The Thầy: Masters in Huế, Vietnam

The Vietnamese in the former capital of Huế regularly refer to different kinds of masters, called thầy, for help in dealing with the various events of life (birth, illness, accidents, miscarriages, etc.). The thầy help intercede with the cosmic deities and supernatural beings who are believed to control or influence fate. The present short article, based on one year of fieldwork in Huế, gives an overview of various types of thầy and compares their practices.