Truyen Co Tich Viet Nam: Vietnamese Folk Tales and Legends
Vietnamese folk tales (truyen co tich) are far more than children's bedtime stories. They are the collective memory of a civilization -- encoding moral values, historical events, spiritual beliefs, and cultural identity into narratives that have been passed down orally for thousands of years...
Truyen Co Tich Viet Nam: Vietnamese Folk Tales and Legends
Stories That Shaped a Nation’s Soul
Vietnamese folk tales (truyen co tich) are far more than children’s bedtime stories. They are the collective memory of a civilization — encoding moral values, historical events, spiritual beliefs, and cultural identity into narratives that have been passed down orally for thousands of years before being written down.
These stories serve multiple purposes:
- Moral education: Teaching right from wrong through vivid characters and consequences
- Cultural preservation: Encoding Vietnamese values like filial piety, loyalty, resilience, and humility
- Historical memory: Preserving (in mythologized form) real events like floods, wars, and migrations
- Social commentary: Critiquing greed, injustice, cruelty, and abuse of power
- Spiritual teaching: Reflecting Buddhist karma, Confucian ethics, and indigenous Vietnamese animism
The tales fall into several categories:
- Truyen thuyet (legends): Stories about the origins of the Vietnamese people, their land, and their customs
- Than thoai (myths): Stories about gods, spirits, and supernatural beings
- Co tich (fairy tales): Stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, often with magical elements
- Truyen cuoi (humorous tales): Comic stories that use wit to expose foolishness and injustice
The Tu Bat Tu (Four Immortals)
Before examining individual tales, it is important to understand that Vietnamese mythology features four legendary immortals (Tu Bat Tu) who represent the highest aspirations of Vietnamese civilization:
- Tan Vien Son Thanh (Son Tinh) — the Mountain God, representing the struggle against natural disasters
- Thanh Giong (Phu Dong Thien Vuong) — the boy hero, representing patriotic resistance against invaders
- Chu Dong Tu — the poor fisherman who became immortal, representing love and spiritual enlightenment
- Lieu Hanh Cong Chua — the heavenly princess, representing poetry, beauty, and feminine power
These four immortals appear across many folk tales and represent the core values of Vietnamese civilization: resilience against nature, defense of the homeland, spiritual aspiration, and artistic beauty.
Tale 1: Lac Long Quan and Au Co — The Origin of the Vietnamese People
The Story
In the earliest time, the land that would become Vietnam was ruled by Lac Long Quan, the Dragon Lord of the Sea. He was the son of a dragon and inherited power over the waters. He taught the ancient Vietnamese people how to grow rice, build houses, and defend themselves. He drove away evil spirits, sea monsters, and foreign threats.
One day, Au Co, a beautiful mountain fairy from the northern highlands, came to the coastal lowlands. She and Lac Long Quan fell deeply in love and married. Au Co became pregnant and gave birth to a sac (a pouch or membrane) containing one hundred eggs. From these one hundred eggs hatched one hundred children — strong, beautiful, and radiant.
But Lac Long Quan was a creature of the sea, and Au Co was a creature of the mountains. Over time, they realized they could not live together forever. Lac Long Quan said: “I am descended from dragons; you descend from immortals. We are as incompatible as water and fire. We must part.”
They divided their children: fifty went with their father to the sea and the lowlands, and fifty went with their mother to the mountains and highlands. The eldest son who stayed in the lowlands became the first Hung King, founding the nation of Van Lang — the first Vietnamese state.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Origins and unity: This myth establishes that all Vietnamese people — whether they live in the mountains or by the sea, in the North or the South — come from the same mother and father. The phrase “dong bao” (compatriots), which literally means “from the same womb,” derives from this myth. Every Vietnamese person is a sibling born from the same hundred eggs.
Duality and harmony: The story encodes the fundamental Vietnamese worldview of complementary duality — mountain and sea, male and female, dragon and fairy, lowland and highland. These opposites are not enemies but partners in creation.
National identity: This is the foundational myth of Vietnam. It is taught in every school, referenced in political speeches, and invoked whenever national unity is at stake. The phrase “Con Rong Chau Tien” (Children of the Dragon and the Fairy) is how Vietnamese people describe themselves.
Tale 2: Tam Cam — The Vietnamese Cinderella
The Story
Tam was a beautiful, kind, and hardworking girl who lived with her father, her cruel stepmother, and her lazy stepsister Cam. After Tam’s father died, the stepmother treated Tam as a servant, forcing her to do all the housework while Cam did nothing.
One day, both girls were sent to catch shrimp and fish. Cam tricked Tam into washing her hair, then stole all of Tam’s catch and brought it home to claim the reward. Tam wept. But (the spirit of compassion, equivalent to a fairy godmother or Buddha figure) appeared and told Tam to look in her basket — she would find a small golden goby fish (ca bong). But told her to raise it in the well and call to it with a special verse each day.
