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Cults of Water Deities in the Context of State and Local Deities' Relationship Under the Nguyễn Dynasty
Nováková, Barbora ; Maršálek, Jakub (advisor) ; Zemánek, Marek (referee) ; Otčenášek, Jakub (referee)
The topic of this work is water deities under the Nguyễn dynasty (1802-1945) in the context of state's relationship with local deities. Vietnamese rulers were striving to integrate locally worshipped deities into the state cultic system throughout Vietnamese history, and these efforts climaxed under the Nguyễn, the last Vietnamese dynasty, whose state cult stemmed from older Vietnamese tradition of the Confucian repertoire. Based on study of primary sources this work addresses the relationship of state power and local deities in 19th century. This relationship was differentiated, dynamic and full of compromises, despite the proclaimed state's power over local deities. Focusing on water deities and trying to classify them the state power's tendency to penetrate remote parts of the realm as well as its lowest administrative levels through official recognition of local deities is apparent. Within this process local water deities were transformed from ambivalent nature deities into quasihistorical heroes embodying state promoted Confucian values. These tendencies are apparent in the case of specific water deities, brothers Trương Hống and Trương Hát, worshipped in Bắc Ninh province in the north Vietnam. Key words water deities, religion, Vietnam, religious policy, Confucianism, Nguyễn dynasty
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