Bà Đen

Bà Đen (Chữ Nôm: 婆黰) or Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu (Chữ Hán: 靈山聖母), is the goddess of Black Virgin Mountain, worshiped mainly in the Mekong Delta.

Bà Đen
Bà Đen statue in her temple at Black Virgin Mountain
Other namesLinh Sơn Thánh Mẫu (靈山聖母)
Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu Bồ Tát (靈山聖母菩薩)[1]
ConsortCậu Bảy Tây Ninh
Linh Sơn Tiên Thạch Temple in Black Virgin Mountain

Mythology

In the past, Bà Đen mountain was also known as Một mountain, there was a temple worshiping a stone Buddha image. On the full moon day, the first day, people in the area often come here to worship Buddha. Among the devout, there is a girl from Trảng Bàng named Lý Thiên Hương, who also often comes here to worship. Although the girl has dark skin, she has an underground charm, so many boys notice, among them is the son of a mandarin in Trảng Bàng district. Once returning home from a mountain temple, Lý Thiên Hương was teased by the servants of the son of the district mandarin. In the midst of danger, she was liberated by a man who was good at martial arts in the same hometown named Lê Sĩ Triệt. From gratitude, they have come to love.

But at that time, the enemy arose in many places, and Lê Sĩ Triệt was called into the army. The girl at home waits alone. One day, on the way to the temple on Mount Một, she was picked up by the servants of the district mandarin's son. While she was in the middle of the forest, she jumped into a deep pit of death. The abbot at the mountain temple was informed in a dream, found her body, buried it properly, and built a temple. Since then, through rumors, people come to worship more and more. Based on Lý Thiên Hương's skin color, people call her Bà Đen (Black Lady). The name of Mount Một also gradually changed to Black Virgin Mountain.[2][3]

See also

References
  1. Phật giáo các tỉnh và thành phố tại vùng Nam Bộ. Hồng Đức. December 11, 2020. p. 332. ISBN 9786043184785.
  2. Lễ hội Việt Nam. Hương Giang Cultural Company. p. 1038.
  3. "Truyền thuyết về bà Linh Sơn Thánh Mẫu núi Bà Đen - Tây Ninh". Retrieved June 13, 2023.
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