Tam cared for the fish devotedly. But the stepmother discovered the secret, killed the fish, and fed it to Cam. Tam wept again, and But told her to collect the fish bones and bury them in four jars under the four corners of her bed.
When the King held a grand festival, the stepmother mixed rice with paddy and ordered Tam to sort them before she could go. But sent birds to sort the grain, and the jars under Tam’s bed magically produced beautiful clothes and golden slippers. Tam went to the festival and captivated the King, but she lost one slipper fleeing home before midnight.
The King declared he would marry whoever fit the slipper. When Tam tried it on, it fit perfectly, and she produced the matching slipper. The King married Tam, and she became Queen.
But the story does not end there. The stepmother and Cam plotted revenge. They tricked Tam into climbing a tree, then cut it down, killing her. Cam took Tam’s place as Queen. But Tam’s spirit was reborn — first as a nightingale that sang to the King, then as a peach tree, then as a loom. Each time, the stepmother destroyed her new form. Finally, Tam was reborn from a fruit (in some versions, a persimmon; in others, a starfruit) and was recognized by the King, who restored her as Queen.
The stepmother and Cam met gruesome ends — the exact details vary by regional version, but justice was served decisively.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Virtue prevails: No matter how many times evil tries to destroy goodness, it regenerates. Tam’s repeated rebirths symbolize the indestructibility of virtue. This reflects the Buddhist concept of karma and rebirth.
Patience under suffering (chiu dung): Tam endures extraordinary abuse without becoming bitter or vengeful herself (though the story does exact revenge on her behalf). This reflects the Vietnamese cultural admiration for endurance (chiu dung) as a form of moral strength.
Justice and karma: The tale is unambiguous: evil is punished, and good is rewarded. The stepmother and Cam’s fate teaches that cruelty always circles back to the perpetrator.
Resilience of women: Tam represents the ideal of Vietnamese womanhood — gentle but indestructible, patient but ultimately triumphant. Her story resonates deeply with Vietnamese women who have endured hardship.
Comparison with Cinderella: While the basic structure mirrors the Western Cinderella, the Vietnamese version is darker, more violent, and more explicitly karmic. Tam does not simply attend a ball and marry a prince — she is murdered multiple times and reborn, and her enemies are destroyed. The Vietnamese version reflects a culture that takes justice more seriously and more literally.
Tale 3: Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh — The Mountain God and the Water God
The Story
During the reign of the 18th Hung King, his daughter My Nuong was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. When she came of age, the King announced a contest to find her a worthy husband.
Two extraordinary suitors appeared. Son Tinh, the Mountain God, could command the earth — raising mountains, growing forests, and shaping the landscape with a wave of his hand. Thuy Tinh, the Water God, could command the seas — raising waves, summoning storms, and controlling all the waters of the world.
Both were equally powerful and impressive. Unable to choose between them, the King declared: “Whoever brings the wedding gifts first tomorrow morning shall marry my daughter.” The required gifts included rare treasures: one hundred sticky rice cakes, one hundred glutinous rice dumplings, an elephant with nine tusks, a rooster with nine spurs, and a horse with nine manes.
Son Tinh arrived at dawn with all the gifts and claimed My Nuong. By the time Thuy Tinh arrived, it was too late. Furious with jealousy and rage, Thuy Tinh summoned all his power: he raised the rivers, sent torrential rains, commanded storms and floods to attack Son Tinh’s mountain stronghold.
But Son Tinh was unshaken. For every foot the waters rose, he raised the mountains higher. For every wave Thuy Tinh sent, Son Tinh built a new barrier. The battle raged for months, but Son Tinh never yielded, and eventually Thuy Tinh exhausted himself and retreated.
But Thuy Tinh never accepted defeat. Every year, in the seventh and eighth lunar months, he returns to attack Son Tinh with floods and storms. And every year, Son Tinh holds firm. This is why Vietnam experiences devastating floods during monsoon season — it is the eternal war between the Mountain God and the Water God.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Explanation of natural disasters: At its most basic level, this is an etiological myth explaining why Vietnam floods every year during monsoon season. The annual floods of the Red River Delta were a life-or-death reality for Vietnamese farmers.
Resilience against nature: Son Tinh represents the Vietnamese people’s determination to resist and overcome natural disasters. The Vietnamese have spent millennia building dikes, digging canals, and fighting floods — Son Tinh is the mythological embodiment of that collective effort.
Perseverance over time: The key lesson is not that Son Tinh wins once, but that he wins every single year, forever. The floods always come, and the Vietnamese always endure. It is a myth of eternal resistance, not final victory — reflecting the reality of life in a flood-prone land.
