About two royal decrees of the Nguyen Dynasty and ancient wooden swords in Western Nghe An

The two royal decrees were kept in a red-lacquered wooden box along with a wooden sword, carefully kept by Mr. Lo Thiet Thuyet. Only those who had enough trust were allowed to see them. Mr. Thuyet said: “These two royal decrees were passed down from my grandfather, to my father, and now it is my turn to keep them. Before I return to my ancestors, I will hand them over to my eldest son and instruct him to keep them carefully.”

The two royal decrees are being carefully kept by Mr. Lo Thiet Thuyet. Photo: Cong Kien

Mr. Thuyet added that in the past, in Tong Xan village, there was a rather large temple, and people from all the villages in Thach Ngan often held ceremonies in early spring and mid-June of the lunar calendar. Later, after experiencing historical upheavals, the temple was degraded and damaged. His grandfather, Lo Thiet Thanh, who held a small position in the old regime, brought the royal decree and some sacrificial objects home to keep.

Before passing away, his grandfather handed over those “treasures” to Mr. Thuyet’s father, Lo Thiet Hong, and now Mr. Thuyet is keeping them according to his father’s instructions. “In the past, Thach Ngan was a sacred forest and poisonous water, our ancestors were granted royal titles, so they must be treasures, we must keep them so that future generations will always be proud of their origins” – Mr. Thuyet shared.

The royal decree is still intact, the writing and patterns are still clear. Photo: Cong Kien

The two royal decrees that Mr. Lo Thiet Thuyet kept are still intact, the Do paper is still very durable and the handwriting and patterns and motifs are still very clear. And both royal decrees are from King Khai Dinh (Nguyen Dynasty), the first decree is from the second year of Khai Dinh (1917); the second decree is from the ninth year of Khai Dinh (1924).

Both decrees assigned the people of Thach Ngan commune, Tuong Duong district, Tuong Duong prefecture, Nghe An province to worship the loyal and courageous god Cao Duc Tu, the responsive god Duc Bao Trung Hung Cao Son Cao Cac, to protect the country and the people, and to protect the lives of the people. In the second decree, the king increased the rank to Trac Vo Thuong Dang Than.

Along with the two royal decrees, Mr. Lo Thiet Thuyet still keeps a wooden sword, which is likely a sacrificial object. Photo: Cong Kien

The content of the decree shows that the story about the temple in Tong Xan village and related details told by Mr. Lo Thiet Thuyet are true. It proves that the Thai community has lived in Thach Ngan land for a long time and has a rich cultural and religious tradition.

Along with the two royal decrees and the wooden sword, Mr. Thuyet’s family still keeps the parasol – an item used during the procession. Due to the long time, the parasol is almost damaged and can no longer be used.

The parasol used in the procession is still kept by Mr. Thuyet. Photo: Cong Kien

Mr. Lo Thiet Thuyet said: “The wish of the Thai people in Tong Xan village in particular and Thach Ngan commune in general is to receive financial support from the State to restore the Cao Son Cao Cac temple, so that people can restore the worship and organize festivals. Thereby, further strengthening the spirit of community solidarity and fostering pride in the traditions of the homeland for the younger generation.”