Once coming to Binh Dinh, we were invited to attend a meeting organized by 30 local elderly people in Thien Chanh 2 hamlet, Tam Quan Bac commune, Hoai Nhon district. They discussed the construction of whale temple. Whales are revered as the sacred guardians that protect fishermen from dangers at sea.
To fishermen the whale is a good-natured friend. They never hurt living whales which often help them when they are in danger at sea. The fishermen believe that whale can calm the waves and lead seafarers to shelter. He is known as ‘ngu ong’, which means ‘Mr. Whale’. Such a prosaic title is a mark of both fear and reverence, a god so powerful that even to speak its name is courting danger.
The whale god is often worshipped at a temple which is built along the sea, backing the fishing village and facing the sea.
The eldest person in Tam Quan Bac doesn’t know when the cult of the whale god began. “The worship of the whale god usually takes place on the day when a dead whale was washed up onto the beach,” said Tran Bap. “In Tam Quan Bac, the whale festival is often held on March 27, July 3, and February 6.”
Like many local people in the commune, the old fisherman Nguyen Dinh always shows his respect when talking about the whale. “Unlike other marine animals, “Mr. Whale” is always washed onto a beach when being dead,” he said.
Traditionally, the carcasses of whales that have died natural deaths are buried with great respect and ritual ceremonies. After three years, the bones are exhumed, shrouded and carried to the temple to be worshipped, as if the creature was a beloved community god.
“We often organize a solemn funeral for a dead whale. He who firstly finds the carcasses of whales must eat vegetarian food and lies on the ground in three consecutive days,” said Le Chinh. “He is responsible for burying the dead whale and being in mourning. During the funeral, he has to wear a red “ao dai” and sits beside the whale until the burial is completed.”
After three years, the exhumation is often held in the spring. The bones are cleaned with alcohol and then shrouded and carried to the temple. “The bones are cleaned again four years later before being dried out,” Chinh said. “All bones are stored in a trunk. Bones of the whale that died first are put at a high position.”
The locals in Thien Chanh 2 annually organize the whale worshipping ceremony and the Cau Ngu festival together, praying for a good fishing harvest. On festival days, the temples are decorated with flower garlands, while colourful lanterns are hung during the night. There are also cultural activities including hat boi (classical drama performances) and hat ba trao (traditional folk songs).
To show the respect for the whale, two whale temples were built. Walking along the path, Dinh took us to a whale temple. After wearing a red dress and ready-to-wear turban, he burnt incense and opened the trunk, letting us see the carcasses of whales.
“The temple was built in 1981 after the old one had been destroyed in the war,” Dinh said. “The local residents now want to build a big temple, so we held a meeting to discuss this issue.”
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