The losing suitor’s rage: Thuy Tinh also represents the danger of jealousy, rejection, and uncontrolled emotion. His inability to accept loss leads to destruction that affects everyone, not just his rival. This serves as a warning about the consequences of unchecked anger.
Tale 4: Thanh Giong — The Boy Hero of Phu Dong
The Story
During the reign of the 6th Hung King, the Yin (An) invaders from the north threatened to destroy the Vietnamese kingdom. The King was desperate and sent messengers throughout the land seeking a hero who could defeat the enemy.
In the village of Phu Dong, there lived a couple who had prayed for years to have a child. When their son was finally born, he was unusual — by the age of three, he could neither speak nor walk. He simply lay in his cradle, silent and still.
When the King’s messengers arrived in Phu Dong, the three-year-old boy suddenly spoke for the first time: “Mother, call the King’s messenger here.” Astonished, the mother obeyed. The boy told the messenger: “Go back and tell the King to forge me an iron horse, an iron suit of armor, and an iron sword. I will defeat the enemy.”
The King, having no other option, sent the iron weapons. Meanwhile, the boy began eating prodigiously — consuming enormous quantities of rice and growing at an astounding rate. The entire village contributed food to feed him. Within days, he had grown into a giant.
When the iron horse and weapons arrived, Thanh Giong mounted the horse, rode into battle, and single-handedly defeated the invaders. His iron sword shattered during the fighting, so he uprooted bamboo groves and used them as weapons, sweeping the enemy away.
After the victory, Thanh Giong did not return home for rewards or glory. He rode his iron horse to the top of Soc Son mountain and ascended into the heavens, leaving behind only his armor and the hoofprints of his horse, which became the lakes and ponds that dot the landscape of present-day Hanoi.
Moral and Cultural Significance
National defense as sacred duty: Thanh Giong is the patron saint of Vietnamese patriotism. His story teaches that defending the homeland is the highest calling, one that can transform even the most unlikely person into a hero.
Collective effort: The entire village feeds Thanh Giong — one family’s rice is not enough. Victory requires the contribution of the whole community. This reflects the Vietnamese understanding that national defense is everyone’s responsibility.
Selflessness: After winning, Thanh Giong ascends to heaven rather than claiming rewards. The true hero does not fight for personal gain but for the people. This is a powerful statement against corruption and self-interest in leadership.
Hidden potential: A child who cannot speak or walk for three years becomes the greatest warrior in the land. Vietnamese culture teaches that one should never underestimate anyone — true power may be hidden beneath the most unlikely exterior.
Historical context: The Thanh Giong festival is still celebrated every April in Phu Dong village (Gia Lam district, Hanoi). It is one of Vietnam’s most important cultural festivals, recognized by UNESCO.
Tale 5: Su Tich Trau Cau — The Legend of Betel and Areca
The Story
In ancient times, there were two brothers of the Cao family: Tan (the elder) and Lang (the younger). They were twins and so physically identical that even their teacher could not tell them apart. They studied together under a Taoist master named Luu, who had a beautiful eighteen-year-old daughter.
The teacher married his daughter to Tan, the elder brother. The young couple lived happily, but the wife sometimes could not distinguish between the two brothers. One day, she accidentally embraced Lang, thinking he was her husband. Lang, mortified and heartbroken by the confusion, left home without a word.
He walked and walked until he reached a riverbank, where he sat down and wept until he died. His body turned into a limestone rock on the river’s edge.
Tan, distraught at his brother’s disappearance, went searching for him. He found the limestone rock and, recognizing somehow that it was his brother, sat beside it and wept until he too died. His body became a tall, straight areca palm tree (cay cau) growing beside the rock.
The wife, unable to bear life without her husband, followed his path. When she found the stone and the tree, she embraced the tree and wept until she died, becoming a betel vine (cay trau) that wrapped itself lovingly around the areca palm.
When the Hung King heard this story, he ordered his attendants to take a betel leaf, an areca nut, and a piece of lime from the stone, and chew them together. The juice was red as blood — the color of love and devotion. The King declared that from then on, betel and areca would be present at every wedding ceremony as symbols of faithful love, and that the custom of chewing betel would be practiced throughout the land.
Moral and Cultural Significance
The three bonds: The limestone (brother), the areca tree (husband), and the betel vine (wife) represent the three most important relationships: sibling love, marital love, and the bond that connects them all.
Loyalty unto death: All three characters die rather than live without the others. This extreme devotion reflects the Vietnamese ideal of absolute loyalty in family relationships.
Origin of a custom: This tale explains why betel chewing became central to Vietnamese culture for centuries. “Mieng trau la dau cau chuyen” (A quid of betel is the beginning of conversation) — offering betel was how Vietnamese people initiated social encounters, negotiations, and especially marriage proposals.
