INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS
1. Student's full name:Ha Phuong Anh
2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: 21/6/2001
4. Place of birth:Hanoi
5. Decision to recognize student number: 5626/QD-XHNVDay 29 month 12 year 2023 by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
6. Changes in the training process:Extension of study period according to Decision No. 9028/QD-XHNV dated December 23, 2025, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
7. Thesis Title:Accessing source materials and beginning to explore the literary value of lyrics in the Chau Van folk singing style.
8. Major:LiteratureCode: 8229030
9. Scientific supervisor:Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Vuong, Dr. Do Thu Hien
10. Summary of the thesis results:
This thesis initially approaches Chầu Văn from a literary perspective, specifically examining the literary value of the lyrics in Chầu Văn melodies. Based on collected and compared sources, the thesis identifies Chầu Văn not only as a form of singing used in rituals to worship the Mother Goddesses of the Three and Four Realms, but also as a system of linguistic texts with its own structure, imagery, tone, and aesthetic value.
The first result of this thesis is the theoretical framework of Chầu Văn within the context of ritual literature and the environment of Mother Goddess worship. The thesis points out that Chầu Văn is a holistic phenomenon, combining lyrics, music, rhythm, performance, and the worship space. Therefore, when studying Chầu Văn, it cannot be viewed solely as a ritual song, but neither should the lyrics be separated from the practice environment that produced and sustained it.
The second result is that the thesis has initially clarified the literary content and artistic imagery system in the Chầu Văn texts. These texts are typically organized according to the following pattern: introducing the name, origin, or status of the saint; establishing the dwelling place and scope of their dominion; recounting their achievements, relics, or miraculous manifestations; and finally, culminating in praise, prayers, and blessings. Through this, the saints are not only present as objects of worship, but are also recreated as artistic figures with their own history, qualities, powers, and relationships with the community.
The third result is that the thesis clarifies the aesthetic and spiritual value of Chầu Văn (a type of Vietnamese folk singing). The chants not only express belief in the sacred world but also reflect familiar Vietnamese moral values such as gratitude, remembrance of origins, filial piety, virtuous conduct, and prayers for peace and blessings. The sacred sites, place names, achievements, and natural imagery in Chầu Văn contribute to preserving cultural memory while simultaneously beautifying the community's religious experience.
The fourth result is a thesis analyzing Chầu Văn from the perspective of poetics and performance. Chầu Văn commonly uses the lục bát (six-eight) and song thất lục bát (seven-six-eight) verse forms, as well as flexible variations, creating a rhyming foundation for the chanted verses, making the text easy to remember, transmit, and convenient for singing in rituals. At the same time, the difference between the verses for worship/invocation and the verses for spirit mediumship shows that the chanted verses always operate according to their purpose: sometimes solemn and stable in worship; sometimes flexible and lively in spirit mediumship.
The novelty of this thesis lies in emphasizing Chầu Văn as an open-ended form of ritual literature. The literary value of the Chầu Văn lyrics lies not only in the words, imagery, poetic form, or tone, but is also perfected within the performance environment, where the text is activated through the singing of the Chầu Văn singers, rhythm, the movements of the mediums, costumes, props, the worship space, and the participation of the community. Therefore, the thesis affirms that Chầu Văn needs further research as an interdisciplinary subject, particularly in the following areas: collecting and comparing different versions, studying the poetics of the text, surveying performance, the role of the Chầu Văn singers, and the transformation of Chầu Văn in contemporary life.
11. Practical applications:
The results of this thesis can be used as a reference in research and teaching on folklore, ritual literature, Mother Goddess worship, and Chau Van art. Approaching Chau Van from a literary perspective provides an additional viewpoint alongside studies on music, beliefs, and performance. Furthermore, the thesis can contribute to the collection, preservation, and promotion of Chau Van heritage, particularly in recognizing the value of Chau Van lyrics as an important part of Vietnamese spiritual and cultural life.
