritual significance, helping the sick feel better, and medicine is indispensable."

Huu Vi