Wedding tradition: To this day, betel leaves and areca nuts are essential elements of Vietnamese wedding ceremonies. The groom’s family brings trays of betel and areca to the bride’s family as part of the formal engagement process.
Tale 6: Chu Dong Tu — The Fisherman Who Became Immortal
The Story
Chu Dong Tu was the son of a poor fisherman on the banks of the Red River. When his father died, Chu Dong Tu was so destitute that he did not even own clothes — his father’s only loincloth was used as a burial shroud. Chu Dong Tu survived by standing naked in the river, catching fish with his bare hands, hiding in the water when boats passed.
One day, Princess Tien Dung, the daughter of the Hung King, was sailing down the river on a pleasure cruise. She was known for her independent spirit and had declared she would never marry. When she stopped at a sandbank to bathe, she chose a spot where reeds grew thick for privacy. But Chu Dong Tu was hiding in the sand beneath those very reeds.
When the princess’s servants poured water over her, the sand washed away, revealing the naked Chu Dong Tu. Rather than calling for his execution (as she could have), Tien Dung saw it as fate. She gave him clothes and, in a decision that scandalized the court, married him on the spot.
The King was furious and disowned his daughter. Chu Dong Tu and Tien Dung lived as traveling merchants among the common people. During their travels, they met a Buddhist monk on a mountain who taught them meditation and spiritual practices. They studied diligently and attained spiritual enlightenment.
One night, the monk gave them a magical staff and a conical hat. When they placed the staff in the ground and covered it with the hat, a magnificent palace appeared. The King, hearing of this miraculous palace, sent an army to destroy it. But as the soldiers approached, the entire palace — with Chu Dong Tu and Tien Dung inside — rose into the sky and disappeared. They had become immortals.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Rising from nothing: Chu Dong Tu begins with literally nothing — not even clothes. His ascent to immortality represents the Vietnamese belief that spiritual worth has nothing to do with material status.
Love transcends class: A princess marrying a naked fisherman is the ultimate rejection of social hierarchy. Tien Dung’s choice reflects the Vietnamese folk ideal that true love does not recognize class boundaries (even though in practice, Vietnamese society is quite status-conscious).
Spiritual over material: The couple achieves immortality not through wealth or power but through Buddhist study and spiritual practice. Material things (including the magical palace) are ultimately illusions — what matters is inner transformation.
Independence of women: Tien Dung is one of Vietnamese mythology’s strongest female characters. She chooses her own husband against her father’s wishes, lives as a commoner by choice, and achieves immortality on her own merits. She is a model of female agency in a patriarchal culture.
Tale 7: Thach Sanh — The Woodcutter Hero
The Story
Thach Sanh was the son of a poor woodcutter. After his parents died, he lived alone under a great banyan tree, earning his living by chopping wood with his father’s old axe. Despite his poverty, he was honest, brave, and kind-hearted.
One day, a cunning man named Ly Thong befriended Thach Sanh and declared them “sworn brothers.” But Ly Thong was scheming. When the village needed someone to guard a temple haunted by a man-eating eagle spirit, Ly Thong tricked Thach Sanh into taking his place. Thach Sanh fought the giant eagle and killed it, and as a reward, the eagle’s body yielded a magical bow and arrow.
Later, the eagle’s mate kidnapped Princess Quynh Nga. Ly Thong, eager for the King’s reward, asked Thach Sanh to help rescue her. Thach Sanh descended into the eagle’s deep cave on a rope, shot the eagle with his magical bow, and freed the princess. But when he sent the princess up on the rope, Ly Thong sealed the cave entrance with boulders, trapping Thach Sanh underground and claiming credit for the rescue.
In the underground world, Thach Sanh encountered and rescued the son of the Sea King (Long Vuong). As a reward, the Sea King offered Thach Sanh fabulous treasures, but Thach Sanh asked for only one thing: a magical lute (dan than).
Eventually, Thach Sanh escaped the cave. He was falsely accused of crimes and imprisoned. In prison, he played the magical lute, whose music could express the truth of any situation. The sound reached Princess Quynh Nga, who had been mute since her rescue (traumatized and unable to speak). Hearing the lute’s truth, she spoke again and identified Thach Sanh as her true rescuer.
Ly Thong’s lies were exposed. The King freed Thach Sanh, punished Ly Thong, and gave Thach Sanh the princess’s hand in marriage. When neighboring kingdoms sent armies to attack, Thach Sanh played his magical lute, and the music was so beautiful and true that the enemy soldiers laid down their weapons and wept. He then used a magical cooking pot (given by the Sea King) that produced endless food to feed the surrendered armies, turning enemies into friends.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Good vs. evil, honest vs. cunning: Thach Sanh and Ly Thong represent the eternal contrast between honest simplicity and dishonest cleverness. Vietnamese culture consistently sides with the honest person, even when the cunning one seems to win temporarily.
