Elements
-
Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00000013 Country Vietnam ICH Domain Oral traditions and representations Performing Arts Social practices, rituals, festive events Knowledge and practices about nature and the universe Address Practices of Then by Tày, Nùng and Thái ethnic groups in Viet Nam concentrate mainly in the northeast region (Bắc Kạn, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, Hà Giang, Quảng Ninh, Thái Nguyên, Tuyên Quang and Bắc Giang provinces), the northwest region (Điện Biên, Lai Châu and Lào Cai provinces) and some other localities of Viet Nam. Main centres of Then heritage, such as Bắc Kạn, Cao Bằng, Lai Châu and Lạng Sơn provinces have great influences on other provinces. Tày, Nùng and Thái people still believe, appreciate and use Then ceremonies. They sing Then melodies with their favourite old or new lyrics. The similar forms of Then existing in several countries are Li-ke Jaad Tai of the Tai Yai people (Myanmar) and Mag-igal people (Malaysia). Zhuang people in Guangxi province, China also have the worships, rituals for curing illnesses and praying for peaceful life like Then.
Description | Then a ritual practice indispensable in Tày, Nùng and Thái ethnic groups' spiritual life, reflects concepts about human beings, natural world and the universe (the Earth realm, the 3-layer Heaven realm). Then ceremonies describe a journey in which Then Master (Male/Female) controls ghost soldiers travelling from the Earth realm to the Heaven realm, the residing place of the gods, to offer worshipping items and show their praying requests for peace, bad luck relief, illness treatment, good crops, new house inauguration, initiation/title-conferring ritual (cấp sắc), blessings and happy new year. Then Masters start the journey by singing and plucking the tính lute (two or three-string lute). Depending on worshipping purposes, Then Masters will arrange worshipping trays to pray different native Gods, among whom Ngoc Hoang is the highest God. Then Masters often use a summoning tablet, a seal, a demon-expelling sword, a yin and yang rod, a bell, a fan and items such as pork, chicken, wine, rice, fruits and votive papers to perform Then ceremonies in the believer’s house, outdoor or at Then altar of the Master’s house. While practising, Then Master wears ceremonial dress, sings the language of his ethnic group and plays the tính lute, shakes the chùm xóc nhạc (rattle-bells), waves a fan. In some ceremonies, a female dancing group will accompany. Then rituals performances express Tày, Nùng and Thái’s cultural identities, from customs to musical instruments, dance and music. Then is always transmitted orally while its rituals are being conducted, reflecting the succession between generations. |
---|---|
Social and cultural significance | Then ceremonies express aspirations of the individuals and communities in every day life; helping them overcome difficulties and problems. Then makes contributions to moral education, humane lifestyle and preservation of the good customs and cultural traditions of the Tày, Nùng and Thái, for example respect for the nature (advice not to kill wild animals, destroy plants and trees), show gratitude to parents, ancestors, live honestly, love and help others and work hard. The implementation of Then rituals is to maintain, practice, transmit and inherit the values of the element naturally and continuously of the community. Then ceremonies can be effective as a treatment therapy (Then for illness treatment, praying for peace, praying for bad luck relief), meeting the needs of enjoying the arts of music, creating the sympathy between humans and the natural and supernatural world; the community cohesion through preparation, contribution of offerings and support to the Then Master in conducting the rituals. In recent few decades, a performing form of Then singing – Tính lute has been developed from music of Then rituals, which makes Then melodies widely popularized, enriching the artistic performing activities. Practice of Then not only helps Then to be recreated continuously, making contributions to the benefits of the community’s life but also safeguards the identities of that community. |
Transmission method | Then Masters must be knowledgeable about the customs of their ethnic groups. They have good memory, can sing and play the tính lute as well as use the chùm xóc nhạc skillfully to describe a journey of ghost soldiers attractively. Then Masters directly transmit the knowledge and skills of Then: - Oral transmission of praying repertoires; teaching how to play the tính lute, chùm xóc nhạc, transfer of Then repertoires; and implement the rituals and procedures of Then rituals to disciples. Disciples must learn by heart the repertoires for worshipping, master in playing the instruments and belt and skilfully use stamps, summoning tablet, sword, fan and yin and yang items in the ceremony. - Instruction for believers and villagers to prepare the offerings and decorate the Then - practising places. Instructions for followers, disciples to serve in the ceremony (burn the incense, pour wine and bring offerings) at the ceremonies. Male Then Masters teach male - practising style and female Then Masters teach female style for both female and male disciples. Apart from acquiring and practising Then at the ceremony, the disciples come to Then Master house to learn more skills of playing the instruments, singing, regulations on rituals' procedures, studying themselves the customs and traditions related to their communities. |
Community | According to inventory results on Then by Tay, Nung, Thai ethnic groups in eleven provinces of Viet Nam, there are 817 Then Masters (213 males, 604 females), including 439 Tày, 328 Nùng, 23 Thái and 27 people of other groups (Kinh, Cao Lan, Dao and Hoa). Some elderly folk artists are Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thi (1939, Tày people, Bắc Kạn), Mr. Nguyễn Nông Chàu (1925, Tày people, Cao Bằng), Ms. Đèo Thị Tủi (1924, Thái people, Lai Châu), Ms. Mỗ Thị Kịt (1922, Nùng people, Lạng Sơn). Families and family lines practising Then are those of Mr. Nông Ích Nho (Cao Bằng), Mr. Đỗ Trung Huyền (Hà Giang), Ms. Mông Thị Sấm (Lạng Sơn), Mr. Hà Ngọc Cao (Tuyên Quang)…; clubs and groups practising Then singing - Tính lute include Tình Húc (Quảng Ninh), Chợ Đồn (Bắc Kạn), Bảo Lạc (Cao Bằng), Vị Xuyên (Hà Giang), Cẩu Pung (Lạng Sơn)…Each Then ceremony is chaired by a Then Master and a group of people including a disciple (worshipping assistant), believer, dancer team, members of the Then Master’s family and the community as well as the Tào Master (sorcerer) at some time. They participate in the process of preparing, conducting the rituals, through which they learn how to practise the career and then some become Then Master afterwards. |
Type of UNESCO List | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2019 |
Keyword
Information source
Vietnam National Institute Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS)
http://vicas.org.vnMaterials related to
Videos
-
VI00000134
Kin Pang Then Festival: Encompassing Past and Present
Kin Pang Then is a traditional ritual of the Tai ethnic group in the northwest region of Vietnam to welcome and thank the deity known as Then. In the ritual, Then comes down to grant blessings on villagers and heal those whose souls are sick. The beneficiaries of the ritual are obliged to participate in the next Kin Pang Then ritual. The whole process of greeting and sending off the deity is intended to bring harmony and unity to all community members who participate in and enjoy the ritual. This video shows the spiritual life of the Tai people and a master performing the ritual to bring good luck and wellbeing to the local people.
