Whale worship customs and beliefs of the Viet people in Cu Lao Cham island, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province

Abstract

The customs and beliefs of whale worship of Vietnamese fishermen in coastal fishing villages, which are mainly in the central provinces, with a relatively great density of temples, shrines, communal houses, temples, palaces, and mausoleums. The participants of these cultural practices are mostly fishermen who live on offshore fishing activities. Although there are similarities between the festivals of whale worship in many locals in terms of the ritual process, the way of performing the festival, the differences in customs, practices, naming, hierarchy and positions of gods, and ritual practices are observed. This article focuses on analyzing the customs and beliefs of whale worship of Vietnamese fishermen in Cu Lao Cham island, Hoi An city to highlight the similarities and differences of this unique intangible cultural heritage amongst regions.