APPROACHING THE BELIEF OF THANH HOANG IN SOUTHEASTERN VIETNAM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FUNCTIONAL THEORY

Abstract

The belief in Thanh Hoang (tutelary deities) is an important part of the spiritual life of Vietnamese village communities. This article focuses on analyzing the belief in Thanh Hoang in the Southeast region of Vietnam not only as a folk religious phenomenon but also as a specific socio-cultural institution reflecting the needs for organization and stability of the community life of Vietnamese residents during their migration and settlement in the Southeast region. Based on fieldwork at two typical communal houses, Tan Lan communal house  (Dong Nai Province) and Tan An communal house (Binh Duong Province), the author analyzes the typical functions of this belief from the functionalist approach of Radcliffe-Brown and Malinowski to clarify the prominent functions of the Thanh Hoang belief, including: This psychological function reflects the community’s reliance on the supernatural protection of Thanh Hoang deities as a source of spiritual reassurance; the community cohesion function, maintaining order, organizing festival activities, educating morality and shaping local cultural values, fostering village solidarity, and expressing a sense of origin.