12. Future research directions:
Based on the initial findings of this thesis, research on Chầu Văn (a type of Vietnamese folk singing) can be further expanded in several directions. First, it is necessary to collect, systematize, and compare different versions of Chầu Văn to clarify the transmission and transformation process of the text. In addition, a deeper study of the poetics of each text group, such as Mẫu Văn, Quan Văn, Chầu Văn, Cô Văn, and Cậu Văn, is possible. Another direction is to examine Chầu Văn in specific performance practices, paying attention to the roles of the ritual singers, mediums, the ritual space, and the community's reception in contemporary life.
13. Published works related to the thesis: None
INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS
1. Full name: HaPhuong Anh2. Sex: Female
3. Date of birth: 21/6/2001 4. Place of birth: HaNoi
5. Admission decision number:5626/QD-XHNVDated29/12/2023
6. Changes in academic process:Study period extended in accordance with Decision No. 9028/QD-XHNV dated December 23, 2025, issued by the Rector of the VNU University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
(List the forms of change and corresponding times)
7. Official thesis title:Approaching the source material and taking the first step to understand the literature values in Chau Van's lyrics
8. Major: Literature 9. Code:8229030
10. Supervisors:Professor Tran Ngoc Vuong, Ph.D. Do Thu Hien
11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:
The thesis initially approaches chau van from a literary perspective, specifically by examining the literary value of lyrics in chau van melodies. Based on collected and compared sources, the thesis identifies adoration not only as a form of singing used in the rituals of the Mother Goddess worship of the Three/Four Realms, but also as a system of verbal texts with its own structure, imagery, tone, and aesthetic value.
The first result of the thesis is that it defines adoration within the broader context of ritual literature and the environment of Mother Goddess worship. The thesis shows that adoration is a syncretic phenomenon, combining lyrics, music, rhythm, performance, and sacred space. Therefore, adoration should not be regarded merely as ritual singing, nor should its lyrics be separated from the ritual environment that produced and sustains them.
The second result is that the thesis initially clarifies the literary content and system of artistic images in adoration of texts. These texts are often organized according to a common pattern: introducing the name, origin, or status of the deity; establishing the sacred space and sphere of authority; recounting merits, sacred legends, or miraculous manifestations; and finally moving toward praise, supplication, and blessing. Through this structure, the deities appear not only as objects of worship but also as artistic images with background, qualities, power, and relationships with the community.
The third result is that the thesis clarifies the aesthetic and spiritual values of adoration. Adoration lyrics not only express belief in the sacred world but also reflect familiar Vietnamese moral values such as gratitude, remembrance of origins, filial piety, moral orientation, prayers for peace, and blessings. Sacred legends, place names, merits, and images of nature in adoration help preserve cultural memory while aestheticizing the community's religious experience.
The fourth result is that the thesis analyzes prose from the perspectives of poetics and performance. Chau Van commonly uses Luc Bat, Song That Luc Bat, and flexible variations, creating a rhythmic foundation that makes the texts easy to remember, transmit, and sing in ritual contexts. At the same time, the distinction between worship/invocation texts and mediumship texts shows that adoration lyrics function according to their purposes: solemn and stable in worship rituals, yet flexible and dynamic in spiritual mediumship rituals.
12. Practical applicability, if any:
The results of the thesis can be used as a reference for research and teaching in the fields of folk literature, ritual literature, Mother Goddess worship, and the art of adoration literature. Approaching prose from a literary perspective helps provide an additional viewpoint alongside studies on music, belief, and performance. In addition, the thesis may contribute to the collection, preservation, and introduction of Chua Van heritage, especially in eliminating the value of Chua Van lyrics as an important component of the spiritual and cultural life of the Vietnamese people.
13. Further research directions, if any:
Based on the initial findings of the thesis, research on Chau Van can be further expanded in several directions. First, it is necessary to collect, systematize, and compare different versions of adoration texts in order to clarify their transmission and transformation. In addition, further studies may examine the poetics of specific groups of texts, such as texts dedicated to the Mother Goddesses, the Mandarins, the Ladies, the Young Female Spirits, and the Young Male Spirits. Another direction is to study adoration in concrete performance practices, with attention to the roles of the ritual singer, the spiritual medium, the ritual space, and community reception in contemporary life.
14. Thesis-related publications: None
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