| Description |
Then ritual is a long-standing, indispensable cultural and religious activity of the Tay ethnic people, Ha Giang province; is a type of religious epic of the Tày people here, mainly practiced by Then men and women, associated with the ability to find “khoăn” (spirit), capable of leading ghosts to Mường Heaven. Then must have "fate" and be a member of the family with a tradition of Then making. The rituals describe the journey of Master Then (Mr. Then and Mrs. Then) from Mường Earth to Mường Heaven, through the gates to offer offerings and pray for the best things for the people to have good health and a long life. live a prosperous, happy life. Mường Heaven is the residence of gods, with supernatural powers, not everyone has enough ability to reach Mường Heaven. In Mường Earth, only Then masters have special abilities and can go to Mường Heaven. Therefore, Master Then is the character connecting the upper world (the gods) with the human world. Depending on the purpose, Master Then will set up an offering tray and recite prayers in front of the altar of Then, ancestors, or different local gods. In the process of performing Then rituals, Then masters often use props such as lute, squirrel bunches, squirrel fruit, tokens, chain gods, amulets, fish traps, yin and yang cards, drums, gongs, scrapers, spikes, bamboo sticks, etc. Classified according to the form of expression, there are Then quạt and Then tính, in which Then quạt was born earlier. Classified by content, there are Then Ky Yen and Then Festival. Each Then line, each Then region has different regulations on practices and melodies to convey the story content at each Then journey. The main rituals Then performed included offerings to cure illnesses, relieve droughts, pray for good harvests, and remove flowers. Ha Giang currently has about 60 offerings. In particular, Then Cấp Sắc is considered a cultural feature of the Tày people, Ha Giang. |
