Mẫu Thoải (Chữ Hán: 母水, or Thủy Cung Thánh Mẫu (Chữ Hán: 水宮聖母) is a goddess in Vietnamese non-Buddhist traditional religion.[1] The goddess features in Chầu văn religious ceremonies and music.

Mẫu Thoải in a costume of the Lê dynasty (a painting by a modern artist)

She presides over the heavenly water palace Thoải Phủ, one of the Four Palaces (Tứ Phủ) where the "spirits of the Four Palaces" (thánh Tứ Phủ) correspond to the elements.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Hy V. Luong Tradition, Revolution, and Market Economy in a North Vietnamese ... - Page 307 2010 "In Sơn Dương, many of the non-Buddhist deities — mẫu thượng thiên (goddess of the upper sky), mẫu thượng ngàn (goddess of the highlands), mẫu Thoải (goddess of water), Hắc hổ (black tigers), etc. - were worshipped in the house.."
  2. ^ Karen Fjelstad, Thị Hiền Nguyễn - Possessed by the spirits: mediumship in contemporary Vietnamese ... - Page 20 2006 "A number of goddesses have been elevated to the rank of mau (mothers). ... presides over each one of the four realms or "palaces" (tu phu): Heaven (thien phu), Earth (dia phu), Water (thoai phu), and Forests and Mountains (nhac phu)."