Top 7 Main Folk Beliefs in Vietnam

Ancestral worship (also known as the cult of ancestors) is the practice of setting up ancestral altars in homes to pay respects to deceased relatives and to make offerings on a daily basis or during important occasions such as funerals, death anniversaries, and weddings.

Vietnamese people believe that death is not the end; though the physical body may decay, the soul is immortal and often resides on the ancestral altar to be close to and assist descendants. They believe that what is needed in life is also needed in death, hence the tradition of ancestor worship. Additionally, ancestral worship is an expression of filial piety and gratitude towards the ancestors for their role in giving birth and nurturing the family line.

“The beginning of goodness starts at home

Respect for parents is the foundation of goodness”

Ancestral worship is considered a significant moral principle. An ancestral altar typically includes essential worship items such as the ancestral tablet, incense burner, candle holder, flower vase, wine cup, and fruit tray. Altars in ordinary households are often made of wood or ceramics, while those in wealthier families are typically made of bronze. Vietnamese people place great importance on the anniversary of their ancestors' death, viewing it as a measure of filial piety and as a means of maintaining a connection between the living and the deceased realms.

Folk belief in abundance ('Phồn': abundance, 'thực': to germinate) represents the desire for fertility and abundance in both humans and nature, using symbols of vitality and reproductive behavior as its focus. In Vietnam, this belief is deeply rooted, originating from an agricultural economy, with the hope for favorable weather and prosperity spanning generations of farmers.

For rice farmers, the balance between yin and yang, earth and sky, mountains and water are essential elements that contribute to the fertility and growth of all living things, blending together to create the natural vitality necessary for survival and development. Alongside worshiping natural vitality, rice farmers also have customs related to reproductive behavior, forming a unique form of folk belief in abundance, particularly prominent in Southeast Asia.

The essence of this belief is the worship of reproductive organs and reproductive behavior. If such imagery is present, it signifies the presence of the belief in abundance. It is important not to equate symbols of abundance with lewdness, as reproductive organs are vital for the fertility and growth of offspring.

Worship of Mother Goddesses is a long-standing folk belief that is widespread in Vietnam. Stemming from gratitude towards women and mothers in society, this belief arises from the primitive understanding of human beings, giving rise to this belief system. Vietnamese culture is rooted in an agricultural economy, where agriculture is closely linked to natural elements and fertility. Therefore, they believe in and honor the female deities associated with natural phenomena in the universe, believed to have functions of creation, protection, and nurturing for human life such as the sky, earth, rivers, water, mountains, forests, and more.

Presently, Vietnam has around 75 goddesses, including three goddesses existing in legend as the three sisters, daughters of the Jade Emperor who descended to govern the three regions: the North with the prominence of Lady Lieu Hanh, the Central with Lady Thiên Y A NA Diễn Phi Goddess Ngọc, and the South with Linh Son Holy Mother (Lady Black).

Throughout history, the worship of Mother Goddesses has developed into the system of Three Palaces, Four Palaces. In northern villages and urban areas since ancient times, the system of Three Palaces, Four Palaces is revered:

• Mother High Heaven (Heaven Palace) governs the sky and is the symbol of clouds, rain, thunder, lightning,... with a red robe.
  
• Mother High Forest (Music Palace) governs the forest and wears a green robe.
• Mother Release (Release Palace) governs the rivers and wears a white robe.
• Mother Earth (Earth Palace) governs the land and wears a yellow robe.

In 2016, the 'Practice of Worshiping Mother Goddesses of the Three Palaces' by the Vietnamese people was officially recognized by UNESCO as the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Three Palaces include the Heaven Palace (sky realm), Music Palace (forest realm), Release Palace (river realm), and later the Earth Palace (land realm), hence referred to as the belief in 'Three Palaces, Four Palaces'.

The Four Immortals is the collective name of four Saints who never die (immortal) in the folk beliefs of Vietnam, namely Tan Vien Mountain Saint, Phu Dong Thien Vuong, Chu Dong Tu, and Princess Lieu. These Saints in the Four Immortals reflect the dreams and aspirations of the Vietnamese people.

