Story 5: Ceremony Dong Co

Just felt in sleep after hours sat next to the bed where his father, the recent king was lying and waiting for his death, Phat Ma prince had a dream that Dong Co came in and said him that other princes would stood up to get the throne after his father died. The god said that he should prepare and he also had the god’s help. Phat Ma felt confused he had never thought that his brothers, Duc Thanh Vuong, Dong Chinh Vuong and Vu Duc Vuong would fight against him. Days later, Thai To Ly died, all things happened as his dream.

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Ten year ago from that day, when Phat Ma rode to fight against rebels in the south of the country he rode cross a temple respecting Dong CO in Thanh Hoa and rested at there. That night, he dreamt that Dong Co came in and promised that Dong Co would help him destroy rebels. Of course, the prince had the win. When he came back, he stopped at the temple and held a ceremony to thank to the god.

Dong Co, it meant drum made of copper, was important thing used in ceremonies. Dong Co god was the god who was embodiment of copper drum. Dong Co was respected in Dan Ne village (now Yen Dinh, Thanh Hoa province). When Thai To ly was king he moved Dong Co to Thang Long and respected in there. The new temple was built in the right of Hoang Thanh (see more about Hoang Thanh here) and behind Thanh Tho temple.

After moving Dong Co to Thang Long, Thai To Ly decreed that March 25th would be day to hode a ceremony that all mandarins and generals had to participate in and have their swears. Front of the temple was a high platform with flags around. Soldiers stood in lines, in uniform with swords, solemn. The altar of Dong Co was set at middle of the platform with an incensory set next to. Mandarins and generals went front of the altar and swore:

“If I am not filial to my parent and not loyal with to king, I will be please to receive the baddest thing from god, the death”.

Any body who didn’t participate in the ceremony would be beaten by a wooden thick rod on his ass fifty hits.

Later, a king of Ly dynasty died at same day which was the day held the ceremony every year. Therefore, the day held the ceremony was changed to April 4th. The custom was maintained along years the country was dominated by Ly family. The ceremony helped the country more orderly and stably because every one scared Dong Co.

Thai Tong Ly (name of Phat Ma Ly when he was king) believed in spiritual power. Therefore, after he resolved the struggle for power with other princes, he held a ceremony. After that, he could use his best to do other things and changed the country more prosperous. He was known as a wise king in history of Vietnam.

When Ly dynasty was replaced by Tran dynasty, the kings of Tran dynasty also wanted the way to make mandarins and generals to be loyal with them. Therefore, they also held the ceremony.

Till Le dynasty the ceremony became a traditional festival and nobody had to swear in the festival.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

Read more:

Historical stories

Story 3. Cong Uan Ly moved the capital

Story 4: Thai Tong Ly, the kindness king

Story 6: Tri Cao Nung

Story 7: One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot)

Story 8: King Thanh Tong Ly

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Truyện cổ tích Việt Nam

Vietnamese fairy tales

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List of Vietnamese fairy tales

Vietnamese fairy tales includes many stories as Tam and Cam; So Dua; Hundred – knot- bamboo tree... which were spread in folk. Each stories has its own meaning. I think I can not translate exactly each word into english but I will try my best to convey its meaning to you. Hope you like them!

Thuong Luong

Thuong Luong was common name of creatures which are in people’s imagines. They are distant relatives of dragons. While dragons are worshiped as gods, the gods ruled rivers and sea and the gods can make rains, Thuong Luong is not respected as dragons that the creatures are too amorous, combative, wild, and have bad behaviors. All most of them like to harm people.

Thach Sanh and Ly Thong Chapter 1

Chap 1: fight with huge snake Once upon a time, a woodcutter and his wife were over sixty years old but they had had not any children. Although they were sad, they still did good thing and hoped God would give them one child. At last, their kindness had come to King of heaven who requested his son to fly down and reincarnate to be the old couple’son. They had just enjoyed the happiness for a short time. Then, the old man died, before his son was born. Vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com After that, the woman gave birth to a beautiful, strength boy. She named him Thach Sach. The poor boy grew up with no father then his mother also left after few years living with him. They only left him an ax and a pair of shorts. Day by day, he went to forest, cut tree, split them then took to market to get money. When he was thirteen, king of heaven forced his servants down to teach him magic and martial arts. Then they was back heaven, Thach Sanh continued living alone in...

