Bavi area as an object of folklore discourse and a sacred space of the Viet-Muong peoples of Northern Vietnam

Abstract

This paper presents the results of researching Viet-Muong folk stories and religious practices of Bavi area (Northern Vietnam) which is a very peculiar, sacred space within Viet-Muong cultural tradition. The research is based on information from Vietnamese written sources, works published by French and Vietnamese scholars, as well as on the author’s field data collected in Bavi in 2015. All the materials are conceptualized within the context of hierotopy, interdisciplinary scientific field focusing on the study of sacred spaces. The author argues that the sacred space of Bavi is linked with the cult of mountains which was widespread among the Viet-Muong peoples and identifies two groups of folk stories and religious rituals associated with this space. The final part of the paper reveals how the space of Bavi incorporates sacral phenomena of contemporary Vietnam, including the memorial temple of Ho Chi Minh. Refs 21.

Keywords:

Viet-Muong peoples, Northern Vietnam, sacred space, hierotopy, folklore, religious practices