Tay people’s ritual for peace and protection preserved in Northern Vietnam

The Tay people in Thai Nguyen perform a traditional ritual for peace and spiritual protection during the Lunar New Year period, praying for prosperity, good fortune and protection from bad luck in the year ahead.

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The ritual is usually conducted by a Then master or Tao practitioner, who, according to folk belief, acts as a spiritual bridge between humans, deities and ancestors through ritual chants, music and traditional ceremonies.

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The Then master leads the ritual, accompanied by ritual assistants. Traditional instruments such as the tính lute, musical shakers and paper fans are used throughout the ceremony.

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Two ceremonial offering tables are prepared inside the family’s main living space during the ritual. The main altar is devoted to ancestral masters, deities and spiritual protectors, featuring offerings including rice bowls, incense, candles, chicken eggs, ritual objects, ceremonial seals, flags and symbolic offerings representing blessings and prosperity.

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The ritual’s secondary offering table, prepared for dispelling bad luck, typically includes rice, a symbolic paper house, fresh flowers, boiled chicken, rice wine, paper effigies, sweets, fruits and tea.

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The Then master carries out multiple stages during the ritual, including prayers to ancestors and deities, rites to dispel bad luck and ceremonies to bestow blessings and prosperity on the host family.

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The opening divination rite is performed to inform and seek permission from the ancestors. Conducted on an auspicious day, the ceremony symbolises the family’s wish to offer gifts and hold a New Year ritual for peace, protection and good fortune.

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The ceremony calls upon ancestral masters and spiritual deities to bless the host family, dispel harmful spirits and drive away misfortune and negative influences.

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After offering prayers to the ancestral masters and deities, the Then master proceeds with the rite for dispelling misfortune, which is performed at the secondary ceremonial altar.

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In traditional Tay beliefs, different age groups are thought to encounter different forms of spiritual misfortune throughout the year, including various

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During the ceremony, the Then master casts two wooden divination blocks to seek blessings for the family. In Tay belief, a favourable divination signifies harmony with the ancestors and a successful ritual.

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Drawing on each family member’s spiritual horoscope, the Then master conducts protective rites using a symbolic effigy called a “Mào làng,” believed to take on bad luck and help remove misfortune from the household.

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The ritual assistants support the Then master during the ceremony using paper fans and traditional percussion instruments.

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Following the completion of the peace and protection rites, the Then master conducts a blessing distribution ceremony, offering symbolic gifts from the ancestral altar to the host family and community members as wishes for prosperity, luck, health and harmony.

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Accompanied by the vibrant sounds of the tính lute and traditional rattles, the Then master performs the blessing distribution rite as the host family, ritual assistants and villagers take part in a traditional ceremonial dance.

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The graceful flower offerings and rhythmic dance movements reflect not only devotion and respect, but also the harmony between people, nature and the spiritual world.

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Beyond its spiritual dimension, the ritual also serves as a comprehensive cultural space where folk music, indigenous language, local knowledge and traditional performance arts coexist within community life.