People’s Artist Mo Thi Kit and the Spring Then Ceremony

In the spring of 2023, People’s Artist Mo Thi Kit (Binh Gia town, Binh Gia district) turns 102 years old with over 80 years of practicing then belief. Although she is aged, she still performs 4 then ceremonies every year, including the Spring ceremony ” (also known as “Cáo lẩu mùa xuân”, “Bứt lẩu bươn chiêng”, “Lẩu bjóc”). “Spring ceremony” is a then ceremony performed by then masters in the province at their houses in the first or second lunar month of the year. This then ceremony is performed to offer incense and flower to the mandarins, generals, and buddhas… with the desire to pray for peace and blessing for the family, the village and for the followers of the maters in the new year.

After the Lunar New Year Holiday, People’s Artist Mo Thi Kit chose a fine day in the first or lunar month to perform the Spring Ceremony (the 29^th of the first lunar month). At the beginning of the ceremony, the artist will ring three bells to signal and ask for permission to invite the masters and generals from heaven realm to come and do the ceremony (called sỉnh tổ sư) and announce the reason for holding this then ceremony.

People coming to watch the Spring Ceremony often bring “swallows” as a gift to then master. “Swallow” are made of paper, folded and strung into many layers. When performing the ceremony, “swallows” are hung in front of then altar and considered a precious offering. According to the folk concept, the swallow is the mascot in then, signaling for spring and good omens, they are also considered as a bridge in the belief of then, flying to inform the mandarins and generals about the organization of this then ceremony.

The special feature of the Spring Ceremony compared to other ceremonies is that flowers are indispensable on the altar when performing the ceremony (usually bjóc khảo quang, bjóc rầm…). Therefore, Spring Ceremony is also known as “Lẩu bjóc” – bjóc is flowers. Flowers are picked early in the morning on the day of the then ceremony and bundled into 2 small bundles, hanging on both sides of the altar. The type of flower often used by People’s Artist Mo Thi Kit in the then ceremony is “bjóc rầm” (a type of forest flower with tiny white blooms).  However, depending on the weather, if this flower has not yet bloomed, other flowers will be chosen instead, but they must be the type of flowers that grow naturally on hills and forests.

The Spring Ceremony continuously happens in 9-10 hours. During that period of time, the then master will go through 9 gates with about 30 palaces to pray for fortune and peace. There will be a mandarin or a general at each gate; on the way to each gate, the master have to go through many different palaces. With such a long then trip, usually when performing the Spring Ceremony, other then masters often come to the master’s house to assist each other in passing through the palaces and gates. Depending on the number of then masters coming to support, the ceremony time will be shortened. This year, there are 4 students as grandchildren and great-grandchildren of People’s Artisan Mo Thi Kit participating in the ceremony. Thanks to that, in just 5 hours, the then ceremony was completed.

During the ceremony, along with tính lute, People’s Artist Mo Thi Kit uses “tools” such as a fan and soóc mạ to enter different palaces and gates. When entering the palaces and gates in the trip of the then ceremony, the artists and other then masters will have a request to the mandarins, generals and the Buddha in each palace and gate to bless everyone with peace and happiness through the songs.

Soóc mạ (rattle-bells) is an indispensable part of the then ritual. Mạ means a horse, made of metal (copper, silver, tin or aluminum) with circular rings, hooked together into a string, then a larger hook with small bells is used to link them together. Accordingly, those who serve the then ceremony (or sometimes the then masters themselves) will shake the Soóc mạ to the rhythm of tính lute, symbolizing the control of the horses of the ghost soldiers on the road. Sometimes the sound of the rattle-bells is slow and gentle (heavy – light rhythm, walking), sometimes it is fast (fast – even rhythm, galloping) like the sound of horses’ hooves through different palaces and gates.

After going through all the palaces and gates, the then group ends the trip and returns to the then master’s house. At this time, People’s Artist Mo Thi Kit will play the lute for the dance team to express their joy when the trip of the then ceremony is completed. Those who come to watch the ceremony, if they know how to dance, can also join in the dance.

After the dance, then masters who are students of People’s Artisan Mo Thi Kit will assist her in performing the last ritual in the Spring Ceremony, which is “Khao lẩu”, which means opening a feast to offered liquor and offerings (boiled chicken, sweets, fruit…) and burn joss paper to thank the generals. Spring Ceremony is one of the then ceremonies imbued with the identity and beliefs of the Tay people, expressing then masters’ aspiration for a new year that brings health and peace to everyone. Over the years, this ritual has been preserved and promoted by then practicing people in the province during each Tet.