Mother Goddess worship officially becomes World Heritage

'The practice of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship' was officially recognized by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at 9:15 p.m. (Vietnam time) on December 1.

At 5:15 p.m. local time (9:15 p.m. Vietnam time) on December 1, 2016, at the 11th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the heritage "Practice of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship" was officially recognized by UNESCO on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

According to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the nomination dossier for the intangible cultural heritage "Practices of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship" meets the following criteria to be registered on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Vietnamese delegation at the 11th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo: Pham Cao Quy.

Specifically, the information in the Dossier has shown that the heritage has been and is making an important contribution to creating a spiritual bond connecting the communities practicing the heritage. From a social perspective, the open nature of the heritage has promoted tolerance between ethnicities and religions. This heritage has been passed down since the 16th century through the practice and teaching of the head of the incense, the temple's disciples, and the incense-makers... It is compatible with international human rights regulations and has no limits on practice.

In this regard, the components of this heritage contribute to the ability to practice the heritage in general and raise awareness of its importance at different levels; bring out the cultural similarities between communities and groups of people involved in Mother Goddess worship as a symbol of compassion and generosity, along with the combination of Taoism, Buddhism and other religions.

As this heritage is shared by different ethnic groups in Vietnam, the practice will enhance dialogue and promote respect for cultural diversity; help create, enrich cultural capital and become an important component of festivals, where artistic elements such as costumes, dance and music play an important role.

The joyful moment of the Vietnamese delegation when the dossier “Practice of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship” was officially recognized by UNESCO in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Photo: Pham Cao Quy.

The Profile also provides an appendix proving that the heritage was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2013. The inventory was jointly organized and implemented by the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) and the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts; the inventory results are updated annually. The inventory was carried out with the participation of the local community, village chiefs, headmen, temple mediums, male and female mediums, incense followers, disciples, etc.

UNESCO's recognition of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Practice on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity affirms the efforts of all levels, sectors and communities in preserving the nation's intangible cultural heritage.

Thus, with the approval of UNESCO, "Practicing the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship" will become the 10th heritage of Vietnam to be recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the List of Cultural Heritages in Need of Urgent Protection, including: Royal Court Music - Nguyen Dynasty Music (2003), Cultural Space of Gongs of the Central Highlands (2005), Ca Tru Singing of the Vietnamese (2009), Quan Ho Folk Songs (2009), Giong Festival at Soc Temple and Phu Dong Temple (2010), Xoan Singing in Phu Tho (2011), Hung King Worship in Phu Tho (2012), Southern Amateur Music Art (2013), Nghe Tinh Vi Giam Folk Songs (2014), Tug of War Rituals and Games (2015, Multinational Profile, in cooperation with: Korea, Cambodia and the Philippines).

The Three Holy Mothers are the three most sacred saints in the Mother Goddess worship religion. Photo: hatvan.vn

The Mother Goddess worship is a purely Vietnamese folk belief, with a long history of the Vietnamese people, changing and adapting to changes in society. The Mother Goddess worship focuses on the real life of people with the desire for health, wealth, luck... is a need in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people, giving them strength, faith and attracting all classes in society.

The heart is the core value of the Mother Goddess worship. The Mother Goddess teaches people to live a good life, have a pure heart, know how to behave, worship ancestors and be grateful to those who have contributed to the people and the country.

In folklore, the custom of Mother Goddess worship originated from prehistoric times when Vietnamese people worshiped natural deities, these deities were combined in the concept of Holy Mother or also known as Mother Goddess.

Throughout history, the Mother Goddess worship in our country has developed into the Three Palaces (Heavenly Palace, Music Palace, Water Palace), Four Palaces (the three above palaces plus Earth Palace). In the 16th century, on the basis of the Three Palaces and Four Palaces beliefs, with the birth of the Holy Mother Lieu Hanh, a primitive indigenous religion was formed. The Mother Goddess worship is also associated with the art of Chau Van or Hat Van - a traditional folk art form of the Vietnamese people that has been recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Vietnamese ritual of Chau Van - Hau Dong. Photo: TL.

The Chau Van ritual, also known as Hau Dong, a typical religious ritual with the official name "The Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Belief" is receiving special attention from the public, especially when the belief is being submitted to UNESCO for recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

According to Dantri