Animism
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The oldest peasant religion in Vietnam was known as Animism or ancestor worship. This system of belief was most common among the peasant or laboring class. It is not a basic theology per se, but more a system of reverence for deceased family members as well as all living things. This respect was manifested in many dramatic rituals, as well as alters and other constructed buildings. It was not uncommon for Vietnamese peasants to dedicate large amounts of time to this form of worship.
It was often believed that the dead would aid in harvest and fertility rites. If there was a famine or flood, it could be interpreted as someone's relative making a commotion in the heavens. Because of the connection between these beliefs and agricultural yield, the family are always incredibly devout. Due to the difficult nature of rice farming, one poor crop could cause a family to starve. The Vietnamese worshipped their ancestors as the source of their lives, their fortunes, and their civilizations (Fire in the Lake, 11)
Many of these rituals were seen as primarily superstitious by nature, and as a result were rebuffed by the intellectuals who preferred Confucianism. The classes were divided in this manner, Animist peasants and Confucian leadership.
Animism blended well with Buddhism and added a new dimension onto the belief system. When Buddhism was added to the previous practices of ancestor worship it became an inseparable element of peasant practices. So in effect, the peasants practiced both, not forsaking the old or rejecting the new.
