In order to become a practitioner of the Tao religion, a Tay man is required to undergo the “cái lẩu Tào” ceremony, also known as a ceremony granting identity.
This is a particularly important ritual for the Tao shamans in the Tay community in Bac Kan province. The ceremony is usually conducted for 3 days and 2 nights and involves many rituals.
The person being granted identity in this case is Lưu Đình Hỷ, whose family has had 9 generations of religious practitioners. This is the first time in the village that someone has been granted identity, so family members, friends, and neighbours flock to celebrate.
After Tao shamans perform rituals to invite the ancestors, they perform other rituals according to their lineage’s beliefs. After receiving the seal, Hỷ officially became a Tào shaman.
The identity granting ceremony is a unique cultural feature of the Tay people in Bac Kan. Through the ceremony, we can better understand their concept of life./.
