Prayer text to the hương linh (spirit of the deceased) when transferring the remains into a small urn and moving the grave
Cải táng, bốc mộ (reburial, exhumation). After the three-year mourning period ends or a few more years; also done when the grave must be repaired or moved
- Used across Vietnam
- Folk practice
- At the grave
Culture and belief A record of custom.
What this prayer says
Prayer to the spirit of the deceased when transferring the remains into a small urn and moving the grave, read at the grave: the family respectfully announces to the spirit the exhumation, transfer into a small urn, or relocation of the grave to a new burial place, asking the spirit to witness and follow the descendants to the new resting place.
The prayer below is kept in Vietnamese, the language it is read aloud in during the rite.
Fill in before the rite
Your name and address appear in the prayer below and are kept on this device only.
Showing the version used across Vietnam.
4 more blanks
How it differs from the common version
How this text differs from the original: the present prose addresses the hương linh before opening the grave, states the reason and the new burial place, and invites the hương linh to follow the descendants to the new place; the model text is in the form of a văn tế (sacrificial oration), read when "phần mộ dời xong" (the grave has been moved).
The common version: Lễ Cải Cát (transferring the remains into a small urn, repairing the grave, moving the grave): prayer before the grave
Offerings and how the rite is done
Offerings, steps and things to avoid for Cải táng, bốc mộ (reburial, exhumation)
Other texts for Cải táng, bốc mộ (reburial, exhumation)
- Folk practice, At the graveLễ Cải Cát (transferring the remains into a small urn, repairing the grave, moving the grave): prayer before the grave
- Folk practice, Address to the deitiesPrayer text to Long Mạch, Sơn Thần and Thổ Thần (before and after moving the grave)
- Folk practice, Address to the ancestorsPrayer text announcing to the ancestors before going to Cải Cát
- Folk practice, Address to the deitiesPrayer text to the spirits at the old grave before Cải Cát
- Folk practice, Closing thanks and burning of votive paperPrayer text for the thank-offering after completing Cải Cát and repairing the grave
- Buddhist, At the graveVăn bạch (spoken petition) for the offering at the grave before sang cát (bốc mộ) and moving the grave
- Buddhist, Closing thanks and burning of votive paperVăn bạch (spoken petition) for the thank-offering at home after sang cát (bốc mộ) and moving the grave
- Folk practice, Address to the deitiesPrayer text to deities at the grave (for tảo mộ, repairing the grave, bốc mộ)
Collected text. The dotted italic words are blanks for you to fill in.
Part of the open dataset Vietnamese offering prayers (văn cúng), licensed CC BY 4.0.
More prayer textsDeath anniversaries, Tết, the home, business, life-cycle rites and regional rites.Open