Awesome Tales of Vietnamese Mythology, Folklore, and Legends
Vietnamese Creation Myth
One of the most important stories in Vietnamese mythology is the Vietnamese creation myth. This involves Lạc Long Quân, the son of a tribe leader and dragon princess. A physically imposing figure with magical powers and a fascination for the ocean, he protected against foreign threats and taught the ancient Vietnamese people valuable lessons in agriculture and architecture, giving a fledgling ancient Vietnam the foundations upon which to flourish into a civilisation. Together with his wife, Âu Cơ, a descendant of mountain fairies, they had a hundred eggs, which hatched into a hundred children. However, as respective descendants from dragons and fairies, Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ longed to return to the sea and highlands. Hence, they separated.
Âu Cơ and Lac Long Quân separating with their children.
Let’s begin with how the Vietnamese believe they originated. Lac Long Quân, whose name literally means the Dragon King of Lac, was the king and water dragon of ancient Vietnam. He built two grand palaces- one in the sea and the other in the mountains. According to legend, he married a mountain fairy named Âu Cơ. Âu Cơ gave birth to a sac containing a hundred eggs, out of which a hundred children were born. One day, Lạc Long Quân told his wife that since he has descended from dragons and she was a fairy, they were incompatible as fire and water. Continuing in harmony was an impossible task, so they decided to separate. Lạc Long Quân took half of their children and went to the sea palace, while Âu Cơ took the other half and went to the mountain palace. The children who grew up with their mother on land are believed how the Vietnamese came to be. The eldest son, who went with his mother to the mountains, later claimed himself as Quan’s successor. Several cities in Vietnam are named after him and school textbooks narrate the Vietnamese creation myth.
Son Tinh, Thuy Tinh and the Vietnamese monsoons
The Vietnamese believe that the monsoon season is the result of the old rivalry between Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh. Son Tinh was the mountain spirit while Thuy Tinh was the spirit of the waters. The king of the land, Hunh Vuong VI, had a beautiful daughter whom he wanted to marry the best suitor possible. Upon consulting with his court and advisors, he sent out a proclamation announcing that he was seeking a suitable husband for his daughter. A number of princes came from the land and beyond but the King remained unimpressed. And then one fateful day, two extremely handsome noblemen, Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh, came to seek the princess’s hand. Enquiring about the princes, the king found that both of them were equally talented, distinguished and of good repute. Since the king could not make up his mind as to whom to choose for his daughter, he sent them both away and asked them to return the following day, claiming that that whoever turned up with the bees wedding gifts would get to marry the princess.
Fight Against Natural Disasters
Seeking a suitor for his daughter’s hand in marriage, the 18th Hung King held a contest and found two candidates of an equal match: Sơn Tinh, a mountain God; and Thủy Tinh, a water God. With complete control over the mountains and the sea and storms, Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh engaged in a perilous struggle, reeking devastation across the lands with their destructive powers. Son Tinh eventually came out on top, but Thủy Tinh’s reluctance to concede led him to unleash vicious storms and floods upon the lands, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. To protect the lands, houses and crops of the people, Sơn Tinh raised the mountains until Thủy Tinh, exhausted, was forced to retreat. He sought vengeance year after year, but Sơn Tinh always repelled him.
Legend of An Dương Vương – The Betrayed Emperor
Long ago, An Dương Vương, who rose to power following the break up of the Hung dynasty, established the second dynasty of Vietnam. Armed with a magical crossbow, which made his army and Loa citadel invincible, An Dương Vương overpowered his rivals. Devising a scheme to overthrow the second dynasty, rival warlord Trieu Da proposed a marriage between his son, Trong Thuy, and An Dương Vương’s daughter, My Chau. After earning the My Chau’s trust, Trong Thuy persuaded her to steal the magic crossbow, which he brought to Trieu Da. With the magical crossbow in hand, Trieu Da launched a successful attack on An Dương Vương’s troops. In defeat, An Dương Vương fled with his daughter to the sea, before turning to the turtle God, the maker of the magic crossbow, for help. After revealing his daughter’s role in his defeat, An Dương Vương killed My Chau instantly, then disappeared into the sea for good. Her blood flowed into the sea and is said to have formed pearls. Trong Thuy, overwhelmed with grief, committed suicide by jumping into a well. Pearls washed in this water are said to shine particularly brightly, symbolising the undying love between the pair.
