Formation and Development of the “Bát Âm” Ensemble in Folk Belief Ritual Practices in the Red River Delta

Abstract

The Bát Âm ensemble has a long-standing origin and has been widely used by the Vietnamese in various traditional rituals. Historical records indicate that although the system of “Bát Âm” was partly adopted from China, it was subsequently localized and adapted by Vietnamese dynasties for use in the royal court, with distinct organizational forms and terminologies. Over time, the Bát Âm ensemble was fully indigenized to fit the cultural and artistic life of the Vietnamese people. On this basis, this article analyzes key findings on the origin of the Bát Âm ensemble in relation to certain royal court ensembles in Vietnam throughout history, thereby shedding light on its process of formation and development. At the same time, the paper further discusses the presence of the Bát Âm ensemble in Vietnamese folk belief ritual practices in the Red River Delta, particularly in two common rituals - the village deity procession and Vietnamese funerals. These discussions contribute to the preservation and promotion of the Bát Âm ensemble in particular, and Vietnamese traditional music in general, within contemporary cultural life.