The custom of worshiping the fish god in Cua Hoi sea area

(Baonghean) - Nghe An's sea area has a long coastline from Mui Xuoc (Quynh Luu) to Cua Hoi (Nghi Loc) along with a system of large river mouths such as Lach Thoi, Lach Van, Lach Con, Cua Lo... For generations, people have mainly worked at sea to catch seafood. Therefore, this place soon formed a very rich system of beliefs and customs in the worship of supreme beings, especially the worship of the fish god in Cua Hoi sea area.

Since ancient times, Cua Hoi people have specialized in fishing and other industries and occupations related to the sea such as shipbuilding, net weaving, seafood processing, etc. Because their lives are closely linked to the sea, the customs and practices here also have the identity of the river. Fishermen fish at sea every day, storms and tempests often threaten their lives as well as the property they have worked so hard to build. Therefore, their beliefs have become a very rich system of beliefs and customs of worshiping gods. In this countryside, there are many temples worshiping gods whose careers are related to the sea such as Sat Hai Dai Vuong Hoang Ta Thon Temple, Tam Toa Thanh Mau Temple, Van Loc Temple worshiping Thai Uy Nguyen Su Hoi, etc. and especially Lang Hieu Temple - where the remains are buried and the tablet of Ngu Ong (whale) is worshiped, the god of fish.

Hieu Village Temple.

Whales are the “spiritual fish” of the East Sea, and are revered by fishermen, so they are called Mr. Whale, Mr. Fisherman, or the God of the South Sea. Whales often help fishermen in distress at sea, so fishermen worship them as gods. Therefore, fishermen absolutely do not hunt and eat whales. Every time they encounter a stranded whale, they try their best to rescue it and bring it back to sea. When the whale has gone out to sea, fishermen also throw rice and salt down so that the whale has food to return to the sea safely. When they encounter a dead whale that has washed ashore, fishermen here consider it a good omen, a blessing, because this land was chosen by the fish god as a resting place, and the fish god trusts him with the burial.

According to the royal decree, Lang Hieu Temple in Cua Hoi was built during the Le Dynasty. The temple is a place to worship gods and Buddhas, and it is also the burial place for the remains of the fish god. On the right side of the temple, outside, there is a large area of ​​land reserved for the tomb of the fish god. In the middle are the remains of the fish god. On the tomb is a house with 2 overlapping floors, a bright red tiled roof with curved edges at the 4 corners. In the tomb, there is an altar, in the middle is the tablet of the fish god; near the roof are 3 Chinese characters "Lang Than Ngu". In addition, there is also a system of 87 tombs worshiping "than co, than cau", which are the children of the fish god.

Nowadays, the people of Cua Lo and Cua Hoi still pass down the story of the fish god: “In the Cua Hoi area, a whale as big as a ship often appears, which has rescued many fishermen in distress, so when he died, his body drifted ashore and had to be covered with 30 pairs of mats but could not be fully covered. His funeral was very grand. Later, his skeleton was buried in the main mausoleum of the Ngu Ong cemetery next to Lang Hieu temple. This whale skeleton is called Ngoc Cot and is worshiped as the god of the village and commune. The soul of the fish god follows the annual procession of fishermen to Cua Hoi sea to transform into a group of descendant whales that specialize in helping people in distress in the East Sea. Later, his soul gathered and transformed into a large stone floating outside Lach Hoi. A fishing boat owner saw a stone shaped like a whale drifting to the side of his boat, so he scooped it up and brought it to shore. The villagers held a ceremony to welcome him and erect it in front of the mausoleum of the Ngu Ong god and the female and male gods. The fishermen often burn incense and pray for blessings, and are all blessed. "peaceful family, prosperous business".

Every year, fishermen here often organize a procession of the fish god and other sea gods to the estuary to pray for peace and a year of favorable weather, good wind, and a good fishing season. This is a good custom of fishermen in Cua Hoi coastal area in particular and Vietnam in general, demonstrating the diversity and richness in the cultural and religious life of the people. In addition, in March every year, fishermen in Cua Hoi organize the Cau Ngu Festival with many interesting and attractive activities such as rowing, boat racing, attracting thousands of people and tourists from all over the world.

Article and photos:Van Thang