• Leading the Four Immortals is Saint Tan Vien. Folk tales tell that he is Son Tinh, who married the Hung King and thus had an enmity with Thuy Tinh causing a war. Tan Vien Mountain Saint (Son Tinh) symbolizes the aspiration to conquer nature, to triumph over natural disasters.
• Phu Dong Thien Vuong (Saint Giong) defeated the An invaders during the reign of the 6th Hung King, from Phu Dong village, Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province. Saint Giong embodies the will to resist foreign invaders of our nation.
• Chu Dong Tu is from Chu Xa, Van Giang district, Bac Ninh province, the son of Mr. Chu Cu Van often revered as Chu Dao To. Chu Dong Tu was betrothed to Princess Tien Dung, daughter of Hung King. He symbolizes love, marriage, and prosperity.
• Princess Lieu Hanh is from Van Cat village, Vu Ban district, Nam Dinh province, the beloved daughter of King Le Thai Cong. She was literate and skilled in writing and was bestowed the title of Princess by the Court. She represents a life of abundance and spiritual richness.

These four Saints are symbols of the endurance, immortality of our nation in the folk consciousness.

Worship of Village Deities is a long-standing ritual of Vietnamese farmers. Originating from China, it later merged with indigenous culture in Vietnam to form this belief. The term 'Thành hoàng' comes from the Chinese characters 'Thành,' meaning fortress, and 'hoàng,' meaning the radiance surrounding the fortress. Combined, they refer to the deity or saint who guards and protects the fortress.

The village deity could be the God of the mountain, the God of the river, the God of the land, etc., or sometimes it could be the ancestor of a profession or a national hero. For the villagers, the Village Deity is the protective deity of the entire village. The deity residing in the village temple will bless the people with favorable weather, abundant harvests, and prosperity. The virtuous will be rewarded, while the wicked will be punished. In this regard, the Village Deity holds profound moral values, embodying discipline and punishment.

The communal temple is where the Village Deity is worshipped. The temple serves as both a cultural and religious space, as well as the administrative center of the village. The village deity is closely associated with festivals. The festivals are an expression of deep gratitude, reverence, and perpetual remembrance for those who have contributed to the village and the country - a beautiful aspect of Vietnamese filial piety.

Worshipping the Village Deity helps strengthen the unity among villagers, clans, and people across the country. Preserving the belief in the Village Deity helps educate the younger generation to be grateful to their ancestors, grandparents, homeland, and country.

Worshipping Various Deities to protect the family is not unfamiliar to the Vietnamese people. While ancestor worship is the primary responsibility of descendants towards their grandparents, reflecting the family's main aspirations, worshiping other deities such as the God of Earth, God of Wealth, and General Guan supplements the household's additional desires.

The God of Wealth and the God of Earth are two commonly worshipped deities in Vietnam. They can be seen everywhere, from temples, shrines, pagodas, to households, and especially in shops and businesses. People worship the God of Wealth because his function is to bestow prosperity, bringing warmth, abundance, prosperity, and good fortune to the household. According to folk customs, the 10th day of the Lunar New Year is the Day of the God of Wealth.

In addition, the God of Heaven, the Moon God, the Star Gods, the God of Thunder, the God of Lightning, the God of Storms, and the God of Wind are guardian deities in the folk beliefs of certain regions. These guardian deities often protect the household from disturbances caused by demons, evil spirits, life's uncertainties, turning misfortune into fortune.

For a country with a rice-based agricultural culture, adoration of nature is understandable. Vietnamese people believe that nature is the mother, the embodiment of a omnipotent goddess providing warmth, abundance, and protection to each individual. Due to the influence of fertility beliefs, these deities are not youthful beauties but rather mothers, maternal figures.

Heavenly Mother, Earth Mother, Water Mother - these goddesses govern natural phenomena, most crucially and intimately connected to the lives of rice farmers. They exist in the form of the belief in the Three Palaces, Four Palaces, with the Celestial Mother (Heavenly Mother), Earth Mother, Water Mother.

Next are the Cloud, Rain, Thunder, Lightning - phenomena of great importance in the lives of agricultural communities. With the introduction of Buddhism to Vietnam, the group of goddesses Cloud, Rain, Thunder, Lightning was transformed into the Four Elements system: Cloud Element, Rain Element, Thunder Element, Lightning Element.

Vietnamese people have a diverse array of deities derived from animals and plants. With an agricultural lifestyle, they worship animals associated with paddy fields such as frogs, dogs, fish, storks, dragons (a combination of crocodile and snake),... The most venerated plant is rice: Everywhere, whether in Vietnamese or ethnic minority regions, there is a belief in worshipping the Rice Deity, Rice Spirit, Mother Rice,...