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According to traditional beliefs, the Pà Thẻn people are deeply influenced by polytheistic beliefs. They believe in the protection of the fire god – a deity that protects people from disease, wild animals, and misfortunes in life. The fire dance ceremony was created to express gratitude to the deities and also to strengthen community solidarity.
The Pà Thẻn people believe that fire is a purifying force and brings good luck. Therefore, jumping into the fire is not only a test of physical strength, but also a way for young men to demonstrate their courage, bravery, and faith in the guidance of the shaman.
When the fire blazes brightly and then subsides into a thick layer of glowing embers, that's when the ceremony begins.
The Pà Thẻn girls, dressed in traditional costumes, hold hands and form a circle around the fire-dancing area.
The ceremony takes place after the villagers have completed their year's farming activities. This time is considered the "off-season," when all families have time to focus on community events. It is also an opportunity for tourists to experience the local culture because of the cool weather in the highlands, beautiful scenery, and festival activities that take place continuously from morning to night.
The festival is widely known by the familiar name of the Pà Thẻn fire-jumping festival and is organized by clan. The family that organizes it prepares offerings including a rooster, a bowl of rice, incense, wine, paper money, etc., while other members prepare dry firewood.
Master Sin Van Phong - People's Artisan, chief officiant of the fire god worship ceremony, keeper of the cultural essence of the Pa Then people.
The offerings include rice, a rooster, wine, and traditional sacrificial items such as money and gold.
The Pàn dơ lute – a musical instrument that provides rhythm for the ritual – is played by the shaman who taps the lute with a bamboo stick while shaking a Pà sán tàu hoop.
The central figure in the fire-jumping ceremony is the shaman. People's Artist Sin Van Phong, the fifth-generation descendant of a family with a long tradition of performing this role, is deeply knowledgeable about the prayers and religious rituals of the Pa Then people. Before the young people begin the fire-jumping, the shaman must perform all the necessary rituals to invoke the spirits, paving the way for the main ceremony.
During the ritual, the spirits are believed to possess the young men, their bodies tremble, and then they proceed to dance on the burning coals.
To the sound of the music and the shaman's chanting, the young men's bodies began to tremble, their heads shaking continuously, a sign that they had entered a trance-like state. Immediately afterward, they rushed into the pile of glowing coals, dancing barefoot, tossing the coals into the air with powerful movements characteristic of the ritual. Throughout this process, the shaman continued to play his instrument and recite prayers, his body swaying in rhythm, as if harmonizing with the dance of the participants.
Throughout the ceremony, the sound of the Pàn dơ instrument and prayers in the Pà Thẻn language resound continuously. The shaman sits beside the instrument, tapping the rhythm, shaking a hoop, and reciting prayers to "release the spirit," inviting the spirits to possess the young men waiting to perform the ritual. During the ceremony, the shaman's head shakes gently, his feet vibrate to the rhythm of the instrument, and the sound of the Pà sán tầu hoop rings out rapidly. The Pà Thẻn people believe that at this moment, the spirits will enter and protect the dancers from burns or danger from contact with fire.
Young men dance barefoot in the fire, tossing burning coals into the air, creating a glowing red halo around them.
Remarkably, the fire jumpers are almost completely unharmed despite direct contact with the glowing coals. For the Pà Thẻn community, this is an expression of spiritual belief and a special connection between humans and the fire god. Each person can jump for one to two minutes, then step back to make way for the next person.
Their hands were blackened by the hot coals, but the fire dancers suffered no burns.
Bare feet came into direct contact with the hot coals but remained safe, without blisters or burns.
The fire dance ceremony holds values that transcend mere spiritual rituals, becoming a symbol of the Pà Thẻn people's identity. The ceremony expresses belief in the fire god, affirms the courage of the youth, and reflects the strong bonds within the community. The fire dance is also a way for the Pà Thẻn people to express gratitude to heaven and earth, conveying wishes for protection, health, a bountiful harvest, and protection from misfortune.
