Liễu Hạnh

File:Den Thanh Mau, Ngo Quyen street, Da Lat 02.jpg

Temple of princess Liễu Hạnh in Da Lat

Princess Liễu Hạnh (Vietnamese: Liễu Hạnh Công chúa, chữ Hán: 柳杏公主) is one of The Four Immortals of Thanism, and also a leading figure in the mother goddess cult Đạo Mẫu, in which she governs the celestial realm.

Her personal cult was created by women in Nam Định Province, in the village of Van Cat. It is believed that the cult was created by rice farmers in need of land and water, and at its peak was extremely popular. The cult was mostly suppressed during the Communist Party of Vietnam's early reign, as worship was considered to be Taoist in nature, and was a tool of oppression. However, after Doi Moi (begun 1986) the cult has been regaining popularity steadily.

Traditions

The most widespread knowledge of her is because of Đoàn Thị Điểm Vân Cát Thần Nữ truyện (c.1730).

In Vân Cát Thần Nữ truyện

Born as the thirteenth daughter of the Jade Emperor, Liễu Hạnh had always been the troublemaker of the family. A righteous man, Le Thai Cong, was knocked unconscious during his wife's pregnancy. While unconscious, Thai Cong arrived at the Heavenly Palace of the Jade Emperor and witnessed Lieu Hanh drop the emperor's favorite jade cup, for which the Emperor expelled Liễu Hạnh from heaven. When Thai Cong regained consciousness his wife had given birth to a girl, whom they named "Giang Tien"(Descending Fairy ). After living a righteous life of 23 years and giving birth to two children, Giang Tien died on the third day of the third month.

When Giang Tien died she ascended to Heaven and was granted the title of Princess Liễu Hạnh, and was permitted to return to earth on the second anniversary of her death. On her return she visited her family and told her husband that they would reunite again, and disappeared leaving nothing behind but clouds in the sky. She wandered the world as either an old woman or a beautiful lady playing the flute, punishing those who teased her and blessing those who gave her offerings.

Long after her family died, she visited a temple and met Phung Khac Khoan, a famous scholar, who attempted to compliment the princess. However she had disappeared before he had the chance, leaving a stick inscribed with her name. Years later Phung, who was now a high-ranking official, visited a tavern in West Lake which was owned by Lieu Hanh. After poetry and discussion, Phung left the tavern, but when he returned it had mysteriously disappeared.

Leaving West Lake, the princess went to Nghệ An where she met a young orphan student named Sinh whom she thought to be an incarnation of her husband. After leaving poetry for him, Sinh sought her out and confessed his love to her. They married and had a child, Sinh becoming a great scholar. Eventually it was time for Lieu Hanh to return to Heaven, and she sadly left her family to return to Heaven.

On her second return to Heaven the princess again pleaded with the Emperor to return to earth, and this time returned with two other fairies — Que and Thi. The princess blessed those who were good, and brought destruction on those who were not, so the people built a temple out of fear. The Cảnh Trị government heard she was an evil spirit and sent the military to burn down the temple. When her temple was burnt down, all the animals in the area died from a mysterious disease, so the villagers built a platform to send her offerings. The princess appeared on the platform, declaring she was from Heaven, and demanded that the government build a new temple for her to stop the epidemic. The government built the new temple in Pho Cat Mountain, and proclaimed her "Ma Hoang Cong Chua" (Golden Princess to Whom Sacrifices Are Made as to the God of War).

Temples

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Altar for the mother Goddess Liễu Hạnh behind Hà Pagoda (Chùa Hà), Hà Nội

Đạo Mẫu practitioners maintain both public and private temples, engaging in worship and spirit possession. The first temple devoted to Lieu Hanh has traditionally been considered Phu Van temple in Van Cat which was originally constructed in 1642. The next to appear was the Tien Huong temple some time between 1643 and 1649, which would come to be the main center for Lieu Hanh's cult. Temples to Lieu Hanh are known to have many wooden sculptures, and the temples themselves have intricate designs carved into the framework.

Pure Brightness Festival

Main article: Tết Thanh Minh

The Pure Brightness Festival occurs on one of the first days of the third lunar month, and so occasionally falls on the third day. For worshipers of Liễu Hạnh, as the third day of the third month is the anniversary of her death, it is considered to be the true Pure Brightness Festival when the festival is held on that date. Activities include sweeping abandoned graves in respect to Lieu Hanh and feeding hungry ghosts. As well as the coinciding with the date of her death, symbolism also stems from the naming of Liễu (willow) Hạnh (almond), where the willow is considered to be a main symbol of the festival due to its prosperity.

Historical existence

Whether or not Liễu Hạnh was a historical person is a subject of debate, as accounts for her life are difficult to match to a proper timeline. The earliest written account for her existence was in the 1880s by A. Landes, a French colonialist. He places her appearance at sometime between 1428-1433. However the vast majority of stories claim her birth to be at the year 1557, including Đoàn Thị Điểm. In 1750 Adriano di St. Thecla, an Italian missionary both commented on the popularity of the cult, and that Liễu Hạnh had indeed been a historical person.