WORSHIP OF MOTHER GODDESSES - FOUR PALACES IN THỪA THIÊN HUẾ: VIEWPOINT FROM DIVINE SYSTEM OF THIÊN TIÊN RELIGION

Abstract

The worship of Mother Goddesses - Four Palaces and the ritual of votive dance is one of the religious activities with strong vitality that has experienced many vicissitudes of people in Thừa Thiên Huế. The Mother Goddesses worship in Huế has received the Mother Goddesses worship of the North along with the influences from cultural exchange and acculturation of the Vietnamese, the Cham, the Chinese and the participation of the Nguyễn kings to form the Thiên Tiên religion. It can be said that the Thiên Tiên religion is a spiritual organization of the Central region in general and Huế in particular and it has unique characteristics compared to the Mother Goddesses worship in other regions. This difference can be recognized from the divine system on the shrine and the rituals of votive dance. The article presents the divine system of the Thiên Tiên religion to clarify the characteristics of Mother Goddesses worship in Huế.