Where did the mythical Lac bird symbol originate from?

The image of the mythical Lac bird, appearing on bronze drums dating back thousands of years, is believed to be a sacred totem, embodying the noble aspirations of the Vietnamese people.

On the evening of May 28th, Son Tung released the music video for "Come My Way ," featuring many Vietnamese cultural symbols that attracted attention from the online community. In particular, in the opening seconds, the image of the Lac bird – a symbol associated with the Dong Son bronze drums – appearing in Los Angeles sparked much discussion about the meaning the artist intended to convey.

According to archaeological studies, the image of the Lac bird appearing on the surface and body of Lac Viet bronze drums, dating back thousands of years, is believed to be a sacred totem.

Images of the mythical Lac bird are found on many Dong Son bronze drums. The image depicts a bird with a long beak, long neck, and long body, circling the sun.

Scholar Dao Duy Anh and several researchers believe that the Lac bird is a symbol inspired by water birds (cranes, herons, egrets, etc.), which are familiar birds in the Red River Delta.

First, let's start with the name "Lạc bird". In the study "The Image of the Lạc Bird on Ancient Đông Sơn Bronze Drums" by Associate Professor Dr. Hỏa Diệu Thúy, the scholar presents several theories suggesting that the word "Lạc" in "Lạc bird" originates from the word "Lạc điền" (rice paddy).

The characteristic of paddy fields is "cultivating according to the tides," "farming according to the rising and falling tides." Thus, Lac Dien refers to paddy fields, the people who cultivate them are Lac people, the Lac kings rule them, and the Lac generals assist them. The ancients widely used the word "Lac" in many contexts: Lac Viet, Lac king, Lac marquis, Lac general, Lac people, Lac Dien.

However, the question continues to arise: why use the word "lạc" instead of "nước" (water/reed)? Scholar Hỏa Diệu Thúy argues that the Cửu Chân region during the Hùng Vương era included Thanh Hóa and Nghệ An , situated along large rivers. In the Thanh-Nghệ dialect, rice paddies were called "đồng sác" (Thanh Hóa) and "đồng sặc" (Nghệ An). In the Thanh-Nghệ dialect at that time, the sounds S and L were often used interchangeably, with some calling it "ruồng sác" and others "ruồng lác".

Thus, "lạc điền" means "rice paddy," and "lạc bird" refers to the "sác bird," a species of bird that frequently visits rice paddies to forage for food.

But specifically, which of the various birds that forage in the rice paddies is the "Lạc bird"? Is it a stork, crane, pelican, heron, egret, etc., or is it a mix of different species? Some studies suggest that the "Lạc bird" refers to the stork, because storks lived more harmoniously with the Lạc Việt people than other species, and storks are gentle and diligent. The close relationship between storks and the Lạc Việt people is evident in folk songs and ballads, where the number of stork images is significantly higher than that of other birds.

According to some researchers, waterfowl served as the model for the "Lac bird" depicted on the Dong Son bronze drums. With their closeness to and affection for this bird, the Lac Viet people stylized the stork into a mythical creature, soaring around the sun with outstretched wings. This veneration of the stork also shows that the Lac Viet people valued gentleness, diligence, and simplicity in their character and spirit.

According to Dao Duy Anh's research on the origins of the Vietnamese people, he called the Lac bird a "migratory bird," meaning a species of bird that flew to a new land. People followed this bird to settle in the land that would later become Lac Viet.

In the music video, Son Tung wears a shirt embroidered with the symbol of the Lac bird.

Recently, there have been different interpretations of the image of the Lac bird. Professor Le Huy Bac, head of the Department of Vietnamese Studies at Hanoi Pedagogical University, stated in Tuoi Tre newspaper that the Lac bird is the totem of the Vietnamese people. This image embodies the qualities of all majestic birds according to the imagination of the Vietnamese ancestors.

Professor Le Huy Bac argues that the Lac bird is not a mythical creature as has been commonly believed. According to the thinking of ancient Vietnamese people, the Lac bird was a legendary bird with extraordinary strength, majestic beauty, and moral values. It was believed to be able to assist and guide the Vietnamese in their settlement, animal husbandry, farming, and overcoming all challenges and obstacles, both in nature and in confronting invading enemies to protect their sovereignty .

Although there are many different explanations about the origin of the Lac bird, this symbol always embodies a spirit of freedom and dignity. The gentle Lac bird heralded the joyful planting season for ancient Vietnamese farmers. The image of this bird dominating the sky has always been the dream of the Lac Viet people.

More and more Vietnamese artists are creatively incorporating Vietnamese cultural symbols into their artwork, especially in international projects. This trend reflects artists' appreciation for their national culture and their aspiration to affirm Vietnamese identity globally.

Source: https://znews.vn/bieu-tuong-chim-lac-bat-nguon-tu-dau-post1655106.html