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Nguyen Thi T. X., Nguyen Trung H., Nguyen Thi D. Four Palaces Mother Goddess Trance Ritual of the Vietnamese: Efficacy in Practicing and Transforming Ritual

Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuyen
PhD, Researcher,
Institute of Social Sciences of Central Region and Central Highlands,
Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
Da Nang, Vietnam
ORCID: 0000-0002-7998-6460
E-mail: xuyenthanh27@gmail.com  

 

Nguyen Trung Hieu
PhD, Lecturer,
An Giang University, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh
City An Giang, Vietnam
ORCID: 0000-0001-8212-9577
E-mail: nthieu@agu.edu.vn  

 

Nguyen Thi Dung
PhD, Lecturer,
An Giang University, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh
City An Giang, Vietnam
ORCID: 0000-0003-4458-5760
E-mail: ntdung@agu.edu.vn

 

 Скачать  |  К содержанию #1. 2026

 

ABSTRACT. This article aims to analyze the practice of the Four Palaces Mother Goddess trance ritual in the context of contemporary Vietnamese society. Mother Goddess worship is a form of belief that preserves the longstanding cultural identity in Vietnamese traditional culture. The Vietnamese Mother Goddess belief shapes the diverse cultural characteristics of regions and ethnic groups. Since the Four Palaces Mother Goddess ritual was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016, there has been a shift in perception and ritual practice toward standardization and efficacy. This reflects a societal demand for effectiveness in ritual practice. Through ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa Province) during the years 2015, 2016, 2020, and 2023, this study aims to clarify i) the institutional characteristics of the Four Palaces Institution in Southern Central Vietnam, ii) The typical features of the Four Palaces Mother Goddess ritual, and iii) the need for efficacy sought by spirit mediums. The study contributes new findings on Vietnamese folk rituals and beliefs through the lens of efficacy and ethnographic methodology. The process of transforming the ritual practice and the need to reaffirm values of cultural identity motivate the rationality in performing and recreating authority and symbols.

 

KEYWORDS: trance ritual, Mother Goddess, Four Palaces, efficacy, ritual performance

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8600-2026-1(31)-228-253
UDK 316.74(597)

 

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