Vietnam shamans invoke spirits to cure all that ails
The ancient practice – previously restricted by colonial France and Vietnamese authorities – is enjoying a renaissance in the communist nation as officials ease constraints against it
Prolonged illness, spiritual possession, stress over family troubles: Len Dong, or Vietnamese shaman dance, posits itself as a cure for all ails.
The ancient practice – previously restricted by colonial France and Vietnamese authorities – is enjoying a renaissance in the communist nation as officials ease constraints against it.
Practioners promise to rid followers of evil spirits by using music to lure them out, they also pledge to pass on messages from the dead to the living.
“When I’m in service it seems that somebody lets me in, everything, every word I say, every move I make, I am not myself any more,” professional shaman La Thi Tam said.
In one of her hours-long ceremonies, draped in heavy silk robes, she dances to music, brandishing a sword to attack invisible enemies, periodically drinking and smoking.