Fairy Tale Vietnam Vacation?
March 27, 2009 - Posted in Vietnam Vacation
Don’t you love to hear myths and legends, especially from another country? Being on my Asia vacation, I sometimes hear stories about the specific country I’m in at that time.
And sometimes, it’s an explanation for a natural occurence like for example the torrential rains in Vietnam at the beginning of the seventh lunar month. I also heard that during this month there are no ravens in the country side in Vietnam.
The story goes like this (appologise for any errors and omissions):
A long long time ago, the King of Heaven had many daughters, and one of these princesses was particularly beautiful. She was also very hard-working, and frequently she was making clothes for her sisters on the banks of the river where she lived. Everybody loved and admired her.
As it so happened, a young man one day brought his cattle to the river and saw the beautiful princess absorbed in her work. Immediately, he fell in love with her. When the princess looked up from her work and saw the very handsome young man, it was love at first sight for her too.
They wanted to marry, and they went to the King of Heaven to ask for his permission. The King saw how these two young people loved each other and gave his permission for marriage on one condition: they had to promise him that they would continue with their work after they got married.
As it so goes in these stories, after they were married for a little while they forgot their promise to the King, who became very angry and ordered that the two young people had to separate and live on each side of the river and only look at each other from afar, across the river.
They were lucky in their troubles however because the King was at heart kind. He allowed them to meet once a year, during the seventh lunar month.
Now, if you remember from the beginning of the story, the seventh lunar month is the time of sudden torrential rain in Vietnam. This is because when the two met they cried for joy. And when they had to separate again they cried even harder.
And the absence of the ravens during that month? Ah…
…They flew into heaven and helped to carry the bridge across the river so that the young princess and her young husband could meet.
And still today, on clear nights, when you look up into the sky you can see the river — a long hazy white strip that we westeners call the Milky Way.
So, it’s all true… isn’t it?
