Top 9 Essays Reflecting on the Plight of Women in Ancient Society Through Heartfelt Folk Songs

Part of Vietnam's folk literature, ca dao emerged in ancient society as a reflection of the spiritual, intellectual, and emotional life of the working people and their relationships. Through the collection of "Self-reflection, Love, and Affection" ca dao, folk authors conveyed the bittersweet emotions, enduring love, and the hardships faced by people in society, particularly the fate of women under the feudal system.

Vietnamese women have always been admired for their simple, modest beauty and virtuous qualities. However, in both literature and ca dao, their fate under feudal society was one of being marginalized, devalued, and often regarded as inferior to men, victims of the "Patriarchy" ideology.

"My body is like a piece of silk
Waving in the market, who will take it?"

This ca dao illustrates how women were fully aware of their beauty and worth, symbolized by the "silk" representing their physical beauty. Unfortunately, while women recognized their own value, society did not. Their fate was to be treated as commodities in the marketplace, with little control over their future, and their lives subject to the whims of others. Women in ancient society had no power over their lives or destinies, and marriages were arranged by their parents, often determined by chance, like a game of luck.

"My body is like a thorny water chestnut
White on the inside, black on the outside."

This simple and humble comparison speaks of women who may not have physical beauty but possess inner beauty. The ca dao highlights the importance of a woman's inner qualities—her purity, kindness, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. In the past, society valued outward appearance, often judging a woman's worth based solely on her beauty. A woman with looks was considered more valuable and desirable, while one without beauty faced neglect and disdain. Yet, inner beauty is something that can only be truly understood by those with sincerity. Thus, women sought to find someone who could appreciate their true essence.

"Come, taste and see!
Only then will you know I am sweet and bitter."

This is a heartfelt invitation, which hides deep sorrow and self-pity, as women in the past often endured injustice, oppression, and the loss of their right to live and be happy. However, the pain and humiliation each woman felt were unique, and folk authors skillfully expressed these emotions through metaphors and vivid imagery.

"Climb the starfruit tree for half the day,
Who made my heart bitter, oh starfruit!
The moon with the sun,
The Evening Star with the Morning Star side by side.
Do you remember me?
Like the Evening Star, I wait for the moon in the sky."

This folk song expresses the love of a girl, particularly her deep feelings when love is unfulfilled. The first two lines convey her heartbreak and sorrow, using the imagery of the sun and moon to represent eternity and perfect love, yet also the distance and separation. Despite the failed love, the girl remains loyal, waiting like the Evening Star for the moon. These beautiful images illustrate her unwavering, deep affection, despite the unfulfilled love. The girl's longing and hopeless waiting show her steadfast devotion.

The folk poet also used the image of a scarf to convey the emotional state of the lover. The movements of the scarf symbolize the restlessness and longing of the girl, who cannot help but think of her love. The "lamp longing for someone" symbolizes time, showing how the girl waits endlessly, her longing always present until her eyes grow tired, "eyes longing for someone – eyes cannot sleep peacefully." By the end, we understand the girl’s anxious longing:

"Last night, I was troubled,
Worrying about one thing, restless in my heart…"

This is the girl's concern for her fate in society. Beyond missing her love, she fears the uncertainties in both her relationship and her place in the world. She recognizes her position in society and worries about the future of her love.

"I wish the river was wider
So I could build a bridge of my scarf for you to come visit."

This folk saying reflects a girl’s heartfelt desire for her lover, with the "scarf bridge" symbolizing the girl's gentle beauty and affection. Her wish is innocent but passionate, expressing her deep feelings for her love. This shows how a woman in love expresses herself in a subtle yet profound way.

In the context of marriage, folk literature also highlights the deep bonds between spouses, as seen in the following ca dao:

"Salt remains salty after three years,
Ginger remains spicy after nine months.
Our bond is heavy, our love deep,
No matter how far apart we are, it will take 36,000 days to separate."

Salt and ginger are traditional symbols of relationship, representing the bittersweet moments and challenges in life. Their enduring flavor reflects the lasting bond between lovers, which, like time, can only grow stronger. This saying emphasizes the depth of commitment, indicating that love is measured not by years but by each passing day, unbreakable even in death.

Through these folk sayings of "Self-reflection, Love, and Affection," readers not only sense the lamentations of women in feudal society but also understand their hopes, desires, and the deep connections they held. The fate of women has been vividly and creatively expressed by folk authors, using language, metaphors, and imagery that captivate the reader's heart.