Truth cannot be suppressed: The magical lute symbolizes the power of truth. No matter how deeply truth is buried (literally, in a sealed cave), it will eventually be heard.
Generosity over force: Thach Sanh defeats the final enemy not with weapons but with music and food. This is a remarkable moral statement: the greatest victory is one that transforms enemies into friends through beauty and generosity.
Humility: When offered the Sea King’s treasures, Thach Sanh asks only for a lute. He values truth and beauty over gold. This reflects the Vietnamese respect for artistic and moral wealth over material wealth.
Tale 8: Cay Khe — The Star Fruit Tree (The Golden Star Fruit Tree)
The Story
A father died and left his property to his two sons. The elder brother, greedy and selfish, took the house, the land, and all the wealth. He left his younger brother only a small hut and a single star fruit tree (cay khe).
The younger brother worked hard and cared for his star fruit tree faithfully. When the tree bore fruit, a magnificent bird (phuong hoang — a phoenix-like creature) appeared and ate the fruit. The younger brother was dismayed — the fruit was his only income. But the bird spoke: “Eat one fruit, repay one gold. Sew a three-gang pouch and I will carry you.”
The younger brother sewed a modest three-gang pouch (a small bag measured by three hand spans). The bird carried him to a distant island made entirely of gold and jewels. He filled his small pouch and returned home. With this gold, he built a comfortable life — not extravagant, but secure and happy.
The elder brother heard about this and was consumed with jealousy. He proposed a trade: all his wealth and property in exchange for the star fruit tree and the hut. The younger brother, kind and guileless, agreed.
When the bird returned and spoke the same words, the elder brother sewed an enormous bag — many times larger than three gangs. The bird carried him to the golden island, where he stuffed the oversized bag with as much gold and jewels as he could fit. But the bag was so heavy that on the return flight, the bird could not maintain altitude. Over the open sea, the elder brother and his enormous bag of treasure fell from the bird’s back and plunged into the ocean. He drowned.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Greed is self-destructive: The elder brother’s downfall is not caused by an external punishment but by his own greed. He literally weighs himself down with treasure until he sinks. The lesson is that greed carries within it the seeds of its own destruction.
Contentment and modesty: The younger brother succeeds because he takes only what he needs — a three-gang pouch, no more. Vietnamese culture values knowing your limits and being satisfied with enough (du dung).
Karma in action: The division of the inheritance was unjust, but the younger brother does not seek revenge. Instead, karma naturally redistributes fortune. This reflects the Vietnamese belief in cosmic justice — you do not need to fight injustice directly; the universe will balance the scales.
Southern Vietnamese resonance: This tale is particularly beloved in Southern Vietnam, where the star fruit (khe) grows abundantly. The Mekong Delta is famous for its fruit orchards, and the image of a single fruit tree as a person’s sole inheritance resonates deeply with the Southern frontier experience.
Tale 9: So Dua — The Coconut Shell Boy
The Story
A poor peasant couple worked as servants for a wealthy landlord. After many years of childlessness, the wife drank water from a coconut shell she found in the forest and became pregnant.
When the child was born, the parents were horrified — he was perfectly round, with no arms or legs, resembling nothing so much as a coconut shell with two bright eyes blinking from within. Despite their shock, they loved him and named him So Dua (Coconut Shell).
As So Dua grew, his parents discovered he was intelligent and capable despite his appearance. The landlord, amused by the strange child, assigned him to tend the water buffalo. So Dua turned out to be the best buffalo herder in the district — the animals were always well-fed and healthy under his care.
The landlord had three daughters. The eldest two mocked So Dua cruelly. But the youngest daughter was kind and brought him lunch every day. She sat with him in the shade, told him stories, and treated him with genuine warmth.
When So Dua asked the landlord for his youngest daughter’s hand in marriage, everyone laughed. But So Dua promised to provide a worthy bride price. On the wedding day, So Dua miraculously shed his coconut shell and emerged as a handsome, brilliant young man. He passed the imperial examinations with the highest honors and became a mandarin.
The two elder sisters, consumed with jealousy of their younger sister’s fortune, plotted against her. In some versions, they attempted to drown her or replace her, but their schemes were exposed, and justice prevailed.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Never judge by appearances: The central message is clear and powerful — external appearance tells you nothing about a person’s true worth. So Dua, the most grotesque-looking person imaginable, is the most virtuous, intelligent, and capable.
