The Transformation and Causes of Transformation of Then Ritual Performance Art

Chapter 4

THE CHANGE AND EXPLOITATION AND PROMOTION OF THE ART VALUE OF THEN RITUAL PERFORMANCE IN CONTEMPORARY LIFE

4.1. The transformation and causes of transformation of Then ritual performance art

In this content, we conduct a survey of the changes in Then ritual performance art in the recent period (from 2010 to present) when the economic life and cultural exchange of the Tay people in general and the Tay people in Bac Son district in particular have undergone clear changes to compare with Then ritual performance art before and after 2000, when Then ritual was restored after a period of being banned.

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4.1.1. Changes

4.1.1.1. About the people's enjoyment psychology and the Then master's performance ability

In Then ritual NTTD, the enjoyment (aesthetic perception) of the participants goes from receiving the external form to the content reflected from the inside (saying what). Therefore, only when the participants understand the content as well as the form of expression of the Then ritual can the need for enjoyment be satisfied, or the audience can catch up with the atmosphere of the ceremony, sympathize with the stages of the Then troupe, sympathize with the juggling of the performer (Then master), ... and this is the ultimate goal of the creations in Then ritual NTTD for the participants.

In the Then ritual, the Then master uses different methods to influence the senses of the audience, such as the visual sense through artistic elements; the auditory sense through the sound of the instrument, the sound of the bell, the lyrics, the sound of the music; the sense of taste and smell through the offering of water, the offering of offerings, or the fragrant scent from the altar... Through this technique, the Then master helps the participants (as the audience) grasp the content and purpose of the ritual (according to each scene). To influence the psychology of enjoyment of the participants, the Then master actively uses methods

different forms within a certain limited scope, not exceeding the sacredness of the ceremony, for example: when preparing for the ceremony to welcome the Hoang guests, the Phuong Nam Huan guests to enter the Then, the Then masters change their costumes to enter the sacred space right in front of the Then altar; when singing in response to the audience, each Then master has different graceful and affectionate singing styles. The success of a Then ritual performance is that the participants "recognize" the culturally meaningful content conveyed through each stage of the ceremony, meeting the expectations or satisfying the audience's enjoyment psychology.

However, in recent Then hotpot ceremonies, the participants have often not been able to fully enjoy a Then ritual as a NTTD work. This is considered a consequence of two sides: the initiative and proficiency in the performance of the Then master and the anticipation and excitement of the participants. According to Then Duong Thi V, born in 1935 in Nam Huong village, Tan Huong 2 commune: Previously, around 1998-1999, each Then hotpot ceremony was considered a grand ceremony of the entire Tay community in Bac Son and the host of the ceremony (Then master) had to be a talented and virtuous person in the community to lead the Then army through the reporting gates, inviting guests to attend the cap sac (or tang sac) ceremony to increase the prestige of the ceremony. To create an exciting, enthusiastic atmosphere, and to fully guide the audience through a ceremony that lasts several hours or several days, the Then master must have many skills such as playing instruments, singing, acting, telling stories, and interacting according to a process (script) that is almost identical. Therefore, if the Then master does not have these skills and is not proficient in them, it will be difficult to create a psychology of complete enjoyment for the audience.

To have an attractive ceremony, the creativity of the performer is very important because the means of the ceremony are artistic elements, not simply ordinary operations, skills, and techniques. Using artistic means in performing Then rituals is not difficult (does not require too much technique), but combining those artistic elements to create attractiveness is not something that every Then master can do, because this depends on the process of passing on the profession in Then or the individual qualities of each Then master. Through discussion with

