During the practice of the ‘hau dong’ ritual, the participants appear to be fascinated by the mystery of the costumes (including headgear and dresses) in incarnations (gia chau). The costumes seem strange but very close to and imbued with Vietnamese identity.

‘Hau dong’ is a particularly attractive ritual in the religion of Mother Goddesses Worship, and costumes are an indispensable part of this ritual. Vietnamese people called the costumes of mediums are ‘khan chau, ao ngu’ which means the clothes of the goddesses. Therefore, the mediums must conduct a ceremony to present the costumes and blow incense through the headgear and dresses before using them. The costumes are combined with spiritual elements to create the uniqueness for each incarnation.

Each ‘hau dong’ ritual includes up to 36 gia (incarnations) because, according to the tradition, there are 36 goddesses ranging in level who always protect people. Accordingly, the 36 goddesses each have a different costume used under the strict regulations for each incarnation. These costumes are very diverse in design and can vary in different localities depending on the local culture; however, they must follow strict common regulations on style, colour and jewellery. Red robe and a veil are the most important items in this traditional ritual. In addition, there are women’s costumes for Chau Ba (Holy Dames) and Thanh Co (Royal Damsels) as well as men’s clothes for Quan Lon (Great Mandarins) and Thanh Cau (Young Princes).

  A veil is a one of the most important items in a ‘hau dong’ ritual.

Notably, each feature in the religion has their origins and stories, so later generations designed their costumes based on their stories. For example, the royal damsels originated from the forests such as Co Be Thuong Ngan dress as women of ethnic minorities, while the damsels from the delta wear ao tu than (the traditional five-flap long dress) and carry shoulder poles and hangers like Kinh ethnic women. The costumes of Holy Dames are very beautiful with colourful patterns because they are reincarnations of the mothers. Meanwhile, the costumes of Great Mandarins and Ong Hoang (Princes) are extremely majestic and beautiful like the mandarins in the feudal dynasties.

Along with the clothes and dresses, the jewellery and accessories such as fans, headgears, hats and shoes are also very beautiful. They are beautifully and sophisticatedly crafted from various materials such as silver, colourful stones and jade.

Beautiful costumes and jewellery help mediums, participants and followers more excited. Looking at the system of costumes and jewellery in the ‘hau dong’ ritual, viewers can see the richness of traditional costumes of many ethnic groups through different periods.

  The changes of costumes must be based on the ancient rules left by the ancestors.

According to artisan Nguyen Duc Hien, who have devoted to the promotion of Mother Goddesses Worship, the costumes for ‘hau dong’ ritual feature the beauty of Gods and Goddesses, they are not for a fashion show. Whether the clothes are simple or sophisticated, brocade or embroidered with dragons, the most important thing is that the mediums must have a respect and dignified mind. It is not permitted to consider the ‘hau dong’ ritual as a chance to show off costumes and wealth.