Lễ Thành phục (rite of formally assuming mourning)

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Phát tang, Thọ tang, Mặc đồ tang, Chịu tang

By custom, thành phục is the rite in which descendants put on mourning garments and gather around the coffin, from then on formally assuming mourning and receiving visitors. In folk practice it is called phát tang; at the pagoda there is a ritual of chanting blessings over the mourning garments and then handing them to the bereaved family.

When
After the body is placed in the coffin, when the mourning garments are fully prepared; in the past, a few days later, nowadays usually done immediately
For whom
The deceased (before the coffin); ancestors as witnesses

Prayer text for the Lễ Thành Phục

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice

What this prayer says

Prayer text for the Thành phục ceremony, recited before the coffin of the deceased to inform the Buddhas, Thành hoàng (village tutelary deity), Táo quân (Kitchen Gods) and ancestors that the descendants have prepared the mourning garments and formally begin mourning; the text expresses grief and respectfully offers a modest offering.

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 Lễ Thành phục (rite of formally assuming mourning)

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
A few days after the body is placed in the coffin, when the mourning garments are fully prepared (according to Việt Nam phong tục); nowadays usually right after encoffining, before receiving visitors
Where the offerings are set
Before the mourning altar, around the coffin
Who makes the offering
The eldest son or the eldest grandson; descendants line up in order

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Incense table, single table, offerings
Mourning garments of children: khăn sô (coarse mourning turban), mũ chuối (banana-leaf hat), áo sô (coarse mourning shirt), dây lưng bằng chạc (belt of twisted cord)Required. Gia lễ giản yếu (Simplified Family Rites) records: mũ sô (coarse mourning hat), áo gai (hemp shirt), dây lưng chuối (banana-leaf belt)
Mourning garments of grandchildren: mũ mấn (mourning hat), white turban, white clothesGia lễ giản yếu records: mũ vải to (large cloth hat), áo vải to (large cloth shirt)
Mourning garments of sons-in-law, brothers, relatives: white turban, white clothes
Bamboo staff when the father dies, vông staff when the mother diessons lean on it when carrying the coffin to the grave

Steps

  1. Set up linh sàng (mourning bed), linh tọa (mourning seat), place hồn bạch (spirit tablet)
  2. Descendants put on mourning garments, let down their hair, line up and weep
  3. Offer sacrifice or pray for thành phục

Used across Vietnam, Buddhist

When
After khai kinh (opening the sutra chanting), tiến linh (inviting the spirit)
Who makes the offering
The gia trì sư (chanting master) and the bereaved family

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Mourning garmentsRequired

Steps

  1. The gia trì sư chants blessings over the mourning garments
  2. Chant "Ngũ phục chi nhơn các thọ kỳ phục" then hand the mourning garments to the bereaved family to wear
  3. From then on formally announcing the death and receiving visitors

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

Sources

  • Văn khấn trong lễ tang (vankhan.vn)
  • Văn khấn Lễ Thành Phục trong tang lễ (tuvi.vn)
  • Việt Nam phong tục, thiên I chương IX Tang ma (vi.wikisource.org)
  • Gia lễ giản yếu, phần Lễ tang (vi.wikisource.org)
  • Nghi thức tang lễ theo truyền thống Phật giáo (phatgiao.org.vn)

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

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