The cosmic tree of the Dong Son culture on bronze drums.

According to documents such as the Dictionary of World Cultural Symbols and the Origins and Development of Symbolic Architecture and the Dong Son Language: Trees are one of the most common and abundant symbols of human culture. Every ethnic group on Earth may have one or more cosmic trees. For example, the oak tree of the Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Finns; the pine tree of the Native Americans; the mulberry and peach trees of the Thais and Chinese; the banyan tree of the Muong people… For Christianity, there is the cross = Tree of Life = Tree of God; for Buddhism, the Bodhi tree = Tree of Life = Tree of Buddha; for Hinduism, the cosmic tree, with roots representing Brahma, trunk representing Shiva, and branches representing Vishnu. Many ethnic groups around the world also equate trees with people, such as the custom of marrying trees… Because trees are symbols of life, symbols of a fertile mother, of vitality and fertility… This is a universal phenomenon reflecting the cosmological thinking of ancient peoples.

A bronze tree with birds perched on it.

PHOTO: ART OF THE BRONZE AGE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Furthermore, the Dictionary of World Cultural Symbols states that: The cosmic tree depicted with birds perched on its branches, in addition to symbolizing its cosmic origin, also represents the ancestral spirit. According to Central Asian, Siberian, and especially Indonesian mythology, the birds perched on the branches of the cosmic tree symbolize the human soul.

A bronze tree with a bird perched on it, from the Dong Son culture, was discovered and published in the journal Art of the Bronze Age in Southeast Asia, although the information about it is brief: “A rare branch of lifeblood. Dong Son or Giao Chi period, Vietnam. Dating 300 BC – 100 AD. Bronze, 10.8 cm high.” The tree is described as: “Blooming buds and a bird seemingly flying out from the tip of this branch. This exquisite and unique bronze artifact perfectly exemplifies the sophistication of Dong Son material culture and the mastery of bronze casting technology.”

Upon examining the tree in the photo, it's clear that a bird is perched on a leaf at the top. Unfortunately, the lower part of the tree and two leaves on the left are broken off, and the angle of the shot doesn't clearly capture the bird's image.

The question here is: what purpose did the Dong Son people use this tree for? What type of tree is it? Is it a cosmic tree? Is the bird depicted perched on the tree a symbol of the human soul, as mentioned in the dictionary?

The discovery of circular or concentric circle patterns with a stylized chrysanthemum dot in the center demonstrates that botanical elements were never absent from the decoration of bronze drums, especially the 28 flowering plants in the fifth decorative ring on the surface of the Thanh Cong drum. Furthermore, this flower was found incorporated into the sun on many drums and even on an axe. In addition, there are numerous depictions of chrysanthemums transforming into birds. All of this shows that the "culture of the sun and chrysanthemum" flourished in the Dong Son culture. Therefore, the discovery of this bronze tree with a bird perched on it, although rare, is not surprising.

The sun on the Thanh Hoa bronze drum.

PHOTO: DONG SON DRUMS IN VIET NAM

The next issue here is birds. According to the Dictionary of World Cultural Symbols, besides symbolizing the human soul, birds also play a role in the connection between heaven and earth. Thus, the images of birds depicted so commonly in the Dong Son culture are very likely related to this. It's no wonder that a sacred flower, a symbol of the sun like the chrysanthemum, was used by Dong Son artisans as a subject for depicting birds. This shows that birds were highly revered in the spiritual life of the Dong Son people.

Returning to the bronze tree with the bird perched on it: The tree's design closely resembles the trees and flowers interspersed among the sun's rays found on the Thanh Hoa bronze drums, and it has been proven that these trees and flowers are chrysanthemums. Regarding the veneration of birds in the Dong Son culture, as analyzed above, this can only be explained by the fact that birds symbolize the human soul and the ancestral spirits, representing a connection between heaven and earth.

In short, the discovery of the Dong Son culture's cosmological tree indicates that the Dong Son people's worldview is not outside the universality of human cosmological thinking. Thus, along with discoveries such as the sun-chrysanthemum, the sun chariot, the sun wheel, and the chrysanthemum transforming into a bird, it shows that the Dong Son culture has a very rich and diverse appearance.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cay-vu-tru-cua-nen-van-hoa-dong-son-tren-trong-dong-185240907213433686.htm