Hoan Kiem Lake – the Legend of Le Loi and the Magical Sword
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As one of the most iconic sites in Vietnam, Hoan Kiem Lake, is a namesake stemmed from a local legend. Long ago, when gripped by the Chinese Ming dynasty’s attempts to colonise Vietnam, Le Loi, a local warlord, took up arms in defence of his nation. Beset with obstacles, Le Loi’s rebellion struggled to gain traction until one day, when he stumbled upon a magical sword, whereupon his campaign against the Chinese started to flourish. Following victory after victory, Le Loi drove out the Chinese, before becoming emperor Le Thai To. Many years later, whilst out boating on the lake, a turtle asked emperor Le Thai To to return the sword to the Dragon King, its rightful owner. Le Thao To obliged, and the lake that witnessed the returned sword became known as Hoan Kiem Lake, or lake of the returned sword. To this day, Hanoians believe the turtles found in Hoan Kiem lake are sacred because of their role in repelling the ancient Chinese invaders.
Tao Quan – the Three Vietnamese Kitchen Gods
There is a common belief that three kitchen Gods, named Tao Quan, are present in every Vietnamese kitchen. These three figures come from a story long ago about a woodcutter, his wife, and a hunter. The woodcutter gripped with financial worry and unable to put food on the table, turned to drink and destructive behaviour. His wife, a long time sufferer of his abuse, finally fled their ramshackle cottage when he took to beating her. Wandering the forest for weeks beset with hunger and injuries, the wife arrived at a hunter’s cabin. The hunter, a man of integrity, took pity and gave her refuge and food to eat, and after some time they got married and lived together in great happiness until one day when the hunter was out in the forest looking for game meat, an unkempt beggar knocked at the hunter’s door, asking for a place to stay. Whilst graciously preparing a meal for the beggar, the woman came to the shocking realisation he was her former husband. Upon hearing the hunter’s returning footsteps, she hid the beggar in a haystack, fearing his discovery would ruin her newfound happiness. Loaded with an excellent haul and keen to celebrate the approaching Tet holiday, the hunter made a roast on the haystack, completely unaware of the beggar. Preferring to remain silent for fear of retribution towards his former wife, the beggar was set ablaze. The former wife, filled with grief when realising the beggar was sacrificing himself for her, threw herself into the flames. The hunter, together with the star crossed lovers, threw himself into the flames as he could not imagine life without the hunter’s wife. The noble deaths of the three kitchen gods are remembered on the 23rd day of the 12th month. On this day, Vietnamese people offer the best food and spices and money and clothing.
The Three Kitchen Gods and Kitchen God Day
In Vietnam, the natives believe in the Three Kitchen Gods, collectively known as Tao Quan. According to legend, the gods are present in the kitchen of every house, observing everything that happens there. When the Lunar Year comes to an end, they report to the Jade Emperor, Ngoc Hoang, who is the supreme deity in the Taoist Heaven. The legend of the kitchen gods stem from the tale of Trong Cao, Thi Nhi and Pham Lang. Trong Cao and Thi Nhi were husband and wife. The years wore on but they had no children. This made them quarrel frequently and one day, after a ferocious fight, Trong Cao threw his wife out of their home. Thi Nhi did not return and after wandering around for a while without food and shelter, met Pham Lang. They got married.
The origins of bánh chưng – the legend of Lang Lieu
Given the huge importance of local dishes in Vietnamese culture, it is no surprise to find mythology evident in them. Banh Chung, a traditional Vietnamese cake, is said to be a creation of Lang Lieu, the son of the 6th Hung King. The 6th Hung King who, approaching the twilight years of his life, summoned each of his sons to make an offering of which the best would become his successor. Seeking to impress their father, the sons turned to exotic and foreign delicacies. Lang Lieu, a simpler and less pretentious character, turned to two local ingredients: banh chiay (rice flour) and banh chung (mung bean and pork). Banh chiay represents the sky, and banh chung represents the land, plants and animals. Impressed with the symbolism and simplicity of the ingredients and the resourcefulness of Lang Lieu, the King chose him as his successor. Contemporary Vietnam holds high regard for Banh Chung, amongst other local Vietnamese street food delights which can be easily found at street stalls and widely given as food offerings at pagodas and temples during festivals like Tet Nguyen Dan and Mid-Autumn festival.
