Rituals of requiem and longing for peace among the communities of nationalities in South Vietnam

Abstract

South Vietnam is the convergence of many cultural flows from different nationalities, especially the Viets, the Khmers, the Chinese. Their religious activities have been developed in the context of this region since the opening of the wilderness up to the present time. Requiem is the invocation for the soul of the dead to be free from sufferings. Invocation for peace is for living person. Both these rituals often go together in the beliefs of nationalities in South Vietnam. The article presents rituals of requiem and longing for peace of the Viets, the Chinese, the Khmers, the Nung in South Vietnam to help readers to have a sympathy towards the communities of nationalities in South Vietnam and dismiss erroneous thoughts of a number of persons on rituals in these festivals. Full text in Vietnamese Religious Studies 2005/4 pp.17-28