Sunday, March 25, 2007

Phủ Giầy - Mother Godness Liễu Hạnh

Mother Goddess Liễu Hạnh was said to have been the daughter of the Jade Emperor (Ngọc Hoàng). Because she broke a treasured cup belonging to her father she was reborn as a mortal, a daughter in the Lê family (in present day Nam Định province) in 1557. She had a short life, marrying and having a child at 18, then dying at age 21. Because of her love for life as a mortal, the Emperor allowed her to be reincarnated one more time. During this life she wandered through the country, enjoying the beauties of nature, and meeting many people. She created many miracles and helped her people drive away the Chinese invaders. She became a champion of the people, even fighting with the King in a dispute she could not win. Because of her virtuous behavior the Kinh people rallied to her support and made a place for her in the Đền Sòng in Thanh Hóa province. In time she was deified and became the most important of the Mother Goddesses and she became a role model for all Vietnamese women.
Scenery next to Temple of Mother Godness Lieu Hanh, looking out to open field. The temple is on the right of the photo.

No matter how her life may be interpreted, Liễu Hạnh became a symbol of feminine power. She broke from the Confucianism that underscored female subjugation to male authority. She emphasized happiness, freedom of movement and independent of thought. Feared and loved at the same time, her principles of punishing the bad and rewarding the good also sent a message of protection and hope for social justice to the population then troubled by the upheavals of the 17th-19th centuries. A divine figure (immortal, fairy) as well as a historical person (daughter, spouse, mother), Liễu Hạnh, though she lived in the 16th century in Vietnam, is still revered by all of the Vietnamese people. Having shared the same joys and pains as mortal beings, she is perceived as the most understanding and benevolent goddess
Inside the temple of Mother Godness

For many, Liễu Hạnh thus became the symbol of the ideal Vietnamese woman, compassionate, and an independent and free spirited woman. Liễu Hạnh symbolized the beauty of the Vietnamese spirit and its ability to overcome outside influences which Confucianism, Taoism or Buddhism represented. She became a popular figure in Vietnamese culture and would become an important figure in Đạo Mẫu. She became part of the pantheon of goddesses in Đạo Mẫu, becoming Mother Goddess Liễu Hạnh - the Holy Mother of Heaven and was quickly elevated to the position of being the most popular and most important within the pantheon of Đạo Mẫu. The fact that Mother Goddess Liễu Hạnh is both “divine” and human adds tremendously to her popularity, and makes her an achievable model of behavior. She ultimately becomes the Supreme Divinity, ruling over all of the other lesser divinities and over human beings as well.
This is the tomb of Mother Godness, in front of the Temple. Names of donators are written on boards leaning against the short walls, as seen in the photo

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Gióng (or Giếng) temple, next to Temple of Mother Godness

for more info, visit Wikipedia link

Posted by J.J. at 5:53 PM

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1 comment:

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January 31, 2011 at 9:38 AM

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