Kindness to the outcast: The youngest daughter’s kindness to So Dua is rewarded because she treated him with dignity when everyone else mocked him. Vietnamese culture teaches that how you treat the lowest person reveals your true character.
Hidden potential: Like Thanh Giong (the mute child who became a warrior), So Dua represents the Vietnamese fascination with hidden greatness. Many folk heroes begin as apparently weak, foolish, or deformed — their transformation is both literal and metaphorical.
Social mobility through merit: So Dua becomes a mandarin through the imperial examinations, the traditional Vietnamese path for commoners to rise to power. Education and merit trump birth and appearance.
Tale 10: Su Tich Ho Guom — The Legend of the Returned Sword (Sword Lake)
The Story
In the early 15th century, Vietnam was under brutal occupation by the Chinese Ming dynasty. The Vietnamese people suffered greatly, and many resistance movements rose and fell.
Le Loi, a nobleman from Lam Son (in present-day Thanh Hoa province), organized an uprising against the Ming occupiers. But his army was small, poorly equipped, and repeatedly defeated in the early years.
The Dragon King (Long Vuong), seeing the Vietnamese people’s suffering and Le Loi’s determination, decided to lend a magical sword (Thuan Thien — the Will of Heaven) to the resistance. A fisherman named Le Than cast his net into the river three times and each time pulled up the same sword blade. He kept it.
Later, while Le Loi was fleeing through the forest after a defeat, he found a gleaming sword hilt wedged in a tree. It was made of jade and gold. He took it, and when he later visited Le Than, they discovered that the hilt fit the blade perfectly. The sword was whole, and its blade glowed with supernatural power.
With the magical sword, Le Loi’s fortunes transformed. He won battle after battle. His army grew. After ten years of war, he finally expelled the Ming dynasty and reclaimed Vietnam’s independence. He became King Le Thai To, founder of the Le dynasty.
One day, after peace was restored, Le Loi was boating on a lake in the heart of Thang Long (present-day Hanoi). A giant golden turtle (Kim Quy) rose from the water and spoke: “The war is over. Please return the sword to the Dragon King.” Le Loi understood. He drew the sword and held it out. The turtle took the sword in its mouth and dove beneath the water, disappearing forever.
From that day, the lake was named Ho Hoan Kiem — the Lake of the Returned Sword. It remains the spiritual heart of Hanoi to this day.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Divine mandate: The sword represents Heaven’s approval of the just cause. Le Loi did not steal power — it was lent to him by the divine because his cause was righteous. This reflects the Confucian concept of the Mandate of Heaven.
Returning what is borrowed: The most powerful lesson is in the returning. Le Loi does not keep the sword. He gives back the weapon of power when it is no longer needed. This is a profound statement about leadership: power is not owned but borrowed, and a true leader surrenders it when the mission is complete.
National resistance: This legend is the emotional foundation of Vietnamese resistance to foreign domination. For thousands of years, Vietnam has been invaded by larger powers (China, France, Japan, the United States), and each time, the Vietnamese people have drawn on this myth: the Dragon King will provide the sword when the cause is just.
Hanoi’s identity: Ho Hoan Kiem is not just a lake — it is a sacred site. The Turtle Tower in its center, the ancient temple on its shore, and the legend itself are inseparable from Hanoi’s identity. Every Vietnamese person knows this story.
Tale 11: Su Tich Con Muoi — The Legend of the Mosquito
The Story
A poor but devoted rice farmer named Ngoc Tam married a beautiful woman named Nhan Diep. He loved her with all his heart, but Nhan Diep secretly yearned for a life of luxury and ease.
One day, Nhan Diep fell ill and died. Ngoc Tam was shattered by grief. He could not bring himself to bury her. Instead, he sold everything he owned, bought a small boat, and set out on the river with her body, determined to find a way to bring her back.
After a long journey, he reached Thien Thai, the mountain of the Spirit of Medicine. He begged the spirit to restore his wife. The spirit was moved by Ngoc Tam’s love and agreed, but with a condition: he cut Ngoc Tam’s finger and let three drops of blood fall onto Nhan Diep’s body. She was revived — brought back to life by her husband’s blood and love.
On the return journey, Ngoc Tam stopped to buy food, leaving Nhan Diep alone on the boat. A wealthy merchant sailing by was captivated by Nhan Diep’s beauty and invited her aboard his luxurious vessel. Nhan Diep, her true nature revealed, abandoned her husband’s humble boat without hesitation and sailed away with the rich merchant.
When Ngoc Tam finally found her, living in comfort with the merchant, he did not rage or plead. He asked only one thing: “Return to me the three drops of blood that gave you life.”
Nhan Diep laughed and agreed, thinking it a small price. She pricked her finger to release the blood. But the moment the three drops of blood left her body, she collapsed and died again — this time permanently.
