Year of the Dragon talks about dragons in Vietnamese culture

Among the 12 zodiac animals, the dragon is a legendary animal, the crystallization of imagination in the culture of ancient Eastern people. (Photo: tuoitreonline)

Dragons are the result of the rich imagination of Eastern people with ancient cultural philosophy. Dragons enter human life in most production activities, architecture, festivals, fine arts, even in temples, pagodas... In the East, the dragon is the leader of the four animals symbolizing prosperity and human strength, called the four sacred animals. They are Long - Ly - Qui - Phuong (dragon, unicorn, turtle, phoenix).

For the Vietnamese, the dragon has always been a sacred symbol; long phi (flying dragon), ngoa long (lying dragon), thang long (flying dragon), giang long (descending dragon) are all considered celestial phenomena. The dragon symbol is the symbol of the Son of Heaven, symbolizing the king, nobility, luxury, power, and invincible strength. Therefore, everything owned by the king has the "dragon" element. The king's residence is called "long cung", the king's bed is "long sang", the king's body is "long the", the king's face is "long nhan", the king's clothes are "long bao" embroidered with a five-clawed dragon... In Vietnam, the image of the dragon is often carved and carved elaborately and solemnly, placed in cultural architecture, in the king's palace, or in solemn places such as communal houses, pagodas, temples, shrines...

For Vietnamese people, no matter what form it takes, the dragon is still a mascot that brings good luck, happiness and prosperity to people. The Vietnamese dragon is a combination of one or several body parts of many different mascots: a dragon with a nose, a unicorn forehead, a lion's mane, deer horns, fish eyes, a tiger's mouth, a snake's body, an eagle's feet, carp scales, a whisker and a shrimp's tail... all parts are coordinated smoothly, reasonably, balanced and harmoniously to create a majestic, deep, heroic dragon shape with a noble and elegant demeanor; a dragon flying gracefully, a dragon lying on its peak... majestic but not cruel, elegant but majestic. The ancients believed that if there were a dragon painting or statue (long tuong) or long phu (a dragon's embossed face) in the house, no demons, evil beasts or evil gods would dare to come near. That is why the dragon has been closely associated with people and life; Dragons are worshiped in the fetishism and spiritual culture of ancient people, and are deified in myths and legends.

The story of the descendants of the dragon and the fairy associated with the legend of Au Co - Lac Long Quan is a source of pride for all Vietnamese people. Father Lac Long Quan is a descendant of the Dragon and mother Au Co is a descendant of the Fairy, giving birth to a sac of one hundred eggs, which hatched one hundred children; fifty children followed their mother to the mountains, fifty children followed their father to the sea, building a Van Lang State stretching from the deep mountains to the deep sea. That is a mythical story explaining the origin of the Vietnamese race, as a source of pride that has accompanied the Vietnamese people in the culture and history of the struggle to build the country for over four thousand years.

The dragon is not only a legend about the Vietnamese race but also a symbol of the capital of our country. According to the chronicles, on the day of the founding of the Ly dynasty, a dragon appeared, so the capital was named Thang Long. The dragon is not only a symbol of the king, of sacredness, the dragon is also a symbol of the body of the country: From Bai Tu Long, Ha Long, Bach Long Vi, through Thang Long to Cuu Long. Imagining Vietnam as a dragon, the head is the North, the middle is the Central, the tail is the South.

In Vietnamese, there are also many idioms, folk songs, and proverbs about dragons. Dragons are often symbolized to compare with other animals, but always in a more noble and solemn way. To praise another person who is a guest, the host often says: "Dragon comes to the shrimp house", to praise a person with good writing, "Words like flying dragons, dancing phoenixes", to congratulate the bride and groom on their wedding day "Long phuong hoa minh", to talk about the beautiful terrain "Long ban ho cu" (The land of Thang Long is like a sitting tiger, a coiled dragon - Thien do chieu)... There are many and many idioms like that to see that when talking about dragons, Vietnamese people always have a respectful and respectful attitude. Unlike many other countries and ethnic groups, in their consciousness, Vietnamese people relate to dragons like a kinship relationship, lineage, considering themselves as people with dragon and fairy blood.

In Vietnamese folklore, the dragon symbolizes sacredness and good fortune. The dragon is believed to bring longevity, prosperity, warmth and happiness to everyone. The year of the dragon is a very lucky year, and those born in the year of the dragon will be successful and glorious. All stories, objects and positions related to the dragon are noble, good and happy.

NGUYEN LINH (synthesis)

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