Folk songs, or "ca dao", are the melodic and emotional expressions of our people that have echoed through the ages. These gentle, simple tunes carry with them the heartfelt emotions and deep desires of the people. Especially through the sorrowful folk songs of self-pity, we can easily empathize with the plight of women in ancient societies.

At first, these self-pitying folk songs paint the picture of women in the past as small, helpless, adrift, uncertain of their future. Undoubtedly, when we think of these, we cannot forget the depiction of women through the recurring phrase “my body” in many folk songs.

“My body is like a silk scarf
Fluttering in the market, not knowing whose hands it will fall into.”

Or:

“My body is like a falling raindrop
Some fall into the palace, others fall onto the plow.”

The phrase “my body” in these folk songs expresses the humility of women, but it also reveals a sharp self-awareness of their small, inferior place in society at that time. The comparison of the woman’s body to delicate objects like a “silk scarf” or a “falling raindrop” emphasizes their fragility and dependence. These images, coupled with verbs like “fluttering,” “falling into,” and “falling out,” reinforce the idea of women’s uncertain, drifting lives, uncertain of where they will end up. The image of dependence and a wandering fate is further highlighted in this folk song:

“My body is like a broom used in summer
It sweeps the dirt, then gets tossed outside
Once used, it’s thrown aside
And people call to the neighbors to sweep with their feet.”

This folk song compares women to a “summer broom” — a tool both unattractive and used for cleaning the streets. Comparing women to this broom underscores their degradation and neglect, showing how they were treated with contempt by men, their fate uncertain and lost.

Women in the past didn’t only face a life of degradation and dependence on others, but they also endured the tragedy of love, as they had no power to control or determine their own happiness and destiny.

“My mother wanted more sticky rice
Wanted a fat pig, wanted money from Cảnh Hưng.
I told my mother not to worry
But she insisted, and took it right away
Now my husband is short, and I’m tall
Like mismatched chopsticks, how can it ever be right?”

It is easy to see that the woman in this folk song, like many others in the past, was forced into marriage according to her parents’ wishes, with no say in the matter. Women were unable to voice their desires, and their love and happiness were determined by their families. This often led to heartbreak, humiliation, and profound loneliness.

Moreover, the tragic love and marriage of these women is also reflected in their feelings of isolation, homesickness, and sometimes anger or pain from being betrayed or forced into polygamy.

“Every evening, I stand by the back gate
Looking towards my homeland, my heart aches with longing.”

“My body marries into a shared marriage
Like a bung xung with its head stuck in.”

In conclusion, through these folk songs, especially the self-pitying ones, we gain a deeper understanding of the suffering and circumstances of women in the past.

The image of women enduring hardship, resembling the fragile body of a stork braving life's challenges, frequently appears in poetry and literature, especially in the folk songs of Vietnam. These images are vividly captured by the authors of these songs, and they continue to resonate through the ages.

In particular, women in ancient feudal society suffered greatly from oppression and exploitation by the ruling classes. Their lives were often filled with obstacles and storms. Although women possessed delicate beauty and pure souls, they were constantly crushed by the ruthless forces of society. The inequity under the feudal regime became evident in the mindset of 'favoring men over women,' reducing women to the lowest class in society, with no place to rise up and fight for themselves.

Women of the past were denied the freedom to control their own lives. They had to conform to rigid social norms that imprisoned their souls and left them with nothing of their own. In a society that placed high value on the concepts of 'three obediences and four virtues,' women were destined to live their lives in sacrifice for others, never for themselves. This concept is poignantly explored in the poems of Ho Xuan Huong, where the image of the woman as the central figure is frequently highlighted, and her words often reflect her own life and the plight of all women:

'My body, both fair and round,
Seven times rising, three times sinking, in waters profound.
Broken or intact, though the hands that mold it,
Still, I maintain my pure, loyal heart…'

Women in the past had beauty and virtue, yet, as the saying goes, 'talented and beautiful women suffer unfortunate fates.' Though they were beautiful, they often endured turbulent lives, like rice cakes floating and sinking in the water. Ho Xuan Huong's delicate use of 'floating' and 'sinking' in her poem captures the uncertain and drifting lives of these women.

'My body, like a piece of delicate silk,
Flutters in the market, unsure who will take it.'

