Exploring the Beauty of Vietnamese Folklore

Legends and Mythology: The Source of Creativity

Vietnamese folklore is a priceless treasure trove, preserving stories, legends, myths, proverbs, folk songs… reflecting the lives, thoughts, and feelings of the Vietnamese people through generations. Mythological stories such as Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh, or legends about national heroes like Saint Giong, Le Loi… not only explain the origins of nature, objects, and phenomena but also affirm the strength, intelligence, and indomitable spirit of the nation.

Life Lessons from Legends

Legends often carry profound lessons about morality, compassion, and justice. For example, the story of “The Banyan Tree and the Bodhi Tree” teaches people about brotherhood, unity, and mutual support. These stories are passed down from generation to generation, becoming an indispensable part of the spiritual life of the people.

Proverbs and Folk Songs: The Wisdom of the People

Proverbs are short, concise sayings that summarize the life experiences of the people. They reflect philosophies of life, concepts of morality, society, and nature… For example: “Eat the fruit, remember the one who planted the tree”, “One tree doesn’t make a forest, three trees make a mountain”.

Folk songs, with their sweet and profound six-eight poems, express family affection, love, friendship, and love for the homeland… Folk songs are imbued with lyrical emotions, closely linked to the daily lives of the people, conveying profound cultural values.

Literary and Artistic Value

Vietnamese folk literature not only has value in terms of content but also in terms of art. The language in stories, proverbs, and folk songs is rich in imagery, evocative, easy to remember, and easy to understand. Many stories are told in many different tones, creating diversity and richness for the folk culture treasure trove.

Preserving and Promoting Folklore

Preserving and promoting folklore is the responsibility of every Vietnamese citizen. We need to actively learn, study, and teach the younger generation the good values of folklore, so that this precious cultural heritage will not be lost.

Today, with the development of information technology, preserving and promoting folklore has become easier. We can use the media to disseminate stories, songs, proverbs, and folk songs… to a wide range of people.