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Lễ Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu, Cửu Thiên Huyền Nữ

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Mẹ Diêu Trì, Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu, Kim Bàn Phật Mẫu, Đức Phật Mẫu, Bà Trời, Địa Mẫu

A goddess of Daoist origin, worshipped in folk belief in Vietnam, not belonging to the Tam tòa Thánh Mẫu (Three Palaces of the Holy Mothers). Domestic pages instruct offering incense, flowers, tea and fruit and reading a prayer text at home or at a đền or miếu where she is worshipped.

When
The ngày vía (saint's day) is usually given as the 18th day of the tenth lunar month; some places take the 3rd day of the third lunar month or the full moon of the eighth lunar month
For whom
Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu, còn gọi Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu, Đức Phật Mẫu

Văn khấn Mẹ Diêu Trì tại nhà (prayer text to Mother Diêu Trì at home)

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice

What this prayer says

Prayer to Mother Diêu Trì at home, offering Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu reverence and asking her to bless the family, protect them from disasters, and grant health and a peaceful mind; recited during the whole ceremony at home.

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

Fill in before the rite

Regional custom

The prayer below is ready to read.

Your regional custom

Showing the version used across Vietnam.

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
The ngày vía is usually given as the 18th day of the tenth lunar month; the timing may differ by local custom
Where the offerings are set
An altar with a statue or tablet of Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu at home; a đền or miếu where she is worshipped
Who makes the offering
The head of the household, dressed neatly

Offerings

Offering
Fresh flowers (roses, chrysanthemums or lotus)
Fresh fruit
Candles, incense sticks
Clean water, wine, tea
Offering foods: xôi (steamed sticky rice), chè (sweet soup), rice, nuts

Steps

  1. Light the candles, arrange the offerings on the altar
  2. Light incense, bow three times
  3. Read the prayer text

Where the sources differ

  • Date of the ceremony: VOH gives only the 18th day of the tenth lunar month and says it may change by place; muaban.net lists three days according to three different traditions, the 3rd day of the third lunar month, the full moon of the eighth lunar month and the 18th day of the tenth lunar month.

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

Sources

  • Cách sắm lễ và văn khấn Mẹ Diêu Trì (voh.com.vn)
  • Văn khấn mẹ Diêu Trì Thánh Mẫu (muaban.net)

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

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