This verse, also from folk poetry, speaks to the plight of women drifting aimlessly through life, with no place to call their own. Like 'delicate silk,' women were beautiful but had little value, fluttering along life's path unnoticed. Vietnamese folk poetry is full of such poignant verses about the fate of women, lamenting their hardship and suffering:

- 'My body, like raindrops falling,
Some fall into palaces, some fall into rice fields.'

- 'My body, like a broom in summer,
Used to sweep the feet of guests at the door,
Afterward, thrown out to the yard,
Called upon only when needed.'

The suffering of women was not only physical, with daily toil like 'climbing mountains at dawn' or 'baking in the sun by day and soaking in dew by night,' but also spiritual. Their greatest pain lay in the mental torment they endured, always compared to 'raindrops' or 'summer brooms.' We can feel the profound sorrow in their songs, as they realize their life is like that of a stork or a crane—enduring hardship and silently accepting their pain. This fate of women in ancient society was, it seems, a constant.

When a woman married, she was expected to endure even more hardships. The traditional beliefs of 'a wife follows her husband' and 'marriage is like becoming the spirit of the husband's family' forced many women to swallow their bitterness, especially those who married far from home. The longing for their mothers' homes was often captured in their poems:

- 'At dusk, I stand by the riverbank,
Wishing to return to my mother, but there is no boat.'

- 'At dusk, I stand by the back gate,
Longing for my mother's home, my heart aching deeply.'

- 'At dusk, I carry my basket to pick vegetables,
Looking up at my mother's grave, my heart aches as though it's being torn apart.'

In ancient society, when a woman became a daughter-in-law, she had to obey her husband's family, enduring hardship and strict rules. Even after enduring so much bitterness and suffering, many women silently endured, though some eventually rose up and rebelled against the heavy burdens placed on them. Especially tragic was the situation where women had to share their husbands with other women. The feudal society allowed men to have many wives and concubines, while women were only allowed one husband, which was an injustice that persisted through generations. These women, who had been wronged, deserved sympathy and support:

- 'Marrying as a secondary wife is hard enough,
Working the fields without recognition.
At night, I guard the house, losing my husband to another,
Wishing he would return, but he doesn't—until the rooster crows.'

- 'I live as a secondary wife without shame,
Like a proper wife, sitting in the street.'

Despite enduring so much pain, the spirit of women remained pure, and they always dreamed of happiness and love:

'I wish the river were wide enough,
So I could build a bridge for my lover to cross.'

Though these lines are brief, they encapsulate the deep, emotional longings of women in ancient times. But no matter the circumstances, the beauty of women was never completely obscured. This image remains a central theme in the works of many poets and writers.

The rich heritage of Vietnamese folk literature has always served as a nourishing source for our souls. Alongside other forms, folk songs emerged in the old society to express the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of people, particularly in relationships involving love, family, homeland, and country. These songs not only convey affection but also reflect the grief and struggles of the Vietnamese people, especially the women who suffered greatly in past societies.

In the feudal society, women were undervalued and often treated as subordinates, with no rights in most aspects of life. The belief in "male superiority, female inferiority" trampled upon their rights, while men enjoyed privileges like multiple wives and concubines, holding positions of power in society. Women, on the other hand, were seen as mere shadows, never considered important. They had to work tirelessly for their husbands and children, leading lives filled with hardship and sorrow. Their voices were rarely heard, yet their anguish was expressed through their songs.

"My body is like a silk cloth
Floating in the market, not knowing who will buy it"

These words echo deep despair. The woman compares herself to a piece of silk being sold at the market. Her existence is as fragile and helpless as a commodity, subject to the whims of others. The phrase "my body" is said with such sorrow, reflecting the unjust society that has already predetermined her fate from birth, forcing her into a life of submission without any choice.

"My body is like a small fish
Caught in a net, trapped in a pond"

There is no escape, no way out of this predetermined life. The woman feels like a slave, caught in a web of constraints. The comparison to a "small fish" or a "silk cloth" in these folk songs symbolizes the insignificance and limitations of her life. The fish is confined to the pond, unable to break free, just as women were trapped by traditional and oppressive customs, unable to determine their own happiness.

"A stone grows moss because of flowing water
The stone turns gray because of the morning dew
You and I wish to unite in love
But we fear our mothers like the sea, and fathers like the sky,
We fear that the clouds will break apart in the sky, fading away"...

These verses express a love thwarted by societal expectations, a yearning for union stifled by family and tradition.

