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‘Seats for spirits to sit upon’: Becoming a spirit medium in contemporary Vietnam

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2007

Nguyễn Thị Hiền
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Abstract

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This article will examine the motivations for being spirit mediums, practitioners of the lên đồng rituals associated with the Mother Goddess (Đạo Mẫu) religion, which is unique to the ethnic Vietnamese. Drawing on the life stories of mediums interviewed in northern Vietnam, I will show that these people practise the rituals primarily because they themselves view this role as their destiny and because they expect it to bring them good health and auspiciousness.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies , Volume 38 , Issue 3 , October 2007 , pp. 541 - 558
Copyright
Copyright © The National University of Singapore 2007