Top 9 Mythical Creatures in Vietnamese Folk Culture

Dragon, known as Long in Vietnamese, is a mythical creature created by humans with various features: deer horns, camel heads, demon eyes, snake necks, crocodile bellies, fish scales, eagle claws, and ox ears. In temples, pagodas, shrines, and palaces, there are often depictions of the Double Dragon Embracing the Moon or the Double Dragon Embracing the Sun, portraying two dragons winding at the ends of the roof, reaching out their heads to a circle with flames rising high, symbolizing the Sun and the Moon, also the symbols of light and the universe in the middle. A variation closely related to the Double Dragon Embracing the Moon is the Double Dragon Fighting for the Pearl. Dragons are also widely used in decorative patterns on clothing, ceremonial utensils, and tattoos.

In Vietnam, the image of the Dragon has been present since ancient times, starting from the Van Lang - Au Lac period.

The Dragon is the highest rank among mythical creatures, symbolizing supreme power, dignity, and leadership. Dragons also have the ability to control the universe, bringing favorable rains and winds, helping crops thrive and everything prosper.

For many business people, the image of the dragon is also associated with luck and great fortune, helping their business endeavors flourish.

Nghe or also known as Toan Nghe is a mythical creature in Vietnamese folklore, resembling a lion or a Kylin but with the body of a dog. Nghe is a combination of a dog's body and a Kylin's head with sharp claws. It is often used as a guardian creature in front of gates of temples, pagodas, and shrines in Vietnam.

According to legend, Nghe appeared a long time ago around the 1st millennium BCE. This period corresponds to the late stage of Van Lang culture to the early period of Au Lac culture. It is said that the Dragon gave birth to eight children, with the eighth one having a special appearance. It had no horns, lion-like legs, a long tail, and a ferocious, fierce appearance, capable of fighting against evil spirits. This creature was called Kim Nghe.

Since then, the image of Nghe has been sculpted and placed at the gates of houses, temples, communal houses, and shrines to ward off evil spirits. In some contexts, Nghe symbolizes the authority, class, and status of families in society. Perhaps that's why Nghe was often placed in front of palaces, communal houses, temples, and shrines in the past...

Phoenix, also known as Phung, similar to Dragon and Qilin, is a mythical creature created by humans with features like: a serpent neck, a rooster beak, a fish-tail split like a fish's, the forehead of a crane, duck mohawk, a body with dragon's veins, and a tail coiled like a turtle's. Phoenix is the lord of birds, a symbol of the celestial realm of sacred vitality, the embodiment of the Holy Man, the talented person. Additionally, Phoenix is a bird symbolizing the elegance and nobility of Eastern women. If the Dragon represents the masculine element, symbolizing the King, then the Phoenix has a feminine element, symbolizing the Queen and beautiful women.

The image of the Phoenix is widely used second only to the Dragon. As one of the 'Four Holy Beasts,' the Phoenix often appears in times of peace and prosperity, symbolizing the peace and prosperity of the country, while also symbolizing the movement of the universe.

Turtle in Vietnamese is Quy, is one of the Four Holy Beasts. Turtle is a creature symbolizing longevity, vitality, and endurance. The turtle carries a shell-shaped vault on its back - a symbol of the sky, and a flat shell underneath the abdomen symbolizing the earth.

The cracks on the top shell of the Turtle correspond to the Great Bear constellation in the sky, representing the principle of yang. The grooves on the underside of the Turtle's shell correspond to the earth, representing the principle of yin.

The image of the Turtle symbolizes sustainability, longevity, commonly depicted in the image of a crane standing on the back of a turtle - indicating longevity. On the other hand, there is another interpretation that the Turtle is a creature living underground, while the Crane lives above. When the Crane stands on the back of the Turtle, it creates a pair that shows harmony, connecting the two opposite poles of yin and yang.

However, the Turtle also symbolizes success, fortune, and blessings for the homeowner, so it is highly favored. Turtles often appear in temples, schools, and literary shrines.

Qilin is a mythical creature, commonly known as Kylin or Kirin. It is one of the four sacred animals in folk belief, created by humans. Qilin resembles a deer, with the tail of an ox, the forehead of a wolf, hooves like a horse, and a single horn on its forehead. It symbolizes auspiciousness, wisdom, longevity, nobility, and great happiness. Qilin also represents compassion and loyalty.