Since that second death, Nhan Diep’s spirit has been reborn as the mosquito. She buzzes around humans forever, seeking those three drops of blood, trying to regain the life she so carelessly threw away.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Ingratitude is the worst sin: Nhan Diep is given the greatest gift imaginable — life itself — through her husband’s sacrifice and love. She repays this gift with abandonment and betrayal. The tale condemns ingratitude as a kind of moral death.
The price of greed and vanity: Nhan Diep chooses material comfort over genuine love. Her punishment is eternal — she becomes a pest, forever hungry, forever searching, never satisfied. This reflects the Buddhist teaching that attachment to material things leads to suffering.
Why mosquitoes bite: This is an etiological myth explaining the origin of mosquitoes. The poetic justice is perfect: the woman who sucked the lifeblood out of her husband’s devotion is condemned to literally suck blood for eternity.
Love and letting go: Ngoc Tam’s final act is not revenge but simple truth: he asks only for what was his. The three drops of blood represent the love and sacrifice that gave Nhan Diep life. When she returns them, she returns everything — because without love, she has nothing.
Tale 12: Mai An Tiem — The Legend of the Watermelon
The Story
During the era of the Hung Kings, there lived a man named Mai An Tiem. He had been a foreign slave brought to the court as a young boy, but his intelligence, virtue, and handsome bearing so impressed the King that he was freed, given a new name, provided with a wife, and granted a position at court.
Mai An Tiem prospered and became one of the wealthiest officials. But his success bred envy. When he remarked to friends that “a man’s fortune comes from Heaven, not from the King’s favor alone,” his enemies reported this as treason. The King, angered, banished Mai An Tiem and his family to a desolate, barren island in the sea.
On the island, the family faced starvation. But Mai An Tiem noticed that seabirds dropped seeds on the sand, and from these seeds grew a plant he had never seen before. The plant produced large, green fruits with sweet, cool, red flesh and black seeds — watermelons.
Mai An Tiem cultivated the watermelons, feeding his family. He then carved his name on the melons and floated them out to sea on the currents. Passing merchant ships found the melons, traced them back to the island, and began trading with Mai An Tiem. He became prosperous again through his own ingenuity.
Word of the miraculous fruit reached the King, who realized that Mai An Tiem’s earlier comment had been truthful, not treasonous. The King recalled the family with honor, and Mai An Tiem distributed watermelon seeds throughout the kingdom. This is how Vietnam gained the watermelon, and why watermelons are an essential part of Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations, especially in Southern Vietnam.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Self-reliance: Mai An Tiem’s statement — that fortune comes from Heaven, not from any single patron — is vindicated by the story. He succeeds on a barren island with nothing but his own resourcefulness. Vietnamese culture deeply respects self-made success.
Resilience in exile: Rather than despairing, Mai An Tiem works with what nature provides. He turns a punishment into an opportunity. This reflects the Vietnamese ability to thrive in adversity.
Innovation and trade: The detail about carving his name on watermelons and floating them to sea is a brilliant touch — Mai An Tiem is essentially inventing branding and maritime trade. The story celebrates entrepreneurial thinking.
Southern Vietnamese connection: Watermelon (dua hau) is especially important in Southern Vietnamese Tet traditions. A whole watermelon on the family altar during Tet symbolizes good fortune. The story of Mai An Tiem is the origin myth for this beloved custom.
Tale 13: Trach Quynh (Trang Quynh) — The Clever Scholar
The Story
Trang Quynh (based loosely on the historical figure Nguyen Quynh from Thanh Hoa province) was a famously witty scholar who used his intelligence to mock the powerful, defend the poor, and expose hypocrisy. His stories are a cycle of humorous anecdotes rather than a single narrative.
In one famous tale, a corrupt mandarin ordered a peasant to bring him a roasted pig as a “gift.” Trang Quynh advised the peasant to roast the pig but place it facing away from the mandarin. When the mandarin asked why, the peasant (coached by Trang Quynh) replied: “My lord, the pig turns its back to you because it is ashamed — it knows it was stolen from a poor man’s pen.” The mandarin, embarrassed, dropped his demand.
In another tale, Trang Quynh was asked to write a funeral poem for a rich man who was universally hated. He wrote beautiful calligraphy that appeared to praise the dead man, but when read aloud, the tonal patterns formed a hidden insult. The mourners who could read between the lines struggled not to laugh.
Trang Quynh’s most famous exploits involve outwitting the Lord (Chua Trinh), the de facto ruler who held more power than the King. Trang Quynh repeatedly humiliated the Lord through wordplay, logical traps, and situations where the Lord’s own rules forced him to look foolish. Despite the Lord’s anger, Trang Quynh always escaped punishment through his wit.