The Four Elements – the Turtle, the Dragon, the Unicorn and the Phoenix
Turtles, dragons, unicorns and phoenixes are revered in Vietnamese mythology for the representation of the four main elements: earth, air, fire and water. As a testament to their importance in modern Vietnam, you will often come across the animals at places of worship and festive celebrations, from temples and dwellings to mid-autumn and tet. The dragon, like in many countries across South East and East Asia, symbolises peace, prosperity and good luck. What differentiates the Vietnamese dragon is its anatomy: an eclectic combination of fish, lizard, deer and fish all wrapped up in one body. Many of Vietnam’s most famous sites, such as Ha Long Bay, get their names from and are associated with legendary tales of Vietnamese dragons. Another composite creature is the unicorn, which is part horse, dragon and buffalo. Like the dragon, the unicorn is said to bring about good luck, as well as the power to ward off evil spirits from houses and pagodas.
For this reason, you often see the unicorn at doorways or near the entrances of dwellings and religious sites. The phoenix, which is made up of snake, eagle, fish and peacock, represents nobility and grace. As a symbol of royalty, the phoenix (yin) and dragon (yang) are common sights at Vietnamese weddings, for they are believed to bring happiness to a marriage. As the only living animal of the four mythical creatures, the turtle is celebrated as a symbol of longevity, wisdom and spiritual endurance. At the temple of literature in Hanoi, 82 turtle sculptures carry the names of doctoral graduates from the Le Dynasty era, which was seen as the highest sign of respect towards the most educated in society. From kitchen gods to sacred animals, myths and legends play a huge role in Vietnamese culture. They are in part reminders of Vietnam’s origins, but they also provide moral lessons which still apply today. And so, despite the massive societal changes going on in Vietnam today, these stories continue to endure the test of time.
Legend of the Milky Way
In Vietnamese culture, it is believed that the Milky Way is actually where two lovers meet. Chuc Nu was the beautiful daughter of the Jade Emperor who ruled the heavens. She was extremely skilled in weaving beautiful tapestries. It is said that she wove the rays of the sun together with the moonlight and further adorned it with twinkling stars. From these creations, she made her father’s robes and fairies’ clothes. Chuc Nu was expected to marry a suitable match, but none of the suitors who came to seek her hand made her happy. On a summer day, she saw her father’s herdsman, Nguu Lang, who was driving the royal cattle along the banks of the Milky Way. It was love at sight for both of them. They got married with the emperor’s blessing.
Legend of Hon Vong Phu
In the Lang Son province of Vietnam, the Hon Vong Phu Mountain is also known as the mountain of the woman who is waiting for her husband. A stone in the shape of a woman with a child in her arms stands lonely on the mountain top in an eternal vigil. According to legend, there was an impoverished family in a small village in Vietnam- a couple with their two children. The couple went to work every day while leaving their children at home. The son was told to take good care of his little sister. One day when the boy was cutting sugar cane, his knife slipped out of his hands and cut his sister’s head. The girl fainted and the boy, who was terrified that he had killed his sister, fled. Years later, they met again without realizing they were siblings. They fell in love and got married.
Legend of Truong’s wife
Near the Hoang River in the village of Vu Dien in Vietnam stands the temple of Truong’s wife. When Truong got married, he was enlisted to go and fight in the war just six months after. His wife was pregnant when he left. She delivered a boy whom she named Dan. Truong did not return until the child was a few years old. During his absence, the child’s mother would point to her own shoulder and tell him that that was his father. Three years later, Truong returned, much to the puzzlement of his child. When Truong told him that he was his father, the child claimed that all he already had a father who always sat, walked or moved with his mother. Truong assumed that his wife had an extra marital affair in his absence, and he started accusing and abusing his wife. Unable to convince her husband that she had been loyal, she jumped into the Hoang River in despair. That night, when the shadows came, the child pointed to his father’s shadow and exclaimed that it was his father. It finally dawned on Truong that his wife had used a shadow as a surrogate father for their child. Consumed by guilt, he constructed an altar at the edge of the river and made regular offerings to help her soul rest in peace. The village people later built a temple to honour the woman.
