Origin of snake worship at some temples in Nghe An
Snake worship is one of the primitive beliefs of ancient Vietnamese people, which is still passed down to this day.
Originating from the natural environment with conditions closely connected to rivers, lagoons, ponds, lakes, streams, etc., agricultural residents, with the need for irrigation, have revered water and formed a belief in a force that governs water resources. Snakes, with the symbolic meaning of water gods, were probably born from this religious need.
Over the course of history, snake worship has gradually been given many cultural layers, changing to suit different regions and periods. Not only considered a god, snakes are also chosen by the Vietnamese as totems.
Folklore researcher Ninh Viet Giaopointed out that in legends, the image of the snake is both a totem and a symbol of the early rice civilization of Vietnam. He commented: "The snake is worshiped in many places, and is used as a motif in stories, because the snake symbolizes the water god before the legend of the dragon" (a non-existent animal).
Professor Dinh Gia Khanh also mentioned the Vietnamese totem worship through familiar details in folklore, such as the story of “Lac Long Quan belonging to the dragon lineage”, or legends about the bloodline of humans and snakes. For example, parents gave birth to a snake, the snake transformed into a human to marry the scholar, or the story of Lac Long Quan and Au Co giving birth to a sac of eggs that hatched a hundred children. These legends reflect the deep connection between the Vietnamese and snakes, turning snakes into sacred totems.
Over time, snake worship developed into the foundation for sacred symbols and even royal symbols. During the Ly Dynasty (1010-1255), the image of the "Ly Dynasty dragon" appeared on architectural details, representing the dynasty's power. During the Tran and Le Dynasties, the snake was canonized as a god, becoming the village's tutelary god and was widely worshiped in villages from North to South.
Snake worship is popular in the Northern Delta, especially along major rivers such as the Red River, Duong River, and Cau River. According to Dong Duc Khiem and Nguyen Huu Binh, along the Cau River there are up to 316 temples worshipping the snake pair "Mr. Dai, Mr. Cut". Festivals in Linh Dam village, Thu Le village, Nhat Tan village, or some village festivals in Bac Ninh are also associated with legends about the snake god.
In the South Central and Southwestern regions, the Cham people in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan worship the snake god Naga, a symbol of the power of the god Shiva. The Khmer people in the South also worship the snake god Naga with the belief that he is the one who controls the water source, bringing favorable weather and rain to the rice farmers.
In the Central region, the belief in snake worship is also worshiped by many ethnic groups and considered a very sacred animal, capable of calling the wind and rain. The Muong people in Thanh Hoa have the custom of worshiping the snake god at the Luong Ngoc village temple (Cam Luong, Cam Thuy). Here, the Fish God stream is believed to be protected by the snake god. The Phu Bai village communal house (Thua Thien - Hue) worships "Mr. Dai, Mr. Cut", two snakes that once appeared to help the villagers have favorable weather.
In Nghe An, the custom of worshipping the snake god is deeply attached to the life of agricultural residents. In the two districts of Dien Chau and Yen Thanh alone, there are up to 9 temples worshipping the snake god, notably: Canh Temple (Duc Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh), So Temple (Dien Chau Town), Duc Thanh Ca Temple (Dien Loc Commune, Dien Chau),Duc Hoang Temple(Phuc Thanh commune, Yen Thanh).
In particular, the snake god temple in Nho Lam village (Dien Loc commune) is associated with the legend of the couple Hoang Phuc Huu and Vo Thi Quyen. The story goes that although the couple were kind, they had no children. After the wife bathed in the river and became pregnant, she gave birth to two egg sacs, from which hatched two snakes - one of which had its tail cut off due to an accident when the old man was digging the land. The two snakes were then appointed gods and left, promising to help the villagers pray for rain when needed. The villagers of Xuan Khanh (now Ke Tanh village) built a snake god temple at Hac Linh Son mountain, and from there the tradition of snake worship has survived to this day.
Snake worship is a natural belief, reflecting the close relationship between humans and the agricultural working environment. For the people of Nghe An, this belief has existed for thousands of years, as evidenced by archaeological sites such as the image of a snake dagger holding an elephant's leg in Vac village, along with the sacred stories and royal decrees that are still preserved. The snake worship reflects the belief in the power of water, the wish for favorable weather, and bountiful harvests - a sacred symbol closely associated with the lives of agricultural residents.
