Cúng Bà Cô Tổ, Ông Mãnh (offering to the ancestral young woman and young man of the family line)

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Bà Tổ Cô, Bà Cô, Ông Mãnh, Cúng bà Cô ông Mãnh, Bà cô trẻ

According to folk belief, Bà Cô Tổ and Ông Mãnh are people of the family line who died young, and are worshipped by descendants together with the ancestors at a position one rank lower. Buddhist sources note that the North often worships bà Tổ cô inside the house, while the South often worships at a small shrine outside.

When
On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, on the death anniversary of Bà Cô, on the first day of the year; if the date of death is unknown, the family line's ancestor death anniversary is used
For whom
Bà Cô Tổ (a woman of the family line who died young, unmarried) and Ông Mãnh (a man who died young) of the clan

Prayer text for offering to bà Tổ Cô, number 1

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice

What this prayer says

Prayer text for offering to the Bà Tổ Cô of the family line, recited for the whole ceremony, paying homage to the Buddhas and the ancestors together with the Bà Tổ Cô, presenting offerings of incense and flowers, and asking for protection so that the descendants may be well and prosperous, with misfortune and calamity dispelled.

The prayer below is kept in Vietnamese, the language it is read aloud in during the rite.

Fill in before the rite

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Your regional custom

Showing the version used across Vietnam.

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Other texts for Cúng Bà Cô Tổ, Ông Mãnh (offering to the ancestral young woman and young man of the family line)

Versions by region, by tradition and for each part of the rite.

Offerings and how the rite is done

As commonly practised and recorded by the sources. Each family and each region may do it differently.

Used across Vietnam, Folk practice

When
On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, on the death anniversary of Bà Cô, on the first day of the year, on occasions of giỗ and Tết such as when offering to the ancestors
Where the offerings are set
Under the base of the incense table of the ancestors' altar, or on the ancestors' altar together but with the incense bowl one rank lower
Who makes the offering
An adult in the house; a person of the same generation as bà cô ông mãnh only says prayers without offerings, those of lower generations both say prayers and make offerings

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Spirit tablet or portrait, incense bowl, pair of lampsworship items placed in advance
A glass of water or white wine, a cup of water
A plate of fresh betel leaves and areca nuts
Fresh flowers, fruit, cakes, sweet soupOptional
Votive paper, paper clothesOptional

Steps

  1. Arrange the offerings simply at the altar of Bà Cô
  2. Light incense, say prayers inviting Bà Cô Tổ, Ông Mãnh together with the ancestors
  3. When the incense has burned out, take down the offerings

Things to avoid

  • The altar is arranged simply, not elaborately
  • The altar of Bà Cô is placed lower than the ancestors' altar

Where the sources differ

  • Position of the incense bowls of Bà Cô, Ông Mãnh: hoatieu.vn notes placing them under the base of the incense table or one rank lower than the ancestors' incense bowl; docungtamlinh.com.vn arranges three incense bowls level on one altar, with the bowl of Bà Cô Ông Mãnh on the left

Northern Vietnam, Folk practice

Where the offerings are set
Bà tổ cô is worshipped inside the house

Steps

  1. Set up a place to worship bà tổ cô right inside the house

Southern Vietnam, Folk practice

Where the offerings are set
A small shrine outside the house

Steps

  1. Set up a small shrine outside the house to worship bà tổ cô

The wording is kept exactly as published by the source. The dotted italic words are blanks for you to fill in.

Sources

  • Văn khấn cúng bà Tổ Cô (hoatieu.vn)
  • Văn khấn và thủ tục bốc bát hương về nhà mới (docungtamlinh.com.vn)
  • Cách lập bàn thờ Phật và gia tiên tại gia (phatgiao.org.vn)

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

More prayer textsDeath anniversaries, Tết, the home, business, life-cycle rites and regional rites.