Âu Cơ

Mythology

Âu Cơ was a beautiful tiên (immortal) who lived high in the snow-capped mountains. She traveled to help those who suffered from illnesses since she was very skillful in medicine and had a sympathetic heart. One day, a monster suddenly appeared before her while she was on her travels. It frightened her, so she transformed into a crane to fly away. Lạc Long Quân, the dragon king from the sea, passed by and saw the crane in danger. He grabbed a nearby rock and killed the monster with it. When Âu Cơ stopped flying to see the very person that saved her, she turned back into a tiên (immortal) and instantly fell in love with her savior. She soon bore an egg sac, from which hatched a hundred children. However, despite their love for each other, Âu Cơ had always desired to be in the mountains again and Lạc Long Quân, too, yearned for the sea where the length of days are measured by seasons. They separated, each taking 50 children. Âu Cơ settled in the Vietnamese snow-covered mountains where she raised fifty young, intelligent, strong leaders, later known as the Hùng Vương, Hùng kings.

In Vietnamese literature

The books Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (from the 15th century) and Lĩnh Nam chích quái (Wonders plucked from the dust of Linh-nam, from the 14th century) mention the legend. In Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư Âu Cơ is the daughter of Đế Lai (also known as Đế Ai 帝哀, or Emperor Ai, who was a descendant of Shennong), while in Lĩnh Nam chích quái, Âu Cơ was Đế Lai's concubine before she married off to Lạc Long Quân. Additionally in Lĩnh Nam chích quái, Âu Cơ gave birth to an egg sac but threw it away in the field, believing the egg sac to carry bad omens. Ngô Sĩ Liên commented in the sử ký on the somewhat primitive nature of the relationship between the two progenitors, given that Lạc's father Kinh Dương Vương and Âu's grandfather Đế Nghi were brothers. The story of Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân is taught widely in Vietnamese schools.

In her pamphlet about the Vietnam War, called simply "Vietnam", the American author Mary McCarthy mentions the use of the Vietnamese creation myth by American agents seeking to rally patriotic support for South Vietnam.

Notes

References

Sources

• Friedman, Amy. "One Hundred Kings – a Legend of Ancient Vietnam", South Florida Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2005, pg. 8
• Taylor, Sandra C. Vietnamese Women at War (Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1999)
• Turner, Karen Gottschang. Even the Women Must Fight (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998)
• Willing, Indigo A. “The Adopted Vietnamese Community: From Fairy Tales to the Diaspora”, Michigan Quarterly Review 43, no. 4 (2004)

References

1. Dông Phong. (2009). "Papy, conte-nous ta terre lointaine".
2. Philip Taylor. (2007). "Modernity and Re-Enchantment: Religion in Post-Revolutionary Vietnam".
3. Leeming, David Adams, ''Creation myths of the world: an encyclopedia'', Vol. 1, ABC-CLIO, 2010. p. 270.
4. Nghia M. Vo ''Saigon: A History'' 2011– Page 285 "According to legend, King Lạc Long Quân wed fairy Âu Cơ who gave him 100 children. Both considered to be the ancestors of the Vietnamese nation, they later split up; taking 50 children, he settled along the coastal area and founded the ..."
5. Keith Weller Taylor: ''The Birth of Vietnam''. Revision of thesis (Ph.D.). Appendix A, p. 303. [[University of California Press]] (1991); {{ISBN. 0-520-07417-3
6. [[Huangfu Mi]]. ''Records on Generations of Kings and Emperors'' 帝王世紀. Article "Shennong-shi". {{small. Rulers from Shennong-shi were: (1) Shennong-shi 神農氏; (2) Emperor Lin Kui 帝临魁; (3) Emperor Cheng 帝承; (4) Emperor Ming 帝明; (5) Emperor Zhi 帝直; (6) Emperor Li 帝釐; (7) Emperor Ai 帝哀; and (8) Emperor Yu Wang 帝榆罔.
7. "嶺南摭怪/鴻龐氏傳 - 維基文庫，自由的圖書館".
8. "Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quốc gia".
9. "Tách câu và Phiên âm".
10. Marie-Carine Lall, Edward Vickers ''Education As a Political Tool in Asia'' 2009 Page 143 "... the cradle of 'Vietnamese-ness'. The history of the country really started around 800 bc with the Văn Lang kingship. Children learn about the legends of the nation's birth, which feature heroic figures such as Kinh Dương Vương, Âu Cơ – Lạc Long Quân ..."
11. Jonathan D London ''Education in Vietnam'' 2011 Page 68 "Âu Cơ origin goddess"