There are many research projects on the topic of "life", but there are not many research projects on "death", especially those that are meticulously researched and capable of recreating traditional customs. authentically old.
The book "Funerals of the An Nam people" by The Gioi publishing house, released by Nha Nam in September 2023. The book delves into the research and reproduction of the funeral customs of the An Nam people, portraying a comprehensive and extremely vivid picture of the funeral rituals of the Vietnamese people in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, through through the perspective of Gustave Dumoutier, a Western scholar knowledgeable about Vietnam.
Scholar Gustave Dumoutier has consulted many related ancient books published during the Nguyen Dynasty, especially books on worship, with complete records of Sanskrit - Chinese prayers, charm drawings, used in each school. funeral, something he could not do at a real funeral.
The book does not record the entire funeral program but selects to go deeper into some important steps such as: expulsion, binding of the soul, shroud, burial, rituals of worshiping and protecting against sudden death, and burial ceremony. , funerals, mausoleums, ancestor worship and reincarnation...
Ancient funeral practices that Vietnamese people still keep today include shroud, funeral, burial rituals, funeral trays, reburial customs... The book has an explanation section. about the concept and meaning of these important rituals.
Not using the lens of a Westerner following a monotheistic religion, scholar Gustave Dumoutier also made deeper observations and identified the complexity of spiritual cultural life in Vietnam as a sacred forest.
His work with meticulous notes, explanations of each concept and, importantly, evidence, therefore has very contemporary value, and is a valuable document in looking back at traditional culture.
The research volume is divided into several parts. The first part talks about rituals before and after someone dies.
Sutras; mantra; wills are read before and during the funeral rite; types of burial charms and their meanings; rituals that need to be performed; rituals to carry out burials; Feng shui in making graves and funerals.
The second part focuses on the soul after death and reincarnation. In this part, the author recreates traditional beliefs about the soul after death, the 10 levels of hell and reincarnation.
Finally, there is an appendix with rich information about mourning clothes, a list of terms and a photo appendix for readers to study further.
"Funerals of the An Nam people" is considered a valuable book, worth reading as it records the rituals of the final journey in a person's life.
