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www.shamansociety.org 17 E ssay The Wandering Souls of Viet NamFirst Published in International Deep Memory Association Journal Summer 2007 by Edward Tick PhD One Life is difficult full of unexpected challenges and threats. Many people do not complete its journey in peace or with good fortune. Whether from warfare at sea while travel- ing or from accidents or illnesses people may die violently and unexpectedly far from home and loved ones. Many traditional cultures from around the world have believed that when people die this way their souls whether on this plane or anothermay be traumatized stuck in a limbo unable to move on to the land of the dead or in their cycles of reincarnation. In ancient Vietnamese belief if a person dies violently or without leaving children to remember them the soul becomes trapped wandering in this world and unable to continue its jour- ney toward reincarnation. In Viet Nam a wandering soul is called co hon. Peasants report seeing and hearing wandering souls gather to lament in jungle valleys and riverbeds.1 In Viet Nam the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the Day of Wandering Souls. It is a time eighteenth century poet Nguyen Du wrote when rain falls like a ceaseless weeping . . . and pear trees scatter their tears like dew their dew like tears.2 The Vietnamese say that on this national holiday the full moon is crying. On this day people tend uncared for graves all over the country leaving porridge or bean and lentil cookies for the home- less souls to eat. Whether lost at sea on a long journey or missing in action during war when families accept that their loved one is dead but the body will not be recovered they build a Ma Gio a Windy Tomb.This is an empty tomb that serves as home and altar for the wandering soul to find rest among his relations. With more than 2- million dead from the American War alone tombs in Viet Nam sprout like rice. Many are in large mili- tary cemeteries for Northern and Viet Cong dead only there are no such honorific cemeteries for the dead of the southern army who were allied to the United States. The military cemeteries con- tain central patriotic statues in socialist realism style accompanied by a motto declaring The Motherland Honors Your Sacrifice. Countless other tombs are in small family or village plots where war dead are buried along with ancestors who are worshipped for four generations a full century. Viet Nam is not only overpopulated with the dead. While the United States still has about 2000 Missing in Action Viet Nam has million. Tran Dinh Song from Da Nang is a 56 year old teacher and tour guide. Though against the war because everyone had to serve Song was a southern air force officer. Songs family history in both war and peace demonstrates how wandering souls can af- fect the living and the prevalence beliefs and practices of tending wandering souls in Viet Nam. Because of their war losses typical for nearly every family in Viet Nam Songs family has built two windy tombs. _________________________________________________ Opposite Photo by David Wilmot.