"The Dead Are Walking" Vietnamese Ghost Tale?

[Ulalume]

Years ago, a friend told me a rather spooky story from her grandmother's youth, and I'm hoping to find more information about it.

My friend's grandmother had grown up in Vietnam. I don't know exactly where, only that it was a rural village surrounded by rice fields, with a single road through it. Late one night, her own grandmother had woken her and told her to come outside because "the dead are walking".

The little girl obligingly went out with the rest of her family, to see a long procession of ghosts silently walking down the moonlit road. All the villagers were outside watching, also in silence.

My friend questioned her grandmother if these hadn't been people wearing costumes, and the grandmother said no, the ghosts had been translucent. Also, their feet did not meet the road, so they were gliding slightly above it.

The villagers watched respectfully until the last ghost had passed, then turned and went back into their houses. According to the grandmother, nothing more was said about it, but the whole scene had left a deep impression on her.

My friend had the idea - perhaps from something her grandmother had said - that this procession of ghosts was something that happened every so often, although her grandmother had only seen it once. Unfortunately, there was no further information available, so it was all rather mysterious.

I've searched online for similar stories, but have come up with nothing. Am hoping someone here who's familiar with the region might know something, or have a similar tale.

Anyone?

 

[escargot]

Dunno, but what a brilliant story!

 

[JamesWhitehead]

It does seem to fit in with the cultural concept of a Ghost Festival.

Reducing it to a procession of masqueraders would be a shame, though!

 

[Frideswide]

I can't help but that is going to stay with me!

Yithian and Krepostnoi seem to be good on what used to be called "tales from other lands".

 

[Krepostnoi]

I can't help but that is going to stay with me!

Yithian and Krepostnoi seem to be good on what used to be called "tales from other lands".

My Father-in-law is Vietnamese, as it happens. However, as it happens, he is also my father-in-law - for a variety of reasons he may not be willing to enter into a discussion of such matters. And if he should agree to do so, we will each be discussing it in a second language. With ordinary luck, we should be seeing him in a month or so. With all those hints that someone else might be able to find out sooner caveats, I will endeavour to raise it with him.

 

[Yithian]

Nothing immediately suggests itself, but were we to strip out the ostensibly supernatural elements and attribute them to childhood embelishment, I am put in mind of a traditional funeral procession.

I won't pretend to be an expert, although I did witness one purely by chance a few years ago. Traditions vary from country to country, but mourners dress in white and carry various banners with prayers and messages written on them. The one I saw took place at dusk and was wonderfully eerie despite being on the outskirts of a big town and not some remote village. There was a lot of silence from the party with a few invocations from the figure I took to be the shamen.

Perhaps funerals would also match the 'every so often' description.

Just a thought.

 

[Coastaljames]

I lived in Thailand for around 6 years, leaving in 2007. Ghosts there are considered real and ever-present. The spirit realm is ours. Every day they believe themselves surrounded by them and often interacting.

I was lucky enough to spend many nights with Thai country people. Sitting outside all through the night, snoozing there in the heat. The jungle was close and felt like a living being, which I guess it is. Hushed voices, gentle chatter throughout the night. Much of it concerning spirits and the dead. Spoken of respectfully and carefully. The dark night and dark jungle, people of speaking of things and beings being close, passing through where we were sitting and lying. Ever-present ghosts...some benevolent some not so, some like us some very much not like us, all with different emotions and roles. Very spiritual, primal and real.

Thanks for sharing Ulame. Personally, I wouldn't dig any deeper. It is what it is.

 

[Frideswide]

I will endeavour to raise it with him.

hero! Have some chocolate......

 

[GerdaWordyer]

On other forums, I have read that in much of Asia, butterflies are souls. Good and lovely, but wishful?

 

[Coastaljames]

^ That idea is very much part of Japanese classical mythology yes

 

[Ulalume]

Hi all, sorry for the late reply. My computer is on the blink, so I'm having to type this on a tiny, cheap phone. Apologies for any mistakes.

Krepostnoi, Yithian, Coastaljames -
You all have brought up good points. A couple of things spring to mind...

"The dead are walking" seems like such a specific phrase. Could this be a clue?
Would this phrase necessarily mean ghosts in Vietnamese language and culture, or could it mean something else?

Are there any ghost month ceremonies or funeral rites that specifically would take place late at night?

The stories I've found online indicate that ghosts walking the countryside at night would be menacing. Are there any circumstances in which people would feel compelled to bear witness to them?

I understand the hesitation to bring up the subject. I Can't help being curious, though! It's far too intriguing.

 

[Coastaljames]

I'm not an expert. However - I would say that the concept of ceremonies or rites are very tied into the small-sclae rather than the larger. What I mean by that is that mythology and ritual is rarely on the national level in rural SE Asia, instead it can be very village-specific or even family-specific.

So, the context of such an event would be very much locally-specific, nothing if anything written down. The context, the meaning, the tone would be rather unique and impossible for us to generalise upon.

 

[Krepostnoi]

There's something in that, CJ. One of my persistent impressions of Vietnam is the ease and fluidity with which people there incorporate ritual into their daily routines along with very mundane, secular activities. It's a fundamental part of their lives, but performed with no particular fuss or aggrandisement that I can detect - it's simply another thing that needs to be done, and so it is done. Granted, I haven't spent much time in rural areas, but the living presence of small ritual activity in the big cities really stood out to my Western, agnostic eye.

 

[Coastaljames]

^ That's really well put. Infinitely more articulate than what I managed old bean, so thanks. I agreed with all the points you've made.

One thing tho - if you've spent time in SE Asian cities then you've spent time with rural people. The cities are so new that the vast majority are migrants from rural areas. And without doubt, they bring their customs and magick with them.

 

[JamesWhitehead]

without doubt, they bring their customs and magick with them.

It is this period of rural-to-urban transition which seems to trigger powerful myths, social panics and witch-hunts.

Quite a long time ago on this board, it was pointed out that monkey-man attacks in India (I think they were in India) were analogues of Spring-Heeled Jack panics in 19th Century England. Mass fainting-fits etc. could also be related to these times of wrenching social change.

All a bit reductionist. Probably these demons are awaiting their opportunity!

 

[Coastaljames]

It is this period of rural-to-urban transition which seems to trigger powerful myths, social panics and witch-hunts.

Good call mate. I think there is an element of when people are away from home they actually exaggerate their local customs, a way to feel more at home.

 

[Krepostnoi]

I'm spending Halloween in Vung Tau , with my father-in-law, among others. What better occasion to raise this story with him, on this night of all nights? So I paraphrased Ulalume's friend's grandmother's story into pretty good Russian, even though I say it myself, and...

Nothing. He's never heard the like. Sorry.

Now, of course , he is one individual, from a diverse country, so this is not by itself a conclusive refutation of the OP , but I'm afraid it does mean this particular line of enquiry is a dead-end.

 

[Ulalume]

I'm spending Halloween in Vung Tau , with my father-in-law, among others. What better occasion to raise this story with him, on this night of all nights? So I paraphrased Ulalume's friend's grandmother's story into pretty good Russian, even though I say it myself, and...

Nothing. He's never heard the like. Sorry.

Now, of course , he is one individual, from a diverse country, so this is not by itself a conclusive refutation of the OP , but I'm afraid it does mean this particular line of enquiry is a dead-end.

Ah, too bad. Thanks for trying, anyway.