"My body is like a dry betel nut
Some like it thin, others prefer it thick"

Every song is filled with lamentation, and every fate is compared to something small and insignificant, representing the awareness and resistance of those who live in perpetual sorrow. These women had the right to live, to love, but society crushed those rights, leaving them with nothing but a bitter life.

"This year I go to my husband's house
My body is like an ox carrying a yoke
This year I become a wife
My body bears the plow, but who will bear it for me?"

In this folk song from the H'mong people, the woman laments her fate when she gets married, not for love but to become a laborer in her husband's household, a life bound by harsh realities, with no hope of rest.

"The fish bites the hook, not knowing when it will be freed
The bird enters the cage, not knowing when it will fly out"

Sometimes, these women were subjected to physical abuse from their husbands:

"The stork is a crooked bird
When you beat your wife, who do you lie with?"

Other times, they were abandoned by their husbands:

"I remember when you were kind and loving
Bringing me medicine and lemons,
Now you are strong and healthy
And you forsake me for someone else."

In every aspect of their lives, these women were denied happiness. They had no freedom, no recognition of their love, no control over their marriages, and their relationships with their husbands were devoid of respect. They were constantly crushed and denied the right to choose. Even the simple act of expressing love was filled with shame and sorrow.

"My body is like a thorny fruit
The inside is white, the skin is black
If you don't believe, peel it and see
After you taste it, you'll know it's sweet."

In every lament, they compare themselves to something pitiful—whether it's a silk cloth, a raindrop, a dry betel nut, or a thorny fruit—all small, insignificant, and pitiful. The raindrop falls with no destination, the betel nut is chosen by others, and the thorny fruit hides its sweetness, waiting to be discovered. These folk songs express the women's desire for recognition, but they remain full of self-doubt: "If you don't believe, peel it and see; only then will you know it's sweet." It's an invitation wrapped in hesitation.

These folk songs of lamentation are not just about complaining about life, the hardships, or the bitterness, but they also represent a form of resistance, a declaration of the value and dignity of women in the old society.

In the feudal society of old, a woman’s status was often a mirror of the injustices and inequalities present. Living under the rigid system of "patriarchy," they could do nothing but silently weep and lament their fate through folk songs. These songs of sorrow reflected the women’s deep desire for freedom in love and the liberation of their oppressed status, as well as their resistance against the feudal system.

Through these folk songs of lament, we can perceive a universal emotional world and an understanding of the misfortune many experienced, particularly the plight of women. Under the oppressive male-dominated society and the ideas of "male superiority and female inferiority," women were deprived of all rights, their lives controlled and determined by others:

"My body is like a delicate silk cloth
Floating aimlessly in the market, unsure who will claim it."

With the recurring expression "my body" that often appears in folk songs, this verse compares the woman’s fate to that of a silk cloth – beautiful yet ultimately nothing more than an item for sale, with no control over her own destiny. The thing that robs women of their freedom is the harsh feudal rituals and regulations, which render their existence uncertain, adrift:

"My body is like falling raindrops
Some fall in palatial places, some fall in fields."

The fate of women is unpredictable, tossed about and uncertain, dependent on chance, much like raindrops that land in either a palace or a field. Alongside comparisons to precious or beautiful things, women often likened themselves to small, insignificant objects, ignored and undervalued:

"My body is like a thorny water chestnut
Oh, taste and see,
Once you try, you’ll know I’m sweet inside."

The thorny water chestnut, with its hidden sweetness beneath a rough exterior, calls for recognition. The woman’s plea reflects her desire to be valued, even as she acknowledges that society does not care to see her true worth. The invitation is bold yet tinged with bitterness. Folk songs often capture such contrasts, comparing men and women:

"He is like the fine silk of a flag,
I am like the wild herb by a well."

Or:

"He is like a regal umbrella,
I am like a torn mat abandoned in the corner."

Through these symmetrical comparisons, expressed in the form of couplets with the alternating "He is like" and "I am like," these verses highlight the gender discrimination and the injustice women faced in feudal society. These folk songs reveal the tragic fate of women, showcasing their inner beauty and their resistance against a society that relentlessly tramples on their lives and futures.

Thus, the folk song world is not only filled with songs of praise and love but also contains silent cries, sadness, and lamentations, all representing the poignant stories of women’s lives. These verses embody a profound humanitarian value in the realm of folk literature.