Exploring the Mythical Tale of Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh

Essay Prompt: Analysis of the Legend of Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh

Exploring the Mythical Tale of Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh
 

I. Analysis of the Legend of Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh

1. Introduction

- Within the rich tapestry of Vietnamese folklore, numerous cultural and historical treasures unfold, manifested in myths, ancient stories, and folk verses passed down through generations as invaluable spiritual assets.
- The legend of Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh stands out as one of the oldest narratives, reflecting the innate desire of our people to control nature, amidst the perennial threat of natural disasters and floods that have haunted us through the ages.

2. Body of the Narrative

- The 18th Hung Vuong King sought a suitor for Princess Mị Nương, attracting two equally skilled and competitive young men for courtship => Faced with a difficult choice, King Hung presented a ceremonial marriage challenge to test their mettle.
- The challenge involved 'a hundred plates of sticky rice, a hundred layers of square Chung cakes, and an elephant with nine ivory tusks, a rooster with nine spurs, and a horse with nine pink manes'...(Continued)

>> Explore the Detailed Outline for Analyzing the Legend of Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh here.
 

II. Sample Essay Analyzing the Legend of Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh

1. Mythical Analysis of Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh - model number 1: 

In the rich treasury of Vietnamese folklore, there are countless works of cultural, traditional, and deeply historical value. These are the myths, ancient stories, and folk verses passed down through generations like an invaluable spiritual heritage. These myths objectively reflect the beauty of life and the profound, positive spiritual values, desires, and high beliefs of humans throughout the ages. Sơn Tinh, Thủy Tinh is one of the oldest myths, deeply connected to the childhood memories of many readers through the storytelling of their grandmothers. The story expresses the desire to control nature, facing the recurring threat of natural disasters each year.

The setting of the myth is in the 18th Hung King period, with the king having only one daughter, Princess Mị Nương. Due to the love for his daughter and the concern of parents, King Hùng wants to choose the best husband for his daughter. This leads to a contest, a test of skills and strength between two young men with extraordinary backgrounds. The first is the mountain deity Tản Viên, often called Sơn Tinh, with the ability to 'wave his hand to the east, and islands emerge in the east; wave his hand to the west, and hills rise in the west'. The other young man, equally impressive, is the lord of the deep waters who can 'command the wind, summon rain when needed'. Overall, both young men please King Hùng, making it difficult for him to choose. Hence, the challenge of marriage by King Hùng.

The wedding offerings that King Hùng presents are not ordinary and easy to find. They include 'a hundred trays of sticky rice, a hundred square cakes, and an ivory elephant, nine-tail rooster, and a pink-maned horse'. Although these offerings seem fair to both young men, a closer look reveals that King Hùng seems to favor Sơn Tinh more. This is because most of the offerings that King Hùng presents are found on land, and Sơn Tinh is the mountain deity, making it easier for him to find these offerings. On the other hand, Thủy Tinh, being the deity of deep waters, rarely comes to the surface. How could he find these offerings in just one night? Moreover, King Hùng, ruling over an entire country, is often troubled by natural disasters, storms, and floods throughout the year. Therefore, deep down, he may not be very pleased with someone named Thủy Tinh.

Finally, Sơn Tinh successfully won the heart of Princess Mị Nương, seemingly sealing his fate. However, being second and unable to win the princess's hand ignited a deep resentment within Thủy Tinh. Firstly, there was envy towards Sơn Tinh, and secondly, the challenging offerings added to the bitterness. Consequently, Thủy Tinh chased and battled Sơn Tinh to reclaim Princess Mị Nương. Thủy Tinh 'summoned storms, calling winds to create thunderstorms shaking the heavens and earth, causing rivers to surge and flood fields and homes, water rising on hills and mountains, and the city of Phong Châu floating on a vast sea'. Thủy Tinh's divine power brought a catastrophic natural disaster, a thousand-year fear of our people. Despite the unimaginable danger, Sơn Tinh remained undaunted. He 'moved hills and built earth barriers to block the floodwaters', making the water rise as much as the hills. With equal strength and skill, they fought for months, with no clear winner. However, as is often the case, the aggressor who cannot achieve victory quickly tends to lose morale. Thủy Tinh, exhausted, eventually withdrew, and Sơn Tinh claimed victory with his resilient spirit against injustice. However, fueled by deep-seated hatred for losing and not obtaining Mị Nương, Thủy Tinh continued to seek revenge. Hence, every year, he caused storms and floods, tormenting the people for months. Yet, Thủy Tinh never managed to defeat Sơn Tinh and had to reluctantly retreat each time. This was considered an explanation for the continuous occurrence of natural disasters every year, followed by their withdrawal.