Some people attending the Then Hoang Van Luc enhancement ceremony in Tan Lap commune, Bac Son district, Lang Son province, we learned that not all Then hotpots attract and captivate viewers. There are some Then masters who do not have skillful professional skills, so when combining Then art elements together, it is a bit awkward and not coherent [interview with people on January 10, 2016]. On the other hand, people attending Then ceremonies are more or less knowledgeable about this type of art, so any Then master who performs the ritual incorrectly or makes mistakes, such as: not treating the soldiers after the ceremony or asking for offerings after the ceremony, the lyrics and dances are not in harmony with each other... can easily cause psychological discomfort for the participants. Artisan Duong Thi N, born in 1944, in Zone 5, That Khe town, Trang Dinh, Lang Son said: Then masters do not sing well, the instruments are disjointed, not in harmony with each other, leading to not attracting listeners. If you do not learn and practice more about the profession, you will not be able to continue with the profession. Practitioners such as Then Hoang Thi C in Tan Lap, Bac Son also admit: If you do not do it sacredly, no one will invite you. People are very fair, if you do business carelessly or too much, they will immediately have an opinion, and if rumors spread far and wide, you will not be able to continue with the profession [interviewed on November 22, 2015]. It is clear that the mysterious and attractive artistic elements in Then rituals increasingly create excitement in each Then session.

4.1.1.2. About the ritual structure and performance time and space

In recent years, the organization of Then rituals has changed a lot, from the ritual structure, time and space. According to Then Luong Thi Tam, alias Huyen Nguyen (Tan Lap - Bac Son): about 10-15 years ago (usually Then was performed at night, but now it is performed both night and day; time and space depend on the purpose of the ceremony. In addition, depending on the arrangement and conditions of the host, there will be appropriate offerings ... [interviewed on November 20, 2015]. It can be seen that the changes and impacts of the contemporary social context have significantly affected the lifestyle of the Then community, changing some behaviors and customs considered Then values such as: shortening the time to prepare the ritual, conducting the ritual in a simple direction, suitable for the environment and current social life. The time of the ceremony has also been

shortened, the ritual sequence is also organized in a simplified direction, depending on the level and ability of the Then master. Previously, the attendees came in large numbers like a regional festival, because they wanted to share the joy with the family of the person performing the ceremony, were proud that the community had a Then practitioner, and also hoped to receive blessings to help themselves be lucky... but now it has also decreased. Hoang Thi Q, a resident of Bac Son commune, Bac Son district (born in 1991), when asked about her interest in Then, said: I learned about Then through the stories of the elders in my family, the old people in the village, but now I myself do not fully understand Then. Every day, I often watch TV programs of the central and provincial stations. My house has digital TV so there are many entertainment channels, I especially like watching Korean TV dramas, I really like it. Also, before, when I went to school, I had to do homework, I could not skip school to watch Then [interviewed on November 26, 2015].

In addition, recently there have been some forms of Then ritual organization that do not follow the ancient Then ritual, such as: the appearance of Then ritual performances in the worship space following the model of the Four Palaces belief. That is the appearance of the worship of "Lord Then" in some temples and palaces such as at Lord Ba Nang Temple (Huu Lung - Lang Son), Lord Then Temple (Nguyen Binh - Cao Bang)... A typical example is the worship of "Lord Then" at Linh Quang Tu (also known as Uncle Luu Temple) in Lang Giang district, Bac Giang province. The temple is managed by the medium Bui Quang L (Uncle L), born in 1988 (for 15 years). According to Uncle L, Lord Then is the Lady of the Nung ethnic group. In the surrounding village, there are 7 temples worshiping Lord Then in total and worshiped by many different masters, but this is the most sacred, the largest and most thoughtful place of worship. In 1971, his family also worshiped on this land, but only in small temples. In 1974, Linh Quang Temple was built to worship the Four Palaces and still kept the Then Lord's temple separate. In 2009, he himself held a grand ceremony to welcome Then Lord from the temple inside and worshiped in a separate temple inside called "the forbidden palace"; his family (on his mother's side) had descendants following him, but they all received the Then Lord's blessings, so in the Temple, in addition to the Four Palaces worship, there was a Then Lord's temple that was worshiped very sacredly (every year the incense bowl was burned on the occasion of the grand ceremony)... [interview on February 28, 2017]. Every year

The grand ceremony is held on the occasion of Lord Then's birthday on the 2nd of the 2nd lunar month with the purpose of celebrating his birthday and thanking Lord Then for giving the temple good fortune, peace, etc.

