TL;DR: According to Toan Ánh (2001) and Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001), some Kinh families in the northern delta once built outdoor altars with no spirit tablet, only an incense bowl: the upper side honoured Sơn thần, the lower side honoured Thần Hổ. Thần Hổ was worshipped because folk belief held the tiger to be the lord of beasts, with the power to drive away ghosts and protect both body and soul. Mộc tinh is the spirit of large trees and old trees in spacious gardens; householders who met misfortune would often build a small shrine at the tree base according to old belief.
Why did people in the past worship Thần Hổ?
Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) explains the origin of the custom of worshipping Thần Hổ through folk belief: the tiger was regarded as lord of all creatures, a deity with the power to drive away ghosts and to shelter both the body and the soul of humans[1]. This is a folk belief, not a verified fact. The author also notes that the altar to Thần Hổ was usually set up in a separate place, often a table built in the yard or a small shrine built in the garden, and considers this a trace of animal worship from very distant times in history[1].
The manner of offering is also described concretely: offerings were made on the days of sóc and vọng, or when the household had some matter to announce to the ancestors; besides betel and wine, a savoury offering was required, using raw meat or raw eggs as offerings[1]. Toan Ánh (2001) records similarly about the outdoor altar: usually the upper side honoured Sơn thần, the lower side honoured Thần Hổ[2].
Who is worshipped at the incense tree in the yard?
According to Toan Ánh (2001), these outdoor altars have no spirit tablet, only an incense bowl; usually the upper side honours Sơn thần, the lower side honours Thần Hổ[2]. At such outdoor altars, Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) also finds a similar arrangement: the upper part for Sơn thần, the lower part for Thần Hổ[1]. This is material describing the customs of the Kinh people, mainly in the northern delta, roughly from the early to the late 20th century; it should not be extended to the central or southern regions, to other ethnic groups, or to the present day when the books do not say so.
Sơn thần: the mountain deity worshipped at home
In mountainous areas, according to Toan Ánh's record (2001), families often built a separate table to worship Sơn thần, that is, the mountain deity; this table was placed in the garden, on the side facing the mountain foot, with no spirit tablet but only an incense bowl and other ritual objects[2]. Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) adds a practical reason: shrines to Sơn thần exist on every mountain, but people still worshipped at home so that offerings would be convenient and also to seek Sơn thần's protection[1]. This explanation is a folk belief, not a statement about efficacy.
Thần Hổ: the guardian deity who wards off evil
Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) notes that people usually worshipped Thần Bạch Hổ, or Thần Ngũ Hổ, that is, the five tiger deities of five colours[1]. The joint worship of Sơn thần and Thần Hổ on the same outdoor altar shows a combination of the mountain deity and the tiger deity in folk belief. However, the books do not explain why these two deities were placed together, so this is a point needing further material to clarify.
What is Mộc tinh and why is it worshipped?
Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang, compilers (2006), define Mộc tinh as attached to large trees in spacious gardens, especially old trees[3]. Regarding the situation of building a shrine, Toan Ánh (2001) and Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) tell nearly the same story: people acquired a house with a large garden in which several old trees grew; after moving in they met with some unfortunate matters, for example someone in the house fell ill or property was lost; the householder then concluded that those old trees had a deity, and that the deity showed its power thus to prove its presence because the owner had not known of it; therefore the householder had to build a shrine at the tree base[2][1].
Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) records an additional layer of belief: large, green, flourishing trees were often thought to harbour ghosts, and to be at peace one had to make offerings[1]. Song Mai and Quỳnh Trang (2006) also record a similar belief, and consider it an illusion but one still believed by people in the past[3]. This is a folk belief about trees, not a fact about the natural world. The books do not advise whether or not to cut the trees; this article does not advise that either.
Table comparing the deities according to custom books
| Deity | What the book describes | Place of worship | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sơn thần | Mountain deity; a deity worshipped for convenience of offerings and to seek protection[1] | A separate table built in the garden on the side facing the mountain foot; no spirit tablet, only an incense bowl[2] | Toan Ánh (2001)[2]; Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001)[1] |
| Thần Hổ (Bạch Hổ, Ngũ Hổ) | A deity, lord of all creatures, with power to drive away ghosts and protect body and soul[1] | A table built in the yard or a shrine in the garden; often placed on the lower side of the Sơn thần altar[1][2] | Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001)[1]; Toan Ánh (2001)[2] |
| Mộc tinh | The spirit of large trees and old trees in spacious gardens[3] | A shrine at the tree base[2][1] | Song Mai, Quỳnh Trang (2006)[3]; Toan Ánh (2001)[2]; Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001)[1] |
How do offerings to Thần Hổ and Sơn thần differ?
According to Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001), the offering to Thần Hổ uses savoury food, raw meat or raw eggs, and is made on the days of sóc and vọng or when there is a matter to announce to the ancestors[1]. Toan Ánh (2001), when speaking of the outdoor altar, does not describe the offerings in detail, but also records the structure of worshipping Sơn thần and Thần Hổ[2]. Regarding Sơn thần, the books do not describe separate offerings, so this point needs further material. The difference in offerings shows that Thần Hổ has its own ritual of offering, while Sơn thần may be worshipped together on occasions of household rituals.
Distinguishing the outdoor incense tree for deities from the incense tree for Tiền chủ
A distinction should be made between the outdoor altar for Sơn thần, Thần Hổ, and Mộc tinh and the incense tree for Tiền chủ. The article on Worship of Thổ Công, Thổ Địa has already presented separately the earth deity and Tiền chủ; this article does not repeat it. In addition, the rituals and prayer texts at the outdoor incense tree are presented on the page Outdoor incense tree (prayer texts and rituals).
Points where the books disagree or are still lacking
The three books Toan Ánh (2001), Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001), and Song Mai, Quỳnh Trang, compilers (2006), have many passages copied alike, so they cannot be considered three independent sources verifying one another. Where the books differ or do not state clearly, the article notes as follows:
- On the origin of worshipping Thần Hổ: Bùi Xuân Mỹ (2001) considers it a trace of animal worship from primeval times[1], but this is the author's judgment, with no archaeological or ethnographic study cited in this article to verify it.
- On the relationship between Sơn thần and Thần Hổ: the books all record that the altar has the upper side for Sơn thần and the lower side for Thần Hổ, but do not explain why this stratification exists.
- On scope: the books describe the customs of the Kinh people, mainly in the northern delta, but do not specify particular localities or the time of recording. Therefore, it should not be extended to other regions or other ethnic groups.
- On Mộc tinh: all three books mention building a shrine at the tree base when meeting misfortune, but do not specify the form of the shrine and the offerings. This is a point the books leave open.
