The mystical U Minh

In the book "U Minh Legends," recently published by Kim Dong Publishing House, author and cultural studies doctor Nguyen Thi Diep Mai has compiled 18 folk tales about the ancient U Minh region, thereby revealing a mysterious land with wild nature and the pioneers who settled and opened up the area in the early days.

U Minh was once a mysterious land in the south, renowned for its sacred forests, poisonous waters, and dense miasma. It was often likened to the underworld, a place of eerie, dark, and endlessly desolate landscapes, giving rise to legends and myths that often took on a surreal and supernatural quality. The author states that these stories were collected and recorded based on the accounts of elderly local residents who have lived in the U Minh region their entire lives.

The book comes with many impressive illustrations by artist Tat Sy.

PHOTO: K.D

Most of these stories are based on real locations, where the shapes of many historical sites and landscapes have been imagined and adapted by people. For example, the shapes of the caves in Da Dung and Thach Dong mountains in Ha Tien are the origin of the story of Thach Sanh's battle with the snake and eagle spirits; while Thuong Luong canal (located in Dong Hung commune, An Minh district, Kien Giang province), Hon Tre island (Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province), Dinh Cau cliff (Phu Quoc island)... also have similar thrilling and fascinating stories.

However, human nature is not always glorified; sometimes it is pride ( The Curse of the Lord of the Sacred Forest ), rebelliousness ( The Boy ), laziness ( Turtle Island ), and hot temper ( Father and Son Island ) that cause so much suffering. This shows that from a very early age, these stories not only reflect the past but also carry valuable lessons and messages to pass on to future generations. Furthermore, many of these stories also inspired writer Son Nam to write the short stories in his famous collection , *Fragrance of the Ca Mau Forest *…

Illustrations of the story of Thach Sanh by artist Tat Sy

PHOTO: K.D

The legend of U Minh is not only valuable as a record and compilation, but also reveals other intersections in literary creation, cultural exchange, and the lives of people in a bygone era.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u-minh-huyen-ao-185250610224603856.htm