The Vietnamese Then ceremony is a very important part of spiritual life for the Tày, Nùng, and Thái people in Vietnam. This ritual describes a journey when the ‘Then Master’ (male or female) controls ghost soldiers traveling from the earth realm to the heavenly realm, offering items of worship, presenting prayers to treat illnesses, have good crops, a happy new year, and many other things.
Then ritual is practiced by Tày, Nùng, and Thái ethnic groups in 11 provinces of Vietnam. When the Master starts the journey, he sings and plucks a tinh lute. Depending on the worshipping purpose, he arranges different trips to pray to different native gods. He uses various items – such as a sword, yin and yang rod, a bell, etc. – to perform ceremonies in the believer's home, outdoors, or at the Then alter of the Master's house.
During ceremonies, the Master wears ceremonial clothing, sings in their language, plays the t*nh lute, shakes rattlebells, and waves a fan. Female dancers often take part in the ceremony. The Tày, Nùng and Thái share their aspirations in everyday life; helping them overcome difficulties and problems.
In addition, the Tày, Nùng and Thái contribute to moral education, humane lifestyles, and the preservation of Tày traditions, for example showing gratitude to their parents, ancestors, living honestly, helping others, and working hard. For Then rituals to be implemented, believers must maintain, practice, transmit, and inherit the qualities and values of the element naturally and continuously.
The ceremonies of the Then tradition can be effective as a form of therapy (for illness treatment, to pray for peace, to pray for bad luck relief), as well as a way to enjoy the arts of music, to create a feeling of sympathy with the natural and supernatural world, and to unite the community through preparation, offerings, and support to the then master in conducting rituals.
The tradition is always transmitted orally throughout the ceremonies, reflecting its succession between the generations. The Master also plays a crucial role in passing on related skills and know-how. Some Masters conduct up to 200 ceremonies per year.
A performing form of Then singing - Tinh lute - has emerged from the music of Then rituals in the recent past, which has resulted in Then melodies becoming very popular, enriching the artistic world of performance.
Then ceremony is a very important part of the spiritual life of Tày, Nùng, and Thái people in Viet Nam. This ritual describes a journey when the Then Master (male or female) controls ghost soldiers traveling from the earth realm to the heavenly realm, offering items of worship, presenting prayers to treat illnesses, have good crops, a happy new year, and many other things.
Then ritual is practiced by Tày, Nùng, and Thái ethnic groups in 11 provinces of Vietnam.
When the Master starts the journey, he sings and plucks a tinh lute. Depending on the worshipping purpose, he arranges different trips to pray to different native Gods. He uses various items – such as a sword, a yin and yang rod, a bell, etc. – to perform ceremonies in the believer's home, outdoors, or at the Then alter of the Master's house. During ceremonies, the Master wears ceremonial clothing, sings in their language, plays the t*nh lute, shakes rattlebells, and waves a fan. Female dancers often take part in the ceremony. In the ceremonies, the Tày, Nùng and Thái share their aspirations in everyday life; helping them overcome difficulties and problems. In addition, the Tày, Nùng and Thái contribute to moral education, humane lifestyles, and the preservation of Tày traditions, for example showing gratitude to their parents, ancestors, living honestly, helping others, and working hard. In order for Then rituals to be implemented, they must maintain, practice, transmit, and inherit the qualities and values of the element in a natural and continuous way. The ceremonies of the then tradition can be effective as a form of therapy (the then for illness treatment, the then to pray for peace, the then to pray for bad luck relief), as well as a way to enjoy the arts of music, to create a feeling of sympathy with the natural and supernatural world, and to unite the community through preparation, offerings, and support to the then master in conducting rituals.
The tradition is always transmitted orally throughout the ceremonies, reflecting its succession between the generations. The Master also plays a crucial role in passing on related skills and know-how. Some Masters conduct up to 200 ceremonies per year. A performing form of Then singing - Tinh lute - has emerged from the music of Then rituals in the recent past, which has resulted in Then melodies becoming very popular, enriching the artistic world of performance.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/practices-of-then-by-ty-nng-and-thi-ethnic-groups-in-viet-nam-01379) (https://www.ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?nation=undefined&page=1&elementsUid=13829896115921900014&mode=grid) |Subject=Belief, dance, Music, Ritual |Country=Vietnam |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions }}