Đạo Mẫu


Đạo Mẫu is the worship of Mother Goddesses which was established in Vietnam in the 16th century. While scholars like Ngô Đức Thịnh propose that it represents a systematic mother goddess, Đạo Mẫu draws together fairly disparate beliefs and practices. These include the worship of goddesses such as Thiên Y A Na, The Lady of the Realm, The Lady of the Storehouse and Princess Liễu Hạnh, legendary figures like Âu Cơ, the Trưng Sisters, and Lady Triệu, as well as the cult of the Four Palaces. Đạo Mẫu is commonly associated with spirit mediumship rituals—known in Vietnam as lên đồng—much as practiced in other parts of Asia, such as Southern China, Myanmar and some community in India... Although the Communist government had initially proscribed the practice of such rituals, deeming them to be superstitions, they relented in 1987, once again legalizing their practice.
The worshipping of the Mother Goddesses contributes to the appreciation of women in society. Recognized by UNESCO, this Vietnamese ritual was inscribed on Representative List in December 2016.

Four Palaces (Tứ Phủ)">Four Palaces">Four Palaces (Tứ Phủ)

The most prominent form of Đạo Mẫu is Four Realms, which worships a hierarchical pantheon of Vietnamese local deities with a strong influence from historical figures, Taoism and Buddhism. Four Realms is the most common in the North. Other forms in different areas have also developed an interference with other local beliefs.
The name literally means "Four Mansions", which includes the four realms Heaven, Highlands, Water and Earth.

Worship of Saint Trần">Thánh Trần worship">Worship of Saint Trần

Saint Trần">Trần Hưng Đạo">Saint Trần