| Description |
The Nang Hai Festival of the Tay people in Tien Thanh commune (Phuc Hoa-Cao Bang) is one of the traditional festivals of the Tay people with the wish for a new year of favorable weather, happiness, peace and to commemorate the merits of Princess Tiên Dao of the Mac dynasty. The Nang Hai Festival takes place over many days with many worshiping rituals and ceremonies. The Nang Hai Festival takes place in 3 parts: Hai welcoming ceremony, Hai praying ceremony and Hai seeing-off ceremony. The festival includes the moon welcoming ceremony (inviting Nang Hai - the moon lady down to earth), the farewell ceremony between Mother Moon and the Moon ladies and the farewell ceremony (on the 22nd day of the 3rd lunar month of even years). During the ceremony, the shaman wears a red shirt, a red hat, holds a pipe, shakes the dice and prays as if singing a prayer song in the Tay language right in front of the ancestral altar. Behind him are 14 girls holding paper fans, including: the two girls closest to the shaman sit cross-legged in a circle, symbolizing Nang Hai. The remaining 12 girls wore black indigo shirts and rough cloth shoes, lined up neatly in two rows right behind them, and an old woman called "Dẫn Lady" - who was knowledgeable about customs, sang well, and had a happy and peaceful family.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the shaman read the prayer, then the 2 girls held fans and rotated them in a sitting position as if in a trance and sang. This was the ritual to invite the Lady to the mortal world. After the ritual to invite the Lady Hai to the mortal world took place in the house, the shaman led the Lady Hai and the 12 children of the Moon Mother to the village's shrine to report to the village's guardian spirit, praying to welcome the Moon Mother to the mortal world. When finished, the “Dẫn Lady” and the girls went to the outdoor sacrificial hut, where the “Dẫn Lady” and the Buddha performed the ceremony to worship the Moon Mother. The Buddha Dao prayed first, the “Dẫn Lady” sang later, and then the 12 children of the Moon Mother sang in unison following the “Dẫn Lady”. In particular, the harmonious and delicate combination of lyrics and songs with traditional dances of the Tay people in most spiritual activities creates an extremely attractive atmosphere. There are many fan dances used in the Nang Hai Festival such as: Sweeping dance rotating from right to left to start a ritual; Harvest dance; Boat rowing dance, etc. Each type of fan dance has the same rule that the dancer must go three times around the ceremony area.
Inviting Mother Moon to the earth is a difficult and arduous journey. Only after singing the invitation for the third time will Mother Moon agree to accept the invitation to come down to earth to help people pray for a good harvest and blessings. After the dances and farewell songs, the boat carries the Moons and offerings to the Moons back to heaven. The festival includes sports activities, folk games, etc.
The Nang Hai Festival not only has the meaning of praying for a good harvest, but also reflects the Tay people's custom of worshipping Mother, which was created from daily life and production, reflecting the thoughts and aspirations of the working people for a better life. The Nang Hai Festival is an indispensable part of the Tay people's culture in Tien Thanh commune, and is also a highlight in the cultural heritage of Cao Bang province. With such unique and special values, the Nang Hai Festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017. |
