Religious Activities and Economy (Research on the Vietnamese’s Mother Goddesses Worship in the Red River Delta of Vietnam)

Abstract

The Mother Goddess worship of the Vietnamese in
the Red River Delta is a folk belief that was born early in
history. By the time, the worship of Mother Goddesses has
changed to reflect the change of Vietnamese society in
different historical periods. Before the sixteenth century, the
worship had attached to the agricultural economy. After the
16th century, it gradually reflected the commodity economy
with the emerging of traders’ roles (through the image of
Princess Lieu Hanh and Three Realms). So far, the worship of
Mother Goddesses has been developed in close relationship
with commercial activities. A series of Mother Goddesses
temples were built along the North-South trade road with the
participation of businessmen, traders. Believers found their
spiritual support to be able to confidently participate in
economic activities when participating in the worship
activities, the communities who lived around the temples were
also influenced (in terms of economic life).