The legend of Sơn Tinh, Thủy Tinh possesses many distinctive artistic elements, constructing a fascinating and captivating storyline with numerous fantastical factors. The characters are deified, possessing extraordinary powers, creating a majestic beauty symbolizing the forces of man and the forces of nature. The story concludes logically, explaining the reasons behind the annual natural disasters in our country. It also expresses a belief and a desire to conquer and triumph over nature passed down from our ancestors to this day.

2. Mythical Analysis of Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh - model number 2: 

In our childhood, we all heard fairy tales and myths such as: “Thạch Sanh”, “Tấm Cám”, “Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh”, “Thánh Gióng”,... Back then, we found these stories truly captivating and enchanting. However, as we grew older, we realized that each story carries its own meaning, containing the dreams of our ancient people. “Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh” is also a story with hidden meanings, reflecting the beliefs and aspirations of our people towards the strength of humanity. 

Legend has it that the eighteenth Hung King had a beautiful and gentle daughter named Mị Nương. The king wanted to find a worthy husband for her. Many suitors from far and wide came to propose, a common motif in fairy tales and myths. 'Sơn Tinh - Thủy Tinh' follows this pattern, leading to a series of events.

Let's compare the two outstanding suitors. Sơn Tinh, the king of the highlands, and Thủy Tinh, the lord of the deep waters. Both are noble, powerful, each ruling a domain, immensely courageous and skilled. Sơn Tinh 'waves his hand to the east, and islands emerge', 'waves his hand to the west, and hills rise'. He can 'summon the wind, wind obeys' and 'call rain, rain responds'. Both deities seem evenly matched, but upon closer inspection, Sơn Tinh's power is constructive, while Thủy Tinh's power tends to be more destructive.

Due to this equal match, King Hùng imposed a challenge with offerings. Whoever brings the offerings first will marry Mị Nương. The wedding offerings include 'a hundred trays of sticky rice, a hundred square cakes, an ivory elephant, a nine-tail rooster, a pink-maned horse, each in pairs'. This tradition of challenging the groom in the wedding feast of the Vietnamese might have originated from here. It's clear that King Hùng's offerings are rare and hard to find, mostly from the mountainous region. This reflects the people's favoritism towards the mountain deity.

On the appointed day, Sơn Tinh brought the offerings early and successfully escorted Mị Nương back. Thủy Tinh, due to late preparations, arrived slightly later and, unable to marry Mị Nương, became furious. He led his army to chase and fight Sơn Tinh. The battle was fierce and intense, with neither giving in. Thủy Tinh summoned storms, creating thunderstorms and flooding, shaking the heavens and earth. In contrast to Thủy Tinh's frenzy, Sơn Tinh remained calm. The deity miraculously moved hills, built earth barriers to block the floodwaters. With an attitude of composure and calmness, Sơn Tinh fought steadily, while Thủy Tinh, tired and realizing he couldn't defeat Sơn Tinh, reluctantly withdrew. However, driven by deep-seated hatred, Thủy Tinh continued to flood the lands every year in an attempt to defeat Sơn Tinh. This is the reason behind the frequent storms and floods in our country from July to October each year. Sơn Tinh's victory over Thủy Tinh symbolizes humanity's desire to conquer and control nature's disasters.