APIFantasy | Myth and Folklore Anthology

Vietnamese Mythology - Myth #1: Creation Myth

Many years ago, during the reign of King Kinh Dương Vương, there was a kingdom called Xích Quỷ. It was an unknown stretch of a vast land that leaned on a range of high mountains and had a long shoreline, looking out to the oceans. King Kinh Dương Vương married Princess Long Nữ, the daughter of Động Đình Vương, the ruler of Động Đình Lake. They were blessed with a boy named Sùng Lãm, more commonly known as Lạc Long Quân, the "Dragon Lord of Lạc". Princess Long Nữ's origins led everyone to believe Lạc Long Quân was a descendent from the line of dragons. He possessed extraordinary strength and superior intelligence, but he had a strong adoration of the ocean. During his youth, he was often seen playing in the ocean's waves.

When he became of age, he took the throne and led the Lạc Việt tribe. Meanwhile, in the north, there was a king named Đế Lai, who had a beautiful daughter known as Âu Cơ. King Đế Lai had a strong desire to unite his tribe with Lạc Long Quân's, so he gave his daughter's hand for marriage to Lạc Long Quân. They married soon after and the two kingdoms celebrated their unity with a grand feast and ceremony.

After some time, Âu Cơ gave birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs, which hatched into one hundred children. They grew up strong and smart like Lạc Long Quân and kind-hearted and talented by Âu Cơ. Their parents taught them how to cultivate their lands, but soon after, the couple became unhappy. Lạc Long Quân missed the coast, while Âu Cơ missed the highlands.

And so, they divided their children, with fifty living with Lạc Long Quân along the shores and the other fifty with Âu Cơ in the highlands. Lạc Long Quân taught his children how to fish, the art of tattoos to scare off sea creatures when diving and hunting for food, and trained them how to plant and harvest rice and cook in bamboo tubes. Âu Cơ taught her children how to live in the jungle and mountains, breed animals and cultivate the soil to make room for crops, and build houses on bamboo stilts to keep safe from the weather and wild animals. Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ made a promise to always look after each other should a situation arise, no matter the distance and separation.

These children of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ are believed to be the ancestors of Vietnam. To this day, the Vietnamese call themselves the children of the Dragon and the Fairy to refer to Lạc Long Quân's dragon lineage and Âu Cơ's lineage from the fairy clan in the highlands. This legend has become the pride for all Vietnamese.

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