Moral and Cultural Significance
Intelligence as weapon of the weak: Trang Quynh has no army, no wealth, no political power. His only weapon is his mind. These stories celebrate intellectual power as the great equalizer — the clever commoner can outwit the powerful lord.
Speaking truth to power: Trang Quynh says what everyone thinks but no one dares to speak. He gives voice to the people’s frustration with corruption and abuse. His stories are a safety valve for social tension.
Vietnamese humor: Trang Quynh stories represent the peak of Vietnamese satirical humor — multilayered, linguistic, and subversive. They require deep knowledge of Vietnamese language and culture to fully appreciate, making them a source of cultural pride.
Common Themes Across Vietnamese Folk Tales
1. Karma and Cosmic Justice
Nearly every Vietnamese folk tale operates on the principle that good is rewarded and evil is punished. This reflects the deep Buddhist influence on Vietnamese culture. The punishment often fits the crime with poetic precision (Nhan Diep becoming a mosquito, the greedy brother drowning in the sea).
2. Transformation and Rebirth
Characters frequently undergo physical transformations: Tam is reborn multiple times, So Dua sheds his shell, Thanh Giong grows from infant to giant, the three lovers become stone, tree, and vine. These transformations reflect the Buddhist concept of impermanence and the folk belief that the physical world is more fluid than it appears.
3. The Triumph of the Humble
Vietnamese folk heroes are almost always poor, plain, or disadvantaged: a woodcutter, a naked fisherman, a coconut-shaped child, a farmer. The wealthy, powerful, and beautiful are usually the villains or the obstacles. This reflects a deep cultural sympathy for the underdog.
4. The Importance of Family
Family relationships drive nearly every tale: sibling love (Trau Cau), parental devotion (Au Co), marital loyalty (Ngoc Tam), filial piety (throughout). Vietnamese folk tales do not feature lone heroes — they feature people embedded in family networks.
5. Nature as Teacher and Mirror
Rivers, mountains, trees, animals, and weather are not just backdrop — they are characters with agency and meaning. Son Tinh IS the mountain; Thuy Tinh IS the water. The mosquito IS Nhan Diep. Vietnamese folk tales reflect a worldview where humans and nature are inseparable.
6. Resistance and Resilience
Vietnam’s history of being invaded by larger powers (China, France, Japan, the United States) is encoded in these tales. Thanh Giong defeats the invaders. Le Loi’s sword expels the occupiers. Son Tinh endures the floods year after year. The message is consistent: resist, endure, and you will prevail.
How These Tales Reflect Vietnamese Values
| Value | Tales That Embody It |
|---|---|
| Filial piety (chu hieu) | Lac Long Quan/Au Co, Trau Cau |
| Loyalty and devotion | Trau Cau, Ngoc Tam (Mosquito) |
| Perseverance | Son Tinh, Le Loi (Sword Lake) |
| Humility | Thach Sanh, So Dua, Cay Khe |
| Justice/karma | Tam Cam, Cay Khe, Mosquito |
| Patriotism | Thanh Giong, Sword Lake |
| Self-reliance | Mai An Tiem, Chu Dong Tu |
| Intelligence | Trang Quynh, Thach Sanh |
| Love across class | Chu Dong Tu, So Dua |
| Generosity | Thach Sanh, Cay Khe |
Note on Storytelling Tradition
In traditional Vietnamese culture, these tales were told by grandmothers (ba noi, ba ngoai) to their grandchildren during evening hours, often while the children lay in hammocks or on bamboo beds. The grandmother’s voice, the tropical night sounds, and the rhythm of the stories created a bonding experience that Vietnamese people remember their entire lives.
The phrase “Ngay xua, ngay xua…” (Once upon a time, once upon a time…) is the traditional Vietnamese story opener, equivalent to “Once upon a time” in English. Every Vietnamese person, upon hearing those words, is transported back to childhood and the sound of their grandmother’s voice.
References and Sources
This article draws from the rich tradition of Vietnamese oral and written folklore as documented in:
- Vietnamese Mythology on Wikipedia
- Tam and Cam on EBSCO Research
- Son Tinh Thuy Tinh on Wikipedia
- Thanh Giong on Wikipedia
- The Legend of Mai An Tiem on Wikipedia
- Vietnam Tourism: Legend of Betel and Areca
- Vietnam Is Awesome: Vietnamese Mythology
- Saigoneer: The Tale of the Coconut Skull
- Bong Backpacker Hostel: 16 Traditional Vietnamese Folktales
- Lac Long Quan on Wikipedia
- Heritage Vietnam Airlines: Thach Sanh
- Heritage Vietnam Airlines: Legend of Sword Lake
- Medium: The Vietnamese Tale of the Mosquito
- Haivenu Vietnam: Vietnamese Folklore