this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2023
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Well the Vietnamese don't worship Greek Gods, but many people are superstitious. Their beliefs range from Feng Shui, to Wu Xing, to demons and ghosts. I've heard of parents who prevent their son from marrying his lover simply because their ages incompatible. And there are reports about people of minor ethnicity in remote areas who rather invoke a shaman for an illness rather than call a doctor, even if the illness is lethal.
Ah, sorry -- I was joking. The French prefix 'bureau' (having to do with offices, desks, writing) coupled with the ancient Greek suffix "cratos" (power, might) would be a good name for some god of bureaucracy -- but there is no such god in the ancient Greek pantheon. A better comparison would be the Celestial Bureaucracy, I guess!
Yeah, I've got some relatives who are into the shaman healing stuff. We've got to keep on eye on it so they don't give away all their money to fraudsters.
I did learn some feng shui though, it was super useful when buying land. I bought the most cursed, haunted land possible according to feng shui, to get the best price. Since I plan to live there, not sell, this was fine and saved me about 200-400 trieu.
I did know you were joking but I didn't know "bureaucratos" until you explain it to me. Cultural difference, I guess.
Regarding the Celestial Bureaucracy (or Heavenly Court). Nowadays, it is often used in fictional works as a metaphor for actual government to criticize the government. Actually, it is not just "nowadays", it has always been used as a metaphor for actual government.
Ah yeah, I remember that! That comedy show during Tet used to do that a lot, right?
That show is obvious to Vietnamese, no doubt.
For the wider East Asian culture however, there's Journey to the West. It contains allegory and political commentary on the corruption, decadence, and weakness of the Ming Dynasty. In Journey to the West, both the Taoist Celestial Court and the Buddha side are corrupt in their own ways. These elements have sadly been removed in the 10,000 Chinese cinema remakes. These remakes are profitable, but soulless and forgettable.
Ah, I haven't read that one yet, but it's on my list! I got through Romance of the 3 Kingdoms though, it was really enjoyable.