The term "Đạo Mẫu" refers to the worship of mother goddesses in Vietnam. While scholars like Ngô Đức Thịnh propose that it represents a systematic mother goddess cult, the term draws together fairly disparate beliefs and practices. These include the worship of goddesses such as Thiên Y A Na

Thiên Y A Na

Thiên Y A Na is a Vietnamese goddess. She is worshipped in what is referred to by some as Đạo Mẫu, the mother goddess religion. She is also known as Pô Nagar, the Cham deity from whom she originated. The Cham people of Vietnam had been much influenced by India, and it is believed that Pô Nagar is...

, The Lady of the Realm (Bà Chúa Xứ

Ba Chua Xu

Bà Chúa Xứ is a prosperity goddess from southern Vietnam, a supporter of business, health, and a protector of the Vietnamese border. She is housed in Vĩnh Tế village at the foot of Sam Mountain, near Cambodia...

), The Lady of the Storehouse (Bà Chúa Kho) and Princess Liễu Hạnh

Lieu Hanh

Princess Lieu Hanh is one of The Four Immortals and also a leading figure in the mother goddess cult Đạo Mẫu, in which she governs the celestial realm. Her personal cult was created by women in the Nam Dinh Province, in the village of Van Cat...

, legendary figures like Âu Cơ

Au Co

Âu Cơ , according to the creation myth of the Vietnamese people, was an immortal mountain fairy who married Lạc Long Quân , and bore an egg sac that hatched a hundred children known collectively as Baiyue, ancestors to the Vietnamese people...

, the Trung Sisters

Trung Sisters

The Trưng sisters were leaders who rebelled against Chinese rule for three years, and are regarded as national heroines of Vietnam. Their names are Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị ....

 (Hai Bà Trưng), and Lady Trieu (Bà Triệu), as well as the cult of the Four Palaces. Đạo Mẫu is commonly associated with spirit mediumship

Mediumship

Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...

 rituals—known in Vietnam as lên đồng—much as practiced in other parts of Asia, such as Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Although the Communist government had initially proscribed the practice of such rituals, deeming them to be superstitions, they relented in 1987, once again legalizing their practice.