For her, the sound of the Tinh lute and Then lyrics are preserved like a cultural memory stream for the Tay community in the border region.

Preserving Then memories across a century

Vi Thi Me (born in 1911), of the Tay ethnic group, was born into a family with a tradition of practicing Then. Since childhood, she followed her mother, Hoang Thi Ha, to practice Then rituals such as averting bad luck and praying for blessings, harvests, and health for local residents. During performance nights by the hearth, the sound of the Tinh lute blending with chants early on sowed a lasting love for ancient Then in the soul of the Tay girl.

Growing up in difficult living conditions, Me worked in production while practicing Then to help the community. For her, practicing Then is not a profession but a natural responsibility for those "destined and fated" with this heritage. This bond helped her master many “duong Then”, the ritual melodies with complex structures linked to specific spiritual purposes of the Tay people.

Duong Then (also known as ritual Then) refers to the distinctive melodies, ritual chants, and ceremonial procedures within the Then belief system of the Tay, Nung, and Thai ethnic groups in the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam.

In Luc Hon, Vi Thi Me is one of the very few artisans who still hold long duong Then that can be performed throughout the night. Each duong Then is a symbolic journey, leading the practitioner across mountains, rivers, and seas to offer sacrifices to deities, praying for peace, health, and bountiful crops for families and lineages.

Typical rituals she practiced include Hat khoan, a ceremony to wish for longevity and avert bad luck for grandparents and parents, usually held in January; or Lau Then, considered the greatest ritual for Then practitioners, usually occurring from December through January. When young, Me could independently handle these rituals in their entirety, from singing and playing the lute to dancing, without a single mistake.

Beyond memorizing many ancient Then melodies, Me mastered the use of musical instruments and ritual tools such as the Tinh lute, shaker bells, bells, and swords. These elements create a comprehensive performance space where music, belief, and folk knowledge blend closely, reflecting the characteristic worldview of the Tay people.

Passing the heritage to future generations

Alongside practicing Then, Me has dedicated much enthusiasm to teaching. She directly trained 25 students, also known as "con trang" (disciples). Among them, two have been awarded the title of Meritorious Artist by the State: Nong Thi Sin and Ha Thi Phuong in Luc Hon Commune.

“Those learning Then need more than just a singing voice and memory; they often need a spiritual destiny and a sense of responsibility to the community. I always tell my students that practicing Then is to help people and the village, not to make a living,” Me shared.

Previously, when her health was good enough, Me organized Lau Then annually at her home for students to gather, review, and practice rituals. These sessions not only helped maintain the craft but also served as a space to connect generations of Then practitioners in the region. Offerings were prepared from familiar products of mountainous agricultural residents, showing the tight link between Then and daily life.

In addition to teaching, Vi Thi Me was invited by cultural authorities to participate in surveys and documentation of ritual Then on multiple occasions. She still preserves an ancient Tinh lute, paintings, photographs, and various ritual tools, the artifacts of special value for research and preservation of Tay folk cultural heritage in Binh Lieu.

Me’s health has declined, with one eye nearly blind, and she can no longer directly perform Then rituals. Yet during family and disciple gatherings, she continues to recall each ancient melody - prayers for blessings, rain, and the dispelling of misfortune as a way of “keeping the craft alive” through memory and storytelling.

In 2022, Vi Thi Me was awarded the title of Meritorious Artisan by the President. Vi Tien Vuong, Chair of the Luc Hon Commune People’s Committee, said: “Me is a special case, embodying longevity, memory, and deep cultural knowledge. Through her, Then is not merely a preserved heritage but a living part of the community.”

My Dung