Abstract

The cấp sắc ordination ritual represents a significant milestone in the Then practices of the Nung people, marking an individual’s transition from apprentice to officially recognized Then master and establishing their authority and legitimacy to conduct religious rituals. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Binh Gia, Lang Son Province, and documentary analysis, this article applies Arnold van Gennep’s (1960) theory of rites of passage and Victor Turner’s (1969) concept of liminality to examine the cấp sắc ritual from the perspective of the anthropology of religion. The findings indicate that the ritual not only marks the completion of an apprenticeship but also functions as a mechanism of religious authorization. It legitimizes the status of Then masters and transforms the identity of individuals believed to possess a spiritual calling for Then practice through their simultaneous recognition by supernatural beings and the community. Based on these findings, the article conceptualizes the cấp sắc ritual as a mechanism of ritual authorization and legitimation, thereby offering an additional anthropological perspective on the study of Then practices in Vietnam.

Keywords: Cấp sắc, Nung people, rite of passage, ritual practitioners, Then.