The Thánh Trần worship (Vietnamese: tín ngưỡng thờ Đức Thánh Trần) is one of three branches of shamanism of Vietnamese folk religion (the other two are Đạo Mẫu and Nội Đạo Tràng). This shamanic belief is associated with the spirit of historical general Trần Hưng Đạo, who repulsed several invasions by the Mongol Empire and the Yuan dynasty. The temples are sometimes collectively called Trần Triều, literally "Trần dynasty".
Mediumship with the spirit of Thánh Trần is part of votive dance lên đồng mediumship and is particularly associated with Đạo Mẫu (道母), mother goddess worship.[1] Mediums are mainly female, possession of a male by the spirit is viewed as unusual.[2]
References
^Philip Taylor Modernity and Re-Enchantment: Religion in Post-Revolutionary Vietnam 2007 Page 239 "A female master medium of both Saint Trần and Mother Goddesses, as well as the owner of a Saint Trần shrine told me: If ... But if you are one of Saint Trần's children [con cái cửa Thánh], you can speak quietly or gently and students will still ..."
^Karen Fjelstad, Thị Hiền Nguyễn Possessed by the spirits: mediumship in contemporary Vietnamese ... Page 45 2006 "...possessed by Saint Tran, whereas male mediums seemed more hesitant to profess this. I met male mediums who became suspicious when Saint Tran was said to be incarnated into an ordinary medium."
