From ancient times, the mountain and forest mindset has dominated the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. Explaining this is not simple and quite lengthy, but it is indeed a real phenomenon, specifically manifested in literature.
My Son Sanctuary in springtime in the mountainous region of Quang Nam - Photo: PXD
According to the famous legend of "Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh," in an important matter like choosing a son-in-law, King Hung challenged the two "candidates," Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh, with gifts: a nine-tusked elephant, a nine-spurred rooster, and a nine-maned horse. Whoever brought all the gifts and arrived first would be given the princess in marriage. Clearly, these were animals of the mountains and forests, giving the advantage to the Mountain God/Son Tinh. Thuy Tinh, having lost, became extremely angry and caused floods to reclaim the princess and demand fairness in the marriage challenge.
The fairy tale "The Magic Gourd" explains the origins of the ethnic groups in our country, stemming from a common gourd often hung on the kitchen rack—a very familiar image in the daily lives of the highland people. This is a typical example among many in folk literature.
For example, in folk songs from the past: "Why are there so many high mountains? The mountains hide the sun, so I cannot see my beloved"; "If we love each other, we will climb any mountain, cross any river, and go over any pass"...
In the epic poem Dam San, the majestic and sacred mountains and forests are not only places requiring brave warriors to conquer, places to express the aspirations, strength, and courage of men, but also a mirror of nature for women to look up to. Natural beauty has become the aesthetic standard for women in the Central Highlands. Please listen: “She walks leisurely, her body as graceful as a branch of a fruit-laden tree, as supple as the branches at the top of the tree. She walks like a kite in flight, a phoenix soaring, like gently flowing water…” or in another passage: “She walks lightly like an elephant flapping its trunk, silently like a fish swimming underwater. Her skin is as white as a gourd flower. Her hair is as soft as a waterfall, as black as a horse's tail, as smooth as a cat's fur…”
The Flame of the Great Forest - Photo: TRINH HOANG TAN
Modern times during the resistance against the French in the Northwest highlands are vividly recreated in the story "A Phu's Wife and Husband" by writer To Hoai, while the indomitable Central Highlands are brilliantly reflected in the novel "The Nation Rises Up" by Nguyen Ngoc.
During the war against the Americans, Thu Bồn's "Epic of the Chơ Rao Bird," about the resilient land of the Central Highlands, became a widespread and inspiring literary phenomenon at the time. Later, it was included in textbooks for students. The epic poem glorifies the indomitable spirit of the Central Highlands and the close-knit solidarity between the people of the lowlands and the people of the highlands during the war of national defense. They remained together even in prison: "Hùng and Rin, two comrades / Two birds locked in one cage / Their whole lives intertwined / Two streams merging and flowing into one river."
Even when they cried, these weren't tears of weakness, but tears of deep love, of profound humanity, of sacred affection for their beloved village: “Y Rin cried, for the first time Rin cried / Tears fell drop by drop / Hung moved closer to his friend / Whispering words in his ear; “Rin, tomorrow morning when the sun rises / A bird will sing in front of the house / Tell the bird to tell the girl / All our feelings”; Did Sao ever hold a grudge for long / Against a comrade / Why did Sao have to say what Sao wanted to say / To two comrades about to sacrifice themselves...?” Their sacrifice was never in vain; as President Ho Chi Minh said, the blood and bones of those who died for their country have “blossomed independence, borne the fruit of freedom.”
Road leading to La Lay International Border Gate - Photo: TN
Following in the footsteps of writers who wrote about mountains and forests, including the Central Highlands, Trung Trung Đỉnh is a writer who has made significant contributions. He has many realistic and vivid prose works about the Central Highlands, including the novel "Lost in the Forest" (1999), which caused a sensation, won the top prize in the novel competition of the Vietnam Writers Association, and was awarded the State Prize in 2007.
The novel tells the story of a soldier named Binh from the North who goes to the Southern battlefield to fight the Americans and dreams of becoming a hero. Before he has fought a proper battle, he gets lost in the jungle and is taken in by the people of the highlands.
He went from one astonishment to another as he interacted with the people of the Central Highlands. He was captivated not only by the vast, wild, and mysterious forests, but the more he learned, the more he cherished the unique culture and customs of this place, especially the soul and character of the people of the Central Highlands. A romantic, poetic, and impressive scene is perceived through the eyes of the main character, a soldier named Binh: "Somewhere far away, it seems like someone is singing."
Her voice was so gentle, I felt as if I were floating. My head rested on the woman's lap. She was playing the ding-yong... The soft, flickering sound was like a whispered confession from the depths of the human heart. It vibrated and wavered behind the very gentle voice with its tender, heart-wrenching melody.
That is also the spiritual value of the mountains and forests in the literature of yesterday, and even today and tomorrow, always opening up a new chapter of life, flourishing like the bustling nature inviting spring for all living things.
Pham Xuan Dung
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