TL;DR: Thánh sư, Tiên sư, and Nghệ sư all refer to the patron of a craft, the one who taught the trade to later generations. Craft families often set up a separate Thánh sư altar on a shrine placed against the rear wall of a side bay, with a tablet recording the patron's name and craft. The most important offering is on the patron's death anniversary; offerings are also made on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, seasonal festivals, and death anniversaries together with the ancestors and Thổ công.
Are Thánh sư, Tiên sư, and Nghệ sư the same?
These three names all refer to the same figure: the patron of a craft. According to Toan Ánh (2001), Thánh sư is the patron of a craft, also called Tiên sư or Nghệ sư, and it was the people of earlier generations who passed that craft down to later ones[1]. The definition in the book compiled by Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) is much the same: Thánh sư has other names, Tiên sư and Nghệ sư, and refers to the patron of a particular craft, that is, the person who opened up the craft and passed it on to later generations[2]. Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) writes: "Thánh sư (Tiên sư or Nghệ sư) means the patron of a craft, the person who taught that craft to later generations"[3]; that is, the three names refer to one patron who handed the craft down to posterity.
The three books use the three names interchangeably, without distinguishing Thánh sư from Tiên sư or Nghệ sư as three different ranks. Therefore, in this article, the three names are used interchangeably, following the way the books used them.
Who is worshipped as Thánh sư?
Thánh sư are people credited with opening up or teaching a craft. According to the description by Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006), Vietnamese villages have as many Thánh sư as there are crafts; these figures are sometimes ordinary people, but the people hold them in great reverence because they created the craft and taught it to the people[2].
The books do not provide a complete list of Thánh sư for each craft. Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) cites one case: in the reign of King Lê Kính Tông, the trạng Bùng Phùng Khắc Khoan taught people the craft of weaving the-lụa fabric[3]. This is an individual case recorded in the book, not a complete list. For other crafts, the books do not name specific Thánh sư.
Do craft households need a separate altar to the craft patron?
According to the custom books: besides the communal shrine of the phường, each practitioner also sets up a Thánh sư altar at home. Toan Ánh (2001) writes: "Thánh sư has been worshipped at the phường shrine, but the Vietnamese people always remember those who have done them good, so in addition to the Thánh sư altar at the shrine, which is the common altar for the phường, each phường member also worships Thánh sư at home"[1]. This statement shows that although the shrine already has a common place of worship, people in the craft still keep the custom of setting up a private altar at home. The book by Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) records the same: because they greatly revere Thánh sư, the families of phường members still set up a Thánh sư altar in their own homes alongside worship at the common phường shrine[2]. Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) records similarly[3].
Note: this is a record of the customs of the Kinh people in the northern delta, mainly from the early to the late 20th century. The books do not say whether a Thánh sư altar is obligatory for every craft household, nor do they say this custom is widespread in the central region, the south, or among other ethnic groups. The books do not give the proportion of craft households that set up a private altar, nor does it clearly state who is responsible for setting up the altar when several people in the house practise the same craft.
Where is the Thánh sư altar placed?
According to Toan Ánh (2001), the ancestor altar is in the middle of the house; on either side are the Thổ Công altar and the Thánh sư altar, and the Thánh sư altar is also set up on a shrine placed against the rear wall of a side bay, and on that shrine, in the innermost central position, is a pedestal holding the tablet[1]. Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) also records that this altar is set up on a shrine placed against the rear wall of a side bay[3]. Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006), in their wording, say the Thánh sư altar is simply a shrine placed against the rear wall of a bay of the house[2].
The phrase "side bay" in Toan Ánh (2001) and Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) suggests that the Thánh sư altar is placed in the bay beside the ancestor altar, not in the central bay. Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) do not specify "side bay" but only say "bay of the house". Here the books are not entirely consistent in recording the exact position.
In addition, Toan Ánh (2001) and Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) both record another way of worship: some families set up a separate ban to worship Thánh sư, and outside the door of the ban they hang a nhật nguyệt curtain painted with long phụng flanking both sides[1][3]. Thus, besides placing the altar on a shrine, there is also the way of setting up a separate ban with a curtain over the door.
What is written on the Thánh sư tablet?
The Thánh sư tablet records the patron's name and the craft he created. According to Toan Ánh (2001), in the centre, at the innermost place of the shrine, there is a pedestal, and on the pedestal rests the Thánh sư tablet, whose content consists of the name and the craft that the Thánh sư created[1]. Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) writes: "the Thánh sư tablet consists of the name and the craft created by the Thánh sư"[3]; that is, the content of the tablet revolves around those two pieces of information. Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) say the same[2].
The tablet may be replaced by a portrait or a statue. Toan Ánh (2001) states: sometimes a portrait of the Thánh sư is used instead of the tablet, and that portrait is commissioned by the phường and sold to phường members; some households worship a full statue of the Thánh sư, no longer using a tablet or portrait[1]. On this point, Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) say the tablet is sometimes replaced by a painted portrait or a statue of the Thánh sư; moreover, the phường hires a painter to paint it and distributes the portrait to phường members[2].
What does the Thánh sư altar include?
Toan Ánh (2001) describes it in some detail. Immediately in front of the tablet is a small table, on which is placed a covered wine vessel, similar to that on the Táo quân altar. Next, in front of the small table, is a incense jar or a trầm burner, with lamps and candles, an incense tube, and a mâm bồng arranged on either side. The Thánh sư altar is mostly as simple as the Thổ Công altar. An indispensable item is the tablet, or the portrait, or the statue of the Thánh sư. At the outermost part of the Thánh sư altar, according to Toan Ánh (2001), there is also a y môn[1].
