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Lễ tôn nhang bản mệnh (rite of enshrining the personal incense bowl)

Also called: Đội bát nhang, Gửi bát hương bản mệnh vào đền, phủ

  • Pagodas, communal houses, temples and shrines

Culture and belief A record of custom.

A ritual of Mother Goddess worship: the tín chủ (the person making the offering) carries the incense bowl on the head, asks the thủ nhang (keeper of the shrine) or the đồng thầy (medium master) to present the petition, then sends the bản mệnh (personal destiny) incense bowl to a temple (đền) or phủ (Mother Goddess shrine) and becomes a con nhang (incense child) of that place. Many guides note that a person who enshrines the incense bowl does not thereby become a thanh đồng (medium).

At a glance

When it is held
Some guides note: usually in spring and autumn, not performed in the seventh lunar month
For whom
The Tứ Phủ (Four Palaces) saints at the temple (đền) or phủ (Mother Goddess shrine) where the incense bowl is sent
Where
Temples (đền), phủ (Mother Goddess shrines), and điện (shrines) of the Tứ Phủ (Four Palaces); according to some guides, not performed at places of Tam Bảo (the Three Jewels) worship, communal houses (đình), or Thành hoàng (village tutelary deity) shrines (miếu)
Who makes the offering
The tín chủ (the person making the offering); the thủ nhang (keeper of the shrine) or đồng trưởng (senior medium) of the temple (đền), or a đồng thầy (medium master) who guides and presents the petition

Each family and each region may do it differently.

The offering tray

When
According to some guides: usually in spring (the first, second, and third lunar months) and autumn (the eighth, ninth, and tenth lunar months, before lập đông (the start of winter)); not performed in the seventh lunar month
OfferingNotes
Objects
Incense bowl placed on a tráp (tray) or mâm (tray)Required. The tín chủ carries it on the head when performing the ritual
Red face-covering clothCovers the head of the tín chủ
Other
Sớ (petition) requesting the enshrining of the incense bowl, votive paper, a pair of candles, fresh flowers, areca nuts, betel leavesPlaced together with the incense bowl
Votive paper
Kim ngân (gold and silver) votive paper, shoes, petition paperBurned after the incense bowl is placed in position

Steps of the rite

  1. The tín chủ sits in the middle of the sập (platform) to perform the ritual, head covered with a red cloth, carrying on the head a tráp (tray) or mâm (tray) with the incense bowl
  2. The thủ nhang (keeper of the shrine) or đồng thầy (medium master) presents the petition, reading the name, age, address, and wishes of the tín chủ
  3. Xin đài (asking for the altar); if granted, the incense bowl is placed in position at the place of worship
  4. Burning votive paper and sớ (petition); after three days, going to the temple (đền) to give thanks
  5. Later, on the four seasonal festivals of the year (thượng nguyên (the full moon of the first lunar month), nhập hạ (entering summer), tán hạ (ending summer), tất niên (year-end)), or on the fifteenth day and first day of the lunar month, the disciple returns to the place of enshrining to make offerings to the Saints

What is avoided

  • According to some guides: do not enshrine the incense bowl in the seventh lunar month

Where the sources differ

  • One guide calls this a ritual recognizing a person as officially becoming a disciple of the faith; another writes that tôn nhang is presenting one's identity and praying for peace, and does not turn the person performing the ritual into a thanh đồng (medium); many people enshrine the incense bowl without practicing hầu đồng (spirit mediumship ritual) or opening a phủ (Mother Goddess shrine)

Communities and regions

Sources

  • Nghi lễ trong tín ngưỡng thờ Mẫu Tam, Tứ phủ của Việt Nam (toplist.vn)
  • Tập tục thờ cúng trong nghi thức lên đồng (vankhan.vn)
  • Đỗ Duy Hưng, Một số kết quả nghiên cứu nổi bật về thực hành tín ngưỡng thờ Mẫu Tam phủ, Tứ phủ ở vùng châu thổ Bắc Bộ hiện nay, Nghiên cứu Tôn giáo số 11 năm 2021 (vjol.info.vn)

Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.

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