00:24:55
Vietnam 2019 -
VI00000225
Vietnam Kin Pang Then Highlight
The Tai communities live in Son La, Lai Chau, Yen Bai and Dien Bien provinces in the Northwest of Viet Nam. Kin Pang Then is one of Then's important rituals of the Tai people. This is the occasion where the Then master and his followers perform a thanksgiving ritual for the Then god. The ritual includes songs and music that symbolically express the journey of the Then Master to travel to the other world to look for the lost souls of the disciples/clients and to call the souls coming back to their bodies. The film is about the destined ritual Master and his ritual performance with Xoe dance for healing, good luck and well being for the local people. The film demonstrates the spiritual life and religious Then practice of the Tai in Northwestern religion in Viet Nam.
0:59
Vietnam 2019 -
VI00000133
Kin Pang Then Festival(KOR)
The Tai communities live in Son La, Lai Chau, Yen Bai and Dien Bien provinces in the Northwest of Viet Nam. Kin Pang Then is one of Then's important rituals of the Tai people. This is the occasion where the Then master and his followers perform a thanksgiving ritual for the Then god. The ritual includes songs and music that symbolically express the journey of the Then Master to travel to the other world to look for the lost souls of the disciples/clients and to call the souls coming back to their bodies. The film is about the destined ritual Master and his ritual performance with Xoe dance for healing, good luck and well being for the local people. The film demonstrates the spiritual life and religious Then practice of the Tai in Northwestern religion in Viet Nam.
00:25:17
Vietnam 2019
Article
Elements related to
-
EE00002677
Then Rituals of the Tày
Then means Heaven - Sky, a song passed down by the gods. Then is a cultural activity associated with spiritual rituals, performed to worship Then to pray for peace, relieve drought, bless, wish for the new year, cure illness, or used in ceremonies to pray for good harvests, entering a new house, and granting honor., etc performed by Then masters. Therefore, Then forms a fundamental part of the spiritual life of the Tày and Nùng people in Thai Nguyen province. The person who makes Then must be knowledgeable about customs. Mr. Then and Mrs. Then are always respected in the community. The tune consists of two lines: Then Literature and Then Martial. The music in Then is rich and lyrical and combined with rhythmic and lively Then dance. Then Dance has three forms: Adoration dance, Slương dance, and ritual dance. The decoration of the ceremony table, offerings, honeysuckle... especially the Then hat is a distinctive feature of the Then ceremony in Định Hóa region. Through Then music, the community conveys its wishes for life. Attached to Then is the lute - the Heavenly organ, a bridge between heaven and earth. It can be affirmed that the Then ritual is a special performance environment, preserving traditional cultural values of music, dance, singing, costumes, cuisine, shaping, beliefs, etc.
Vietnam 2019 -
EE00001978
Art of Xòe dance of the Tai people in Viet Nam
"Xòe" means dancing with movements that symbolize human activities in ritual, culture, life and work. Xòe is performed at rituals, weddings, village festivals and community events. There are three main types of Xòe: ritual Xòe, circle Xòe, and presentational Xòe. Rituals Xòe and presentational Xòe are named after props used during particular dances, such as scarf Xòe, conical hat Xòe, fan Xòe, bamboo pole Xòe, music Xòe, stick Xòe, and flower Xòe. The most popular form is circle Xòe, wherein dancers form a circle in harmony with each other. The basic dance movements of Xòe include raising the hands up, opening the hands, lowering the hands, clasping the hands of the next person following rhythmic footsteps, slightly arching the chest and leaning backwards. The musical instruments of gourd lute (tính tẩu), shawm (kèn loa), mouth organ (khèn bè), drum, gong, cymbals, reed flute (pí pặp), bamboo-tube percussion (bẳng bu) and small round-shaped rattle are used to accompany dance, which follows rhythms in even meters (either 2/4 or 4/4). The typical melodies played on the instruments use the following intervals: major second, major and minor third, perfect fourth and perfect fifth. Dance movements, though simple, symbolize wishes for community members to have a good life and live in solidarity. Gentle dance moves blend with instrumental music, vocals, tight-fitting blouses, the jingling of silver jewelry hanging around the waists of Tai women and creates an art form imbued with the cultural identity of the Tai in the northwestern region of Viet Nam.
Vietnam 2021