According to Mr. L: from 2009 until now, the temple has organized this grand ceremony every year. To perform the grand ceremony, the Then Tay masters of Lang Son must be invited because they believe that Lord Then originated from Lang Son, so only the Then masters of Lang Son can understand and properly perform the character of Lord Then to conduct the rituals. In addition, Tao masters are invited to witness and observe all the movements of the Then army so that the grand ceremony can achieve its purpose and effectiveness. Accordingly, in the same temple space, the rituals of Then, Tao and Hau Bong continuously take place, all the NTTD elements here are blended together and interact with each other. For example: when the Then master performs the ritual up to the door of the Then Lady, he enters the Then master's main judgment (in Nung language) which is translated into Vietnamese with the meaning of instructing the temple owner: "Today I am very happy because the temple owner can perform such a big ceremony, with such complete offerings, I will continue to bless the temple to enjoy business and peace" , at this time, Mr. L sat listening to the judgment and asked: "I would like to ask for your opinion on rebuilding and expanding the land to make the temple more spacious, is that okay?" ; Then Lady said: "I see that the land you intend to expand is not possible because there are many evil spirits there, the land is very fierce, so that is not the right thing to do. As for this temple - where I am residing, it cannot be destroyed, it cannot be rebuilt, it can only be renovated to make it more spacious. I will bless you with much fortune, rest assured! Today I am very happy, thank you Then and Tao for traveling far to come here to perform the ceremony!". Meanwhile, the Taoist priests continued to pray to report to the Jade Emperor about the purpose of the great ceremony.

Or in the ritual of dancing to Lord Then, there is a section where Then and Tao masters perform dance movements together right in front of the altar, where only the mediums who serve the Saint can go up, each master dances with their own movements, with their own music (Master Tao creates music from cymbals, sea snails, drums, and bamboo sticks while Master Then uses music from đàn tính and hát xoc nhạc), their own props (Master Tao uses a chain of statues, drums, and swords while the Then masters use fans, đàn, and xoc to dance) but they blend together to create a very happy, bustling, and highly excited atmosphere. At that time, both Tao and Then masters leave their bodies and Lord Then returns (Master Tao himself) to dance happily and witness the ceremony,...

Likewise, when Mr. L arrived at the price of Lord Then, the medium danced, sang, and played the Tinh lute like a real Then master. At this time, the music of the cung van band also had the sound of Tinh, the melody of Then singing, and the Then masters and Tao masters sitting below also shook the music to the Then melody and were called up in turn for Lord Then to give instructions, instructions, and fortune. All of this created a sacred and joyful atmosphere with the elements of music, dance, practice space, offerings, etc., making the audience truly have an extremely impressive night of "enjoying" the ritual. This is a very strange cultural exchange, a spiritual bridge - a new phenomenon in the worship of the Four Palaces, showing the exchange between the Vietnamese belief in the Four Palaces and the Then and Tao beliefs of the Tay people, which within the scope of this thesis we have not had the opportunity to study in depth.

Nowadays, Then ritual NTTD also appears in the space of street festivals. For example: Chau dance is a dance often performed in Then rituals and often brings fortune to the people, however, at the Ta Phu Temple Festival - Ky Cung - Lang Son in 2017, this dance was brought out to the street by artists to "perform" to receive fortune from the homeowners (usually money) like giving lions when dancing in front of the house, in front of the offering tray to pray for luck. When dancing, they perform movements to the music of the musical cluster around the homeowner's altar like real Then masters. This is a phenomenon that is recognized as the appearance of a new cultural space in Then NTTD today with many controversial opinions.

