In many parts of Vietnam, the syncretic folk religion Đạo Mẫu plays a central spiritual role. Đạo Mẫu reveres a pantheon of female deities known as the Mother Goddesses who oversee various realms affecting human life. Adherents passionately express their devotion through ritual chanting, sincere worship and trance-infused ceremonies. By venerating these mystical Mothers, followers seek protection, blessings and balance between the temporal and spiritual worlds.
The Divine Hierarchy of Goddesses
In Đạo Mẫu, the supreme Mother Goddess is revered as the apex of divine sacredness. She goes by various exalted names – the Good Lady or the Jade Emperor’s Wife. This greatest of Mothers presides over 12 realms, each guarded by a designated Mother Goddess who has the mighty powers to respond to human petitions.
Some examples are:
– Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu: oversees birth and children
– Bà Chúa Xứ: protects seafaring travelers
– Thiên Hậu Thánh Mẫu: watches over political affairs
Lesser deities, spirits and ancestors also assist the paramount Mothers in handling worldly matters. Together they weave the intricate fabric bonding humans, nature and the supernatural.
Sincere Worship and Offerings
Đạo Mẫu temples host ceremonies where spiritual mediums facilitate worship of the Goddesses so followers can convey their utmost sincerity. Devotees bring offerings of incense, flowers, fruit and spirit money. The type of offerings indicates the types of blessings sought – a new baby, curing illness, success in business ventures and more. When the Mothers descend through the mediums’ bodies, worshippers’ petitions are received and blessings returned through the mediums’ acts.
This reciprocal exchange establishes harmony between temporal and spiritual realms. By granting blessings, the Mothers expect steadfast veneration, upholding of virtuous living and spreading their miracles to attract more followers. Religious paraphernalia filled temples further showcase the ubiquity of the Mothers in guiding human destinies.
Chanting for Spirit Possession
A key part of ceremonies is rhythmic chanting accompanied by traditional instruments like gongs and drums. These chants praise the qualities and powers of each Mother Goddess in lyrical poetic language. Their melodies move from sorrowful longing to joyous exaltation, captivating participants’ senses and emotions. The climactic drum beats, gong clashes and passionate singing create an atmosphere primed to achieve spiritual possession.
When successfully invoked, the Mothers temporarily inhabit the mediums’ bodies and manifest their holiness. The possessed mediums lose conscious control as the Mothers directly receive follower requests and transmit their divine will. These intense trance states reinforce that the Mothers remain intricately involved in earthly affairs. After delivering spiritual messages, the mediums return to their mundane selves, often completely oblivious to what transpired.
Protective and Progressive Motherhood
Reverence for this all-encompassing spiritual motherhood offers Mother Goddesses adherents great psychological comfort and hope. The Mothers both venerated deities to worship and benevolent guardians granting protection from misfortune. Yet progressive social aspects also underlie Đạo Mẫu theology – chief among them being gender equality. The Mothers are exalted not for biological motherhood but for representing the full spectrum of female divinity as beings who create, nurture, heal and empower society.
On the threshold between antiquity and modernity, the interweaving of chant melodies, burning incense and sincere bows before these Viet goddesses still profoundly stirs Vietnamese souls today. Đạo Mẫu remains a vibrant living faith bonding families, villages and communities through the shared spiritual motherhood of fanciful heroines governing realms seen and unseen.
If you are in Vietnam and interested in discovering more about Hanoi – the capital and its significance, we invite you to join us at Free Walking Tours Hanoi. We’ll take you across the building, and provide you with a unique perspective of the city. Book now and don’t miss out on this amazing experience.
EN
English
Pháp
Đức
Tây Ban Nha
Nga
Tiếng Việt
