Volume I: Myths and Legends
Vietnam’s World of Myth and Magic
In Progress
Series Preface
Stories are the soul of Vietnam. They are not only remembered in temples, lakes, and mountains but also in the laughter and wisdom of everyday life.
The Whispers of the Lotus series gathers these voices of the past in two parts:
Myths and Legends, where gods, heroes, and sacred places reveal the nation’s origins.
Folktales, where ordinary people, animals, and spirits teach lessons of wit, kindness, and resilience.
Together, these stories form a portrait of a culture where the extraordinary and the everyday belong to the same world.
The lotus, rising pure from the mud, reminds us that beauty and wisdom can flourish in every tale. These whispers, whether of heroes or humble villagers, still speak to us today.
Introduction to Volume 1
Across the rivers, mountains, and rice fields of Vi-etnam, myths have long been whispered as truths, woven into the rhythms of daily life. These are not simply tales of the past, but living echoes of a people’s identity, their beliefs, and their imagination. Legends breathe life into temples, lakes, and ancient trees; they give voice to dragons, phoenixes, and unicorns; they honour heroes, queens, and gods who shaped the nation’s spirit.
This first volume, Vietnam’s World of Myths and Magic, gathers some of the country’s most enduring legends—stories of creation, of battles between gods and mortals, of love and sacrifice, and of the bond between people and the land they inhabit. Within these pages, you will meet Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh in their eternal struggle over the waters, the brave Trung Sisters rising against oppression, and Thánh Gióng, the boy who became a warrior of almost divine power. You will journey with Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ, the mythical parents of the Vietnamese people, and discover the sacred origins of festivals, temples, and traditions still celebrated today.
Vietnamese legends are more than entertain-ment; they are cultural memory preserved through cen-turies of storytelling. They explain the presence of a lake, a fruit, or a tree, but also reveal the moral values and re-silience of a people who have endured hardship yet al-ways looked toward renewal.
As you turn the pages, listen closely: the lotus whispers not only of the past but of the enduring magic of Vietnam.
Author’s Note
I gathered these legends with deep respect for the voices that have carried them through centuries. They are windows into Vietnam’s imagination, courage, and sense of belonging to both land and history. I hope that, in reading them, you will not only discover the stories themselves but also feel the pulse of a culture that continues to thrive on myth and memory.