Cao Bang is a mountainous province with many ethnic groups living together such as: Tay, Nung, Mong, Hoa, Kinh... with unique cultural features in the spiritual life of each ethnic group, such as the Cau Hoa - Xo Bjooc ceremony (child praying ceremony) of the Tay - Nung people.
The Cau Hoa - Xo Bjooc ceremony is a child-praying ritual of the Tay - Nung people in Cao Bang, especially rural families still often come to it when in need.
According to spiritual perception, the cause of infertility is decided by Mrs. Nguyet (also known as the Mother of the Nation). Any family that has been married for a long time but has no children will invite Mrs. Then (the Goddess) to perform a flower praying ceremony, which means asking “mê bjoóc” (Mother of Flowers) to grant them “golden flowers, silver flowers” (“Bjoóc kim, bjoóc ngan” symbolizes a son or daughter). Then will perform the ceremony and make a symbolic bridge out of two pieces of bamboo, with a talisman drawn on it, and place it at a three-way intersection where many people pass by. Some places take núc nác wood and carve it into the shape of a long fish, draw scales and a talisman on it, then bury two stakes at the two ends of the fish’s tail, raise it to shoulder level, and bury it across a ditch or a place where many people pass by. According to spirituality, people have a flower bridge. If this bridge is broken, the flowers cannot reach it, so it is necessary to perform a ceremony to rebuild the flower bridge. Then lady must send soldiers to get agarwood to re-pave the bridge, repair the rotten parts, and then sing an excerpt of the flower bridge, as follows:
The dog aims at the right position.
cage cage
East direction fire south successor
West direction is cool and peaceful
The south side of the royal palace
North direction pushes five blessings three blessings.
(Rough translation: The bridge head is pounded firmly - The ground is pounded firmly - The east direction is prosperous, the south is the successor - The west direction is cool and peaceful - The south direction is the royal palace - The north direction is the direction of five blessings and three blessings).
It is also possible that the flowers cannot return because of the mastiff or the poodle blocking the way. A ceremony to behead the mastiff or the poodle is needed for the flowers to return. When performing the ceremony to pray for children, the family must prepare a separate altar for Then. The altar includes many things depending on the requirements of each Then, but in general, some things are indispensable, including 3 bowls of rice with incense, 1 bowl of rice with a chicken egg, 1 small mirror, 1 bowl of water with grapefruit leaves, pig's head, boiled chicken, cigarettes, a few packs of candy and the indispensable "co bjoóc" flower tree placed in a bowl of rice. The "co bjoóc" tree is actually the shape of phoenixes cut out of paper, attached to a bamboo stick so that when attached, they spread out to form a circle. Below the flower is the shape of a person also cut out of paper. The excerpt of Mother Mother dividing the flowers has the following content:
Ta Ba Nguyet will only meet
The cage of the lower world is full of treasures ...
The guy is so funny and cool.
The speed of the car is very fast.
The sad, withered gourd calls me
The flower of the soursop tree is a patchwork of soursop leaves.
Oh my gosh! Hold on tight here …
The delicious dish is delicious.
The devil is the one who destroys the world.
(Rough translation: Thank you, Mrs. Nguyet, for sharing flowers to the human world... Mother divided flowers, packed them and brought them back - Don't let them fall on the way - Any flower that hasn't withered, please pass it on - Any flower that is still fresh and colorful will bloom - Oh mother! Don't regret the beautiful flowers... The promise will come to fruition in spring - Husband and wife, we thank you for your kindness).
During the ceremony, Then brings a lot of yellow and silver flowers (multi-colored paper flowers) to put on a fan. After singing the above part, he sweeps or fans the homeowner's shirt so that the flowers stick to the shirt, as if the Mother Goddess had given him the flowers. The homeowner will fold the shirt and put it in a chest. In addition, "co bjoóc" symbolizes the flowers received from the Mother Goddess and will be given to the homeowner by the Mother Goddess. The incense bowl with paper flowers is placed by the homeowner in the most solemn place in the couple's room.
At this point, the prayer ceremony is almost over. The host will prepare food and drink to invite Then and those who come to attend the ceremony. One thing that Then pays close attention to is the time to leave the host's house. Then must check the time in advance and leave the house exactly at the chosen time, not earlier or later. If it is still early, Then can tell fortunes for those who come to attend the ceremony. When Then leaves, it depends on the host's heart but must be commensurate with the effort that Then has put into performing the ceremony. According to custom, when the ceremony is finished, the host must prepare half a chicken, half a duck, a piece of boiled meat, rice, half a pig's head, a live duck, a small live chicken called "cây mắm".
I don’t know if the prayer ceremony is really effective or not, but people in my hometown still come to relieve their normal desires. When faith is created, people become healthier and happier, which is a good thing for life.
Dang Mui Mui
Source: https://baocaobang.vn/le-cau-hoa-xo-bjooc-3173897.html
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