4.1.1.3. About the audience participating in the performance

Nowadays, under the influence of many factors, the Then ritual still exists in the traditional model, but the content and form have changed a lot. Accordingly, the Then hotpot ceremonies have been simplified and only the main contents are retained. Through a survey of some grand Then hotpot ceremonies of the level and increase of level as well as through studying the Then community in Bac Son, it is known that the age of the artisans is getting younger and younger (such as Then Luc, who attended the level ceremony at the age of 23 and held the increase of level ceremony at the age of 25), but the number of people who tend to become Then masters is decreasing (in Bac Son, there are currently only 15 Then masters practicing). On the other hand, the senior Then masters of high age and level

From 9 strings upwards, there are fewer and fewer disciples to pass on. Only a few middle-aged Then practitioners today still retain the ancient Then songs, manage and ensure Then hotpot sessions follow the correct order with strict regulations. In the past, organizing a Then session was very difficult for many reasons: difficult economic conditions, people's behavior towards Then beliefs, etc. But today, Then is more concerned by the state because of the policy of preserving ethnic culture, which is a new point for Then to be widely and deeply transmitted to the community.

In a Then ceremony, except for relatives or Then friends, the number of participants is getting smaller and smaller, and the majority of participants are middle-aged or older. These people have part-time jobs, seasonal work or are past working age, so they can arrange to attend Then hotpot sessions that last for many days. In Bac Son district today, the socio-economic development process in the area has affected many generations of Tay people in the area. The state's policy of universalizing education to each village has contributed significantly to improving people's knowledge, significantly changing their worldview. The majority of the recent generation of Tay people can read and write in Tay and Vietnamese, so they have more opportunities to enjoy many cultural and artistic programs on mass media in Vietnamese and ethnic languages. Many people, especially the younger generation, are no longer excited about grand ceremonies (Then hotpot) because for them, society is different today and they can accept many other cultural streams that can satisfy their spiritual needs. Young people do not like Then not only because of the chapter structure but also because they tend to follow the new and think that Then is for the old and old-fashioned, so they do not like it. Especially in today's fast-paced life, the slow rhythms and rhythms and the structure of many chapters and paragraphs in a Then ritual seem to be no longer suitable. From the perspective of cultural transmission in a community, this seems to be a regression, but in the general movement of an entire society, this is inevitable because in the context of deep cultural exchange and integration like today, it allows people to have many choices in enjoying culture. When talking with Then Hoang Thi C in Tan Lap commune, Bac Son district, we learned that in many

The Then ceremony that she performed had very few participants under the age of 25. The reason why many young people attended Then Luc's elevation ceremony was because most of them were Then Luc's friends [interviewed on November 24, 2015].

4.1.2. Causes of change

4.1.2.1. Subjective causes

The national electricity grid has been present in most villages of Lang Son province, so the majority of people in Bac Son have access to many different types of cultural and artistic activities on national television, Lang Son television (in Vietnamese and ethnic languages). This has helped people have more choices in enjoying different types of cultural and artistic activities, so Then ritual performances are no longer the only choice of the Tay people in Bac Son. Not only that, the new production method has fundamentally changed the lives of the people here, many generations of young people have left the locality to earn a living and from there, they have adopted a new lifestyle, bustling and full of worries.

In that context, people who come to Then rituals are basically older people because they understand the meaning of Then rituals through songs, musical instruments, and performances. Through field surveys and interviews with some people who attend the rituals, we learned that most of them share the same view that coming to Then rituals is voluntary, loving and wanting to understand more deeply about the culture of their ethnic group, and they are very proud and happy to participate in the rituals, especially those who help Then prepare and prepare offerings. Ms. Duong Thi C (born in 1965), in Long Dong commune, Bac Son district, said: she was very excited when she was invited to participate in preparing offerings for Then hotpot sessions, where she felt like she could sympathize and share with people who have the same views, interests and beliefs that she could not always meet in life [interview on January 9, 2017].

For the young generation of Tay people, the exchange and contact with the cultures of other ethnic groups, especially the culture of Kinh people, has significantly influenced the ethnic outlook on life and world view, including the Then world, a world with many interesting things.

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