In traditional architecture, Qilin is often depicted in pairs, symbolizing reverence and placed in front of temples, shrines, palaces, and facing outward.

Nghê is a variant of Qilin often confused with it. Nghê is characterized by a simpler appearance, conveying a gentle and familiar demeanor compared to Qilin. Long Mã is another variant of Qilin, commonly mistaken for it, and extensively used in monuments in the Central region, especially village temples.

Crane symbolizes the celestial realm, serving as the mount of Celestial Beings. With its graceful and delicate appearance, the crane represents auspiciousness, nobility, transcendence, and longevity. The image of cranes is often depicted in pairs standing or riding on the back of a turtle, known as Crane Riding Turtle. Some depictions of cranes include holding a flower in their beak, standing on the back of a turtle, typically in pairs placed on either side of the altar in village temples.

The crane is a symbol in Daoism. The image of a crane riding a turtle represents balance and harmony. 'Quy' means returning, and 'Hạc' symbolizes purity and nobility. The combination of these two creatures carries profound significance, representing the return to origins, echoing the ancient teaching 'Remembering the source while drinking water.'

The crane is closely associated with celestial maidens, so wherever there are cranes, there are celestial beings. Many decorations and ornaments often feature images of celestial maidens sitting on the backs of cranes, symbolizing prosperity and blessings.

Tiger is a real animal, but in Vietnamese folklore, it is sanctified with divine power to ward off demons. In folk belief, the Tiger is the ruling deity of the mountains and forests. The image of the Tiger symbolizes sacred strength, exorcising evil spirits, guarding the directions. It is the guardian spirit of temples, shrines, ancestral halls, and palaces, with Tiger statues guarding the doorways to prevent evil spirits from entering. Therefore, many places have embossed Tiger images on screen panels, often in gold, known as Golden Tigers descending on rugged stone steps.

Tigers also appear in many fairy tales and folklore, always instilling fear in humans but also garnering immense respect and admiration. Tigers are often worshipped in ancient architecture, temples, public buildings, usually right below altars dedicated to saints or Buddhas.

Carp is similar to Bat, the pronunciation of 'ngư' sounds like 'dư' meaning surplus. Besides symbolizing wealth, it also represents the academic success of Confucian scholars. This symbolism is depicted through the image of 'carp turning into dragon', portraying carp transforming into dragon or 'carp leaping over the dragon gate', depicting the image of carp overcoming obstacles. This imagery originates from the legend of the Dragon Gate. The significance of this imagery is to symbolize luck, advancement, and success in the path of education and career. Therefore, in many places like village communal houses, this image is decorated to wish for the academic success of the descendants in the village.

Carp has a close relationship with some other mythical creatures in the 'four mythical creatures', such as the Dragon. Besides the imagery of carp transforming into Dragon, you can also see these two mythical creatures combined through the imagery of 'Fish and Dragon in water', describing the image of a carp receiving water flow from the mouth of a hidden Dragon in the clouds.

Bat symbolizes the word 'Fortune,' as in Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation, 'dơi' sounds like 'bức,' which is close to the word 'phúc' meaning fortune. Hence, this creature's image is used to signify blessings. The image of a bat is quite common in temples, shrines, and palaces, often placed in various positions. The bat image is widely used due to its spiritual significance, reflecting human aspirations. The bat is also valued for its aesthetic appeal. With the image of an upside-down bat, elegantly curved wings, it is artistically appealing.

The portrayal of the bat's image is often stylized, using various items like leaves, called 'leaf transforming fortune,' or plums called 'plum transforming fortune,' lotus called 'lotus transforming fortune,' or fruits called 'fruit transforming fortune,' but mainly from the image of returning culture with added leaf adornments known as 'returning culture fortune.'

In Feng Shui, the bat is one of the animals symbolizing luck, happiness, prosperity, and longevity. Therefore, it is regarded as a wish for happiness and prosperity for everyone. According to legend, if a group of bats flies into the house to make a nest, it means encountering many blessings and wealth. The image of a bat embracing coins also carries a similar implication, potentially bringing wealth to the homeowner and bringing luck to the family.