The Belief of Praying for Health of Tay People in Thanh - Nghe Region

Abstract

The author deals with the conceptions, perception and behavior of Tay people in Thanh - Nghe region towards health expressing in a number of traditional rituals and habits, which still has been practiced in this community at present. Among Tay people in Thanh - Nghe region, the rituals and habits relating to praying for health also are one of components making up domestic rituals of this community. These rituals reflect clearly the relationship of members in families and lineages. Although there are magic elements, the rituals praying for health have a big education meaning of ethical values. It is the way in which people express their heart to relatives in families and lineages and the filiat piety. This good tradition always is maintained, conserved and handed down to generations in spiritual life of residents in this area. The above ethical values not only have expressed in personal aspect but also have become the social ethical standards of an ethnicity, the cultural values carrying the deep cultural distinctiveness of the Tay people