The arrangement recorded by Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) is similar: immediately in front of the tablet is a small table with a covered wine vessel; in front of that table is a incense bowl or a trầm burner, with lamps and candles, an incense tube, and a mâm bồng on either side; and at the outermost part there is also a y môn[3]. According to Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006), more briefly: a small table with a covered wine vessel, similar to the Táo quân altar, is placed before the tablet; in front of this small altar is a incense jar or a trầm burner, together with lamps and candles, an incense tube, and a mâm bồng on either side[2].
| Item on the altar | Toan Ánh (2001) | Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) | Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablet | Yes, recording the name and craft created by the Thánh sư | Yes, recording the name and craft created by the Thánh sư | Yes, recording the name and craft created by the Thánh sư |
| Portrait or statue | May replace the tablet; the phường commissions paintings and sells them to members | May replace the tablet | May replace the tablet; the phường hires a painter and distributes to members |
| Small table with wine vessel | Yes, covered wine vessel, like the Táo quân altar | Yes, covered wine vessel | Yes, covered wine vessel, like the Táo quân altar |
| Incense jar or trầm burner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lamps and candles, incense tube, mâm bồng | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Y môn | Yes, at the outermost part | Yes, at the outermost part | Yes, at the outermost part ("hanging a y môn covering it") |
| Nhật nguyệt curtain | Yes, at the separate ban, painted with long phụng flanking both sides | Yes, at the separate ban, painted with long phụng flanking both sides | Not mentioned |
On which days are offerings made to Thánh sư?
According to Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001), on the days of sóc vọng, tuần tiết, and giỗ tết, besides offering to the ancestors and Thổ công, the householder also offers to Thánh sư with offerings similar to those for Thổ công; however, the death anniversary of the Thánh sư is the most important Thánh sư offering of the year[3].
Toan Ánh (2001) records the same occasions, and notes that today the phường hold their own giỗ, yet families still make a separate offering at home to remember the day the patron of their craft died[1]. Toan Ánh (2001) and Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) also describe the phường giỗ at the shrine: on the day of the Thánh sư's vía, called the phường giỗ, people offer to the Thánh sư at this shrine and everyone in the phường comes to worship[1][2]. Thus, the death anniversary of the Thánh sư is both an occasion for home offerings and a common festival of the craft phường.
According to Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001), regarding the Thánh sư prayer text: this prayer text is like the Thổ công prayer text, the only difference being that the invocation of Thổ công is changed to the invocation of Thánh sư, depending on the tablet of each craft, each craft having its own Thánh sư[3]. Toan Ánh's (2001) note on the Thần Tài prayer text follows the same line: the Thần Tài prayer text is like the Thổ Công prayer text, differing only in the invocation[1]. This understanding shows that the structure of the Thánh sư prayer text is not formally different from the Thổ công prayer text, only the title invited differs.
How does the craft patron festival at the communal house or temple of a whole craft village differ from the home Thánh sư altar?
The home Thánh sư altar is the private place of worship of each craft family. The phường's Thánh sư shrine is the common place of worship. According to Toan Ánh (2001), people of the same craft or the same trade gather to form a Phường; each phường builds its own Thánh sư shrine; on the day of the Thánh sư's vía, that is, the phường giỗ, the whole phường comes to the shrine to make offerings to the Thánh sư; the cost of the giỗ is naturally contributed by the phường members; large phường often have their own property, fields and gardens, whose produce is reserved for the worship of Thánh sư; sometimes the phường giỗ is held on a large scale, with entertainments like a festival day: chess, swinging, water puppetry, chèo singing[1].
According to Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006), the money for the giỗ is contributed by the phường members; larger phường have their own property, fields and gardens, and the produce from them is used for the worship of Thánh sư; on the occasion of the phường giỗ, many entertainments are also organised[2]. Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) records similarly[3].
Thus, two levels of worship can be distinguished: the family level (private altar, offerings on the death anniversary and on sóc vọng and tuần tiết) and the craft phường level (common shrine, phường giỗ with contributions and organised festivities). This article presents only the family level; the craft phường and craft village level is presented in the article What traditional handicrafts does Vietnam have?.
Folk beliefs about worshipping Thánh sư
People believe that Thánh sư is the one credited with founding the craft, so they worship to show gratitude and to pray for protection in their work. Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) states: whenever they encounter difficulties, practitioners make offerings to call upon Thánh sư, hoping for protection and good luck[3]. This is a record of the belief of people in the craft, not the article's assertion about the effectiveness of the offerings.
Also according to folk belief, worshipping Thánh sư at home alongside the ancestor altar and the Thổ công altar expresses the bond between one's craft and the family's spiritual life. Toan Ánh (2001) remarks that the Vietnamese people always remember those who have done them good[1]. This remark is offered by the book as a comment, not as a research finding.
Points the books do not clarify
The books are not consistent about the exact position of the Thánh sư altar: Toan Ánh (2001) and Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) write "the rear wall of a side bay", while Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) write "the rear wall of a bay of the house". No book clearly states the size of the altar, the direction it faces, or the specific arrangement when a house has the ancestor altar, the Thổ công altar, and the Thánh sư altar in the same bay.
Regarding offering days, Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) states that the death anniversary of the Thánh sư is the most important offering[3], but does not say how to determine the death anniversary when the date of the Thánh sư's death is unknown. The books also do not say who in the family makes the offerings to Thánh sư, or whether there are any special taboos beyond the general taboos of worship.
Regarding scope: the books describe the customs of the Kinh people, mainly in the northern delta, from the early to the late 20th century. There is no basis in the books to generalise to the central region, the south, other ethnic groups, or to present-day practice, since the books do not say.
