Âu Cơ

Lore & Background

Despite their love, Âu Cơ desired to be in the mountains again, and Lạc Long Quân yearned for the sea. They separated, each taking fifty children. Âu Cơ settled in the Vietnamese snow-covered mountains and raised fifty young, intelligent, strong leaders, later known as the Hùng Vương (Hùng kings). The legend is mentioned in the books Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (15th century) and Lĩnh Nam chích quái (14th century). In the former, Âu Cơ is the daughter of Đế Lai; in the latter, she was Đế Lai's concubine before marrying Lạc Long Quân, and she threw away the egg sac in the field, believing it carried bad omens.

Reader's Guide

Âu Cơ's significance lies in her role as the maternal progenitor of the Vietnamese people in the national creation myth. The story of Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân is taught widely in Vietnamese schools, underscoring its cultural importance. The legend has also been used in modern contexts: American author Mary McCarthy noted in her pamphlet about the Vietnam War that American agents employed the creation myth to rally patriotic support for South Vietnam. The myth's variations, such as Âu Cơ's status as daughter or concubine of Đế Lai and the differing treatment of the egg sac, reflect the fluidity of oral tradition as recorded in historical texts. Ngô Sĩ Liên commented on the somewhat primitive nature of the relationship between the two progenitors, noting that Lạc's father and Âu's grandfather were brothers. Overall, Âu Cơ embodies the enduring symbol of maternal origin and national identity for Vietnam.

Did You Know?

• Âu Cơ was an immortal mountain snow goddess who could transform into a crane.
• She bore an egg sac that hatched a hundred children, the ancestors of the Vietnamese people.
• In Lĩnh Nam chích quái, Âu Cơ threw away the egg sac in the field, believing it carried bad omens.
• The story of Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân is taught widely in Vietnamese schools.