Actualization of concept of “Vietnamese Taoism” in historical and academic discourses: pantheon, myths and practices

The article reconsiders one of the components of Chinese religious syncretism (Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism) in Vietnam, based on a comprehensive concept of Taoism developed by E. Torchinov. Using various historical sources and previous studies the author reveals fragments of Vietnamesereligious believes and practices that can be identified as Taoist, such as numerology, magic, spiritualtechniques, the pantheon of deities, medical procedures, and institutionalized forms of Taoism.All foreign religions in Vietnam went through the universal cultural stages of translation into the language of local religious traditions. To make the language of the new faith understandable, correspondences wereestablished between old and new characters; for example, Vietnamese spirits were incorporated in Buddhistpantheon. What makes the study of Taoism in Vietnam particularly complicated is the fact that local religious practices were quite similar to Taoist. This is partially because ancient Dongshon civilization was created inthe region of modern Northern Vietnam and Southern China, which some sclolars believe to be the areawhere Taoism originated from. On the other hand, Vietnamese traditional medicine and magic have been developing under the influence of Taoist methods so they became deeply interrelated. Even Buddhist preachers had to master some medical and magical skills to earn the respect of newly converted Vietnamese followers.A special attention is given in the article to spirit possession techniques such as “len dong” that many scholars tend to categorize as Taoist. The differences between Chinese and Vietnamese possession practicesare shown in comparative perspective. Based on the data from author’s field research on spirit possession inVietnam, the conclusion is made that despite some similarities with Chinese Taoist rituals, Vietnamese tradition of communication with spirits of the dead is a part of local ancestor worship and has its own specificfeatures.Although various elements of Taoism have become an intrinsic part of Vietnamese everyday life, hardly anyone recognizes them here as Taoist or foreign by nature. In the same time scholars often put the label of Taoism on whatever phenomena of popular religion or social practices that don’t fit into the categories of Confucianism and Buddhism. To further clarify the status of Taoism in contemporary Vietnam an extended anthropological fieldwork is needed.

Taoism, Vietnamese religions, religious syncretism, folk religion, spirit possession worships, Chinese mythology