Toads and Rain
A long time ago, Vietnam suffered a devastating drought. With no rain, the ground cracked, plants and animals died. And so a toad decided to travel to the heavens to meet God and tell him how the earth was dying. On his way, he met a bee, a crab, a bear, a tiger and a fox who joined him on his journey. Upon arriving at the gates of heaven, the animals saw a drum perched there. The toad asked his friends to hide and wait for a while. He took the drum and started beating on it, causing the spirit of thunder to come out. The sight of a small toad beating the drum did not faze the spirit, and the spirit reported it to God. However, it was annoying enough to God so he ordered a cock to peck the toad to death. A cycle of events followed- the cock tried attacking the toad, but the fox came and killed the cock to defend his friend. Then a dog was ordered to kill the fox, but in vain, because the bear came out and killed the dog. Furious, God sent the thunder spirit himself to punish the animals. However, the spirit was stung by the bee, clawed by the crab and almost mauled by the tiger. In the end, God had to invite the animals to his court where he listened to their plight. Seeing how the animals had handled the trouble at the gate, God was further frightened that the earth might rebel against him. So he sent the animals on their way, asking the toad to grind his teeth whenever they needed rain and water. And so to this day, the Vietnamese believe that the site of a toad was a good omen and will bring them rain.
Legend of the Hoan Kiem Lake
The Hoan Kiem Lake in Vietnam is also known as the Lake of the Returned Sword or the Lake of the Restored Sword. And yes, the name does come from an ancient legend attached to the lake. In 1428, Lê Lợi became the emperor after defeating the Ming China. He was boating on the Hoan Kiem Lake when Kim Qui, the Golden Turtle God appeared and asked for the emperor’s magical sword. The Dragon King, Long Vương had given Lê Lợi a magical sword to fight Ming China. To mark the return of the sword to its rightful owner, the emperor decided to commemorate the event by changing the name of the lake from Green Water (the former name) to the Lake of the Returned Sword. In the middle of the lake where a small island lies, the Turtle Tower, Tháp Rùa was erected. The lake itself is home to a small number large soft- shell turtles, the site of which the Vietnamese believe brings good luck.
Vietnamese Dragon Legend: Con Rong Chau Tien
Why the Viet have always called themselves “con Rong chau Tien” (children of the Dragon and the Fairy). This legend will be the answer. Long, long ago there lived in Linh Nam (Country south of the Mountain Range on the Border – ancient Vietnam) a magician king called Kinh Duong Vuong, who could walk on water as well as on terra firma. One day in the course of a pleasure trip on a lake, he met Long Nu (the Dragon maiden), the daughter of the Long Vuong (the Dragon King of the sea), and married her. From their union was born a Herculean son who later mounted the throne with the name Lac Long Quan later becoming the Dragon King of Lac Viet – an ancient name of Vietnam).
Vietnamese Dragon: Legend, History & Geography
Dragon has long been the legendary animal of oriented countries. Since the end of the Second World War, with the emergence of the international scene of East Asia, the media have made more and more frequent use of the dragon image in reference to China and countries under the past influence of Chinese culture. But while all those countries have in common the immemorial myth of the dragon, none of them have gone so far as to claim, as the Vietnamese do, the Vietnamese dragon as their ancestor and to give its capital the name of this mythical animal.
Địa Mẫu is the Mother Earth Goddess associated with the Dead, the Underworld, and the Cycle of Reincarnation from Vietnamese mythology. She is the ruler of Địa Phủ and the wife of Yanluo Wang, and serving beneath her are the Ten Infernal Kings. Địa Mẫu appears as a regal woman, with intricate and elegant features. However, parts of her body are disintegrated and rotten ever since she was born, creating a noxious smell that she hid using numerous kinds of perfume oils. Địa Mẫu is described as a stern mother who sees all the souls within her realm as her children. She’s said to be benevolent, kind, and is the only person capable of soothing her husband’s wrath. She values justice above all else and do not tolerate any sign of injustice or mistreatment within her court, and will often go out of her own domains to make sure such injustice would never happen again. Because of this, the heavenly gods seem to favor her more than her husband or any other god in Diyu or Địa Phủ.
