The Legend of Hai Ba Trung

The Legend of Hai Ba Trung refers to the Trung sisters.  Around 111 B.C. the Chinese annexed Vietnam.  The Chinese sent officials to govern the province of Vietnam.  The Vietnamese were not allowed to keep their own system of government.  In 39 A.D., the Chinese governor of Chiao Chi wanted to scare some of the Vietnamese landlords by assassinating one of them.  The man who was assassinated was the husband of Trung Trac.  She was very well educated and strong minded.  She also was very familiar with the military arts.  She called her sister, Trung Nhi, and together they formed an army with the help of other lords.  This was the first Vietnamese revolt.

My informant first heard this legend when she was a child.  She heard it from her parents when she was around the age of 8.  She heard it from her father, who was telling all her brothers and sisters some war stories in Vietnam’s history.  Vietnam was annexed by China for many years and this legend is so popular because not only was it the first legend of Vietnamese people fighting for their freedom against China but because it was two women who first started the rebellion.  My informant’s father told his children this story to remind his children of Vietnam’s past and what the country of Vietnam has been through.  My informant’s father told his children this legend to teach them to be grateful for those who fought for Vietnam’s freedom.  If it was not for the many historical heroes who fought against the Chinese, Vietnam would still be under the powers of China.

The Trung sisters are now celebrated today as Vietnamese heroes.  There are many statues and shrines that are dedicated to them in Vietnam.  The revolt of the Trung sisters is one of the most celebrated in Vietnamese history.  It is the most celebrated because the victory of the Trung sisters secured independence from China for the first time in a century and a half.  However, their victory was cut short when in 43 A.D. the Chinese returned to retake Vietnam.  Instead of being captured by the Chinese, the sisters drowned themselves in the Hat-Giang River on the 60^th day of the second lunar eclipse.  Every year, a festival is held in honor of the Trung sisters.  The festival is held on the 15^th day of the first lunar month.  The festival is held every year to remind the Vietnamese culture who these women were and what they did for the country of Vietnam.  They fought for what they believed in and this legend helps teach Vietnamese people to fight for what is right.  This legend is meant to help people have faith in themselves and give people motivation to fight for what they believe in.

informant’s parents would usually tell their children a story, fairy tale, or legend.  On one of those occasions, my informant’s parents told him the legend of King Le Lot’s Sacred Sword.  My informant also heard this legend while in grade school from his teacher.  Most people in Vietnam use this legend to tell the story of the capital.  In the Vietnamese culture, many stories and legends are used to teach children and students the history of Vietnam.

Many Vietnamese legends use animals to represent gods.  In this legend a turtle represents the lake’s god.  Compared to other culture’s legends and myths, like Greek legends, gods are represented with humans.  For example, in Greek mythology, Poseidon is the god of the water.  He controls the way the water moves.  In this Vietnamese legend, a turtle replaces Poseidon.  The turtle controls the way the water moves and flows.

Many cultures as well as Vietnamese culture use legends or stories to teach how capitals of countries arose or even how the country came to be.  American culture uses stories of historical to teach people how this nation came to be.  Many stories of our founding fathers are told continually throughout people’s lives.

people in Vietnam could not understand why it rained so much.  Therefore, this legendary story was invented to help people understand the weather of Vietnam.

As my informant was growing up, my informant believed that the reason why it rained so much in his hometown was because the Water spirit and the Mountain spirit were always fighting.  This legend is mainly told to children to help them understand the fickle weather in Vietnam.  As my informant grew up, he realized this legend was not true and stopped believing it.  However, when younger children especially nieces and nephews ask about why it rains, my informant always tells them this legend.