The custom of worshiping the tiger god: a long-standing cultural feature of Xu Lang people

– Lang Son – the frontier land of the country is home to many ethnic minority groups with diverse and unique cultural features, of which, spiritual beliefs have contributed to making the “brand” of this land. Along with other intangible heritages, the custom of worshiping the tiger god has somewhat enriched Xu Lang’s cultural heritage resources.

In Lang Son, the custom of worshiping the tiger god appears quite popular, not worshiping independently but closely associated with the belief of Mother Goddess worshiping. Up to now, there are no written documents to prove the exact birth of the custom of worshiping the tiger god in Lang Son, but through the ups and downs of history, it is closely associated with the belief of Mother Goddess worshiping and has been deeply rooted in the spiritual life of the majority of the people here.

The Tiger God statue is worshiped at Cua Tay Temple (Ngu Nhac Linh Tu), Chi Lang ward, Lang Son city

Dr. Dinh Duc Tien, Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University, Hanoi, an expert on Vietnamese folk beliefs said that Lang Son is one of the places where the belief of worshiping the Mother Goddess of Mountains and Forests is associated with the custom of worshiping the gods of the forests and mountains flourished, including the tiger god. The tiger acts as a symbol of power and authority in the Mother Goddess worshiping. Therefore, in the temple to worship the Mother Goddess, the altar of Mr. Tiger is usually placed outdoors, in some cases it is placed in the main shrine, at the foot of the shrine of the Mother Goddess. In these positions, Mr. Tiger acts as a guardian deity, controlling and protecting the solemnity of the religion.

According to incomplete statistics of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, at present, in the whole province, there are more than 100 relics directly worshiping the Mother Goddess or combining with the worshiping of the Mother Goddess (with an altar of the Mother Goddess), 100% of these relics have a tiger god altar with names such as five tiger mandarins and so on. The statue of the tiger god is usually made of stone, wood, ceramics, etc., standing or lying down with a majestic and mighty appearance of the “Forest God”. These belief establishments are concentrated mainly in Lang Son city and districts: Huu Lung, Chi Lang, Cao Loc, Van Lang… Some places of worshiping Mother Goddesses combines with typical tiger god worship in Lang Son such as Ky Cung Temple, Nhi Thanh Cave – Tam Giao Pagoda (Lang Son city), Bac Le Temple (Huu Lung district), Dong Dang Mother Goddess Temple (Cao Loc district) and so on.

The staff of Nhi Thanh Cave – Tam Giao Pagoda introduces the white tiger relief carved on the cliff

In the days approaching the Lunar New Year of the Tiger in 2022, to better understand the custom of worshiping the Tiger God in the lives of Xu Lang people, we go to the National Monument of Nhi Thanh Cave – Tam Giao Pagoda in Tam Thanh ward, Lang Son city. Here, we see many tiger mascots worshiped solemnly, especially the white tiger relief carved on the cliff, which is said to have been carved by Ngo Thi Sy in 1779, which is clearly recorded in the stele “The writing about Nhi Thanh Cave”. Mr. Tran Duc Han, custodian of Nhi Thanh Cave – Tam Giao Pagoda, said: “the Tiger God is very important to us and is called “Mr” by the people. Every day, we usually clean and sanitize at the tiger god altar. Every full moon day, the first day of the month, especially at the end of the year, we make an offering ceremony. The offerings to the tiger god are usually meat course with raw pork and raw eggs with the wish that the god will protect the people’s health and peace.

In addition to the custom of worshiping the tiger god at the shrines to worship the Mother Goddess, the tiger is also worshiped by the Tay and Nung ethnic groups as a blessing god, protecting and bringing prosperity for villages. Specifically, on ancestral altars of some families, people worship tigers with the name “Hắc Hổ Huyền đàn”. According to the people’s opinion, this god can help them exorcise evil spirits and demons. Offerings are usually khao cakes, khau sli cakes, especially goat meat. The offerings usually take place at night. In addition, tigers also appear clearly in the then beliefs of the Tay and Nung people, with the passage “Khẩu tu Hổ Lang”. This is a general who helps Then on difficult and challenging conquest journeys, Hổ Lang (ferocious beasts such as tigers) in then is described as having up to 30.

The staff of Nhi Thanh Cave – Tam Giao Pagoda burns incense at the altar of the tiger god at Tam Giao Pagoda

Talking about this interesting detail, Mr. Hoang Viet Binh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Folk Song Preservation Association, said that when preparing to go to the hell, then (the then maker) invites Hổ Lang to come and help exorcise the demons that stand in the way, clear the wide way for then. Some then lines such as Then Van in Cao Loc, Van Lang … invite General Hổ Lang to join in the then hot pot ceremony. Hổ Lang in the then clearly shows the polytheistic belief in the process of preserving the ancestor god as well as protecting the master god.

Thus, it can be seen that, although existing in many different forms, the custom of worshiping the tiger god has become an important part in the spiritual life of ethnic groups in Xu Lang border region. On the occasion of the Tiger New Year 2022, let’s learn a few good aspects of the custom of worshiping the tiger god so that we can love and appreciate traditional values ​​more.