Hồ Tinh: Vietnam’s Terrifying Fox Monster
Vietnam’s history and culture encompasses a wide range of myths and legends. Gather round and hear the story of Hồ Tinh, Vietnam’s terrifying fox monster; one particular legend that has frightened Vietnamese children for generations. Lac Long Quan is a beloved legend who wanted to help the people by ridding them of several beasts who posed danger to the locals. One of Quan’s greatest conquests is when he took on Ho Tinh, who had been threatening the people of Long Biên for many years. After Quan began ridding the locals of various mythological beasts, he eventually encountered the dreaded fox monster, Ho Tinh. According to legend, Ho Tinh was an enormous nine-tailed fox who inhabited a deep cave in Long Bien. Ho Tinh would disguise himself as a beautiful woman and trick innocent passersby into following him back to the mountains. The evil entity would lead his victims into the cave where he would trap them and feed on them.
Vietnamese myth of the golden turtle
The golden turtle from Hoan-Kiemsee is less scary, but no less significant in terms of Vietnamese myths. The animal once gave a poor fisherman a golden sword. This sword gave the fisherman magical powers during the Chinese occupation. Thus the poor man was able to fight not only against his fate, but also against Chinese domination. He won the battle and was soon made king. When the former fisherman returned to the lake to thank the gods for their blessings, he transformed into a giant dragon that descended into the depths of the lake. Today there is a building in the said place – the turtle tower – which, according to legend, was built out of gratitude by the king.
Vietnamese myths – 100 eggs become one people
The most famous saga is about the origins of the Vietnamese people: a fairy and a dragon gave birth to 100 eggs. Half of the resulting children followed the fairy into the mountains, the other half went into the sea with the kite – the first Vietnamese tribes were born. Even today, the locals live in the mountains or at the coast. But how did this Vietnamese myth and the bond between the fairy and the dragon come about? The dragon once rose from the sea to teach the ancestors of the Vietnamese a civilized life. He showed the indigenous peoples how to make clothes, how to grow rice and much more. The dragon then disappeared into the sea again and only came back when a king from the north subjugated the country. The inhabitants called for the dragon, who was, more precisely, a dragon lord named Lac Long Quan. So the hero dragged the evil king’s daughter up a mountain. As a result, the oppressor desperately fled back to the north. Over time, the dragon and his fairy fell in love and gave life to 100 children.
Legend of Lạc Long Quân
Legend speaks of a man named Kinh Dương Vương (aka King Kinh Dương), a mythical figure that descended from a long line of dragons. Long Nu, a female descendent of another dragon clan, was married to Kinh Dương Vương and gave birth to a boy named Lạc Long Quân. As an immortal with the dragon lineage, Lạc Long Quân would be known as the Dragon Prince in Vietnamese history. As Lạc Long Quân matures, he meets a beautiful woman by the name of Âu Cơ, and falls deeply in love with her. The story of their first meeting happens when the Dragon Prince notices a demonic bird chasing after a defenseless white crane. Lạc Long Quân rushes to the crane’s defense, smashing the demon bird with a rock. The demonic bird was so furious that it morphed itself into a tiger and bitterly tried to maul the Dragon Prince. As a result, the Prince found himself tangled in a violent struggle against an adversary he did not know.
Heroines of national independence
The Trung Sisters (1st century): Helped by her sister, Trung Trac took up arms against the Chinese occupationists to avenge her husband and liberated the country.
Her kingdom lasted only three years.
Queen Y Lan (12th century): She directly oversaw the affairs of the kingdom, in which she displayed high perspicacity, wisdom and love for the people.
Vietnamese Dragons in Modern Media
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/Vietnam/
Ethnic Groups of Vietnam
Modern-day Vietnam is recognized as a multi-ethnic country, with one main ethnic group known as Kinh (or Viet), and 53 ethnic minorities of varying sizes. There are around 14 million indigenous people in Vietnam. It’s a hefty wedge of the national population which is roughly 95 million, making it one of the most populous countries on Earth.
The make-up of the different ethnic groups is, understandably, very complex. Ethnologically, they can be split up into eight main groups, of which there are multiple sub-groups. The eight principal groups are:
Indigenous Peoples Literature 