Ghosts in Vietnamese culture
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Ghosts in Vietnamese culture are widely believed to be wandering souls with a significant impact on daily life, closely tied to the cultural practices of ancestor worship. Known by various names such as ma, hồn, vong, and bóng ma, these spirits are thought to take diverse forms and exhibit both positive and negative characteristics. Ghosts often include individuals who suffered unnatural or violent deaths, especially those who died away from home. Proper rituals, burials and offerings are believed to transform souls into ancestors who bring prosperity to their families. Those lacking these rituals become "hungry ghosts," viewed as supernatural thieves wandering the countryside. Ghost stories, or "chuyện ma," are prevalent in Vietnamese culture, and these spirits are believed to influence fortune-tellers and spirit mediums. The belief in ghosts has societal implications, particularly in addressing missing soldiers from the Vietnam War. While families use spirit mediums to locate their loved ones, the Communist government considered ghost beliefs culturally backward, discouraging related media stories and commemoration rituals. Practices to deal with ghosts involve burning incense, offering prayers, and making offerings to prevent interference, with rituals led by specialists to make ghosts leave.
Key terms
Ghosts in Vietnam are known by the following names: ma, hồn, vong, hồn ma, bóng ma, linh hồn, vong hồn, oan hồn, bách linh, yêu quái.[1] they can also be known as lich
Vietnamese beliefs in ghosts
Ghosts in Vietnam are known to take on many forms and do not fit into one category. They can be "pleasant and feared, harmless and dangerous, moral creatures and unhappy suicides, male and female, human and un-human".
There are many ghost stories, "chuyện ma",[2] which relate to the manner in which ghosts haunt the people of Vietnam.[2] Ghosts are present in turns in the roads where car accidents occur on a regular basis. There is a general understanding that it is at these places that ghosts pop out in front of the cars causing them to go off the road or hit oncoming cars.[2]
Ghosts are also viewed as aids to fortune-tellers and spirit mediums because they help them to gain an understanding about people's lives. Vietnamese will visit spirit mediums and fortune tellers in order to gain insight into their finances or love life.[2] Spirit Mediums also aid in the locating dead relatives who have not received proper burials.[5]
The beliefs in ghosts have affected how the Vietnamese deal with
However, the Communist government of Vietnam views beliefs in ghosts as culturally backward and morally lax. Ghost stories in the media and commemoration rituals are discouraged.[7]
Practices
Spirit mediums will be used by families looking for their loved ones as well as ghosts looking for their families. There is a strong desire to find missing people; so that they may have a good resting place where the family can make offerings to the deceased.
One of the most common
Before many rituals offerings of sticky rice will be made to hungry ghosts to prevent them from interfering. This practice of making offerings to hungry ghosts is also common at funerals, so that the offerings are not stolen by ghosts.
See also
- Chinese ghost
- Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait (film)
- Onryō
- Vengeful ghost
Notes
References
- Kwon, Heonik (2008). Ghosts of War in Vietnam. Cambridge: ISBN 978-0-521-88061-9.
- Nash, Jesse W.; Elizabeth Trinh, Nguyen (1995). Romance, Gender, and Religion in a Vietnamese-American Community: Tales of God and Beautiful Women. New York: ISBN 0-7734-9087-6.