Thanh Giong

Once upon a time, a woman was old but she had not given birth a child. One day, when she went to her field, she saw a stranger footsore on the ground. The big footsore made her surprise and said: “omg, this footsore is so big” the she put her foot into the footsore. More 9 months later, she gave birth to a little boy named Giong. The boy was extraordinary that he was over three years old but had not spoken. He only knew lying and smiling. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com That year, the enemies they were known An planed to attack the country of the boy. They were merciless. Wherever they had gone, houses were ruined, fields were fired, people were killed. The sight behind them is mess of corpse and blood and ashes.The King was worry he forced his servants to look for person who could fight against the enemies. One day, a servent went to Giong’s village while the woman was holding the boy in her arms, she said sadly that: “Giong, I wonder that when you hav...

So dua - Coconut boy

Once upon a time, there in a village had a couple who worked as servants for a landlord. Although they were over fifty years old, they had ever not had a child. They were sad about that, but they had never given up to dream about a child. One day, it's a very hot day, when the wife was working in the field and felt very thirsty. She seeked for water, but she didn't see any but a little water in a skull which was in a hole beside an ancient tree. She had no choice but to drink it. Right the moment she drank, the feeling of cold water running from her throat to her stomach made her felt very comfortable. As a magic, she was pregnant after that short time. Then, the husband died before he got the happiness looking his child be born. After nine months and ten days, the wife gave birth a son but he didn't look like any child on the world. He had no feet, no leg, and even no body. He just had a head with full of eyes, nose, ear, hair and mouth on it. He didn't ugly but was ...

My Chau and Trong Thuy

Once upon a time, there had a king, named An Duong Vuong. After many years fighting, he get a large area. The king planed to build a castle but whenever it had been built as tall as a men’s height then it was ruined. The king was unhappy. Therefore, the king had made an altar to pray God for few days until an early morning, a old man from seaside went to talk him God Turtle was going come to help him. The king was very happy and forced soldiers to wait on the seaside. The next day, in the water appeared a big gold turles toward seaside. The soldiers invited God Turtle to set sat on a big gold platter and brought to the king. The God Turtle told the king that the castle couldn’t have finished because of demons. God Turtle helped the king to kill the demons so all demons was killed. Besides, the God Turtle help the king design a castle look like a seashell with many gate levels. Half a month later, the castle had been finished. The king was very pleased but a little worry. He a...

The Tale of the Hundred - knot Bamboo tree

Once upon a time, there had a boy who was poor, had no field. Therefore, he found the way to work for a landlord. He was healthy, worked hard and great in working so the landlord wanted him to work for him long time without any pay. One day, he called the boy to come. "You are honest and healthy. If you agree to work for me in three years without pay, I will let you marry with my only daughter after that." The boy agreed. He believed completely. He worked very hard, help the landlord turn richer that he could build more houses, buy more fields and cattles. Then, time passed. Three years nearly crossed, the boy always remembered his master's promise while his master, the landlord didn't want to do his promise. He in secret had found another boy for his daughter, a son of another landlord in that area. Therefore, what he need was a reason to refuse the boy. One day, he called the boy to come. "You have worked very hard for three years, waken early, slept late....

The Tale of God of Kitchen

Once upon a time, a couple was so poor that they didn’t have any acres of farm-land. Therefore they had to work for others. Although their lives were very difficult, they were still pleased. After working, they used to sit by fireplace and talk tales or sing to each other. One year, fields had produced rice less than years before. Everyone was not enough rice to eat so they couldn’t hire them. Therefore, they had to go fishing, dig and pick up vegetables to eat. But it didn’t help them much, they still felt hungry. One day, the man said: “Honey, I have to leave. If I still stay at home, we will die”. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com After hearing, the woman insisted to go with him but the man said her: “I still don’t know where I should go and what I would do. You should stay home, it will easier than going with me. Maybe, I could die by a road or maybe, I will bring money come home. If I don’t come back after three years, I should be remarried. Don’t wait for me...

The Tale of Ngu Hanh moutain

Once upon a time, an old man lived alone in a hut by the seaside that nobody knew why he lived and how long he had lived at there. One day, the sea became angry, the sky was getting dark. Hours later, a big long dragon went from the sea up to seaside, crept on the sands and left snaky lines on ground. Wind blew crazy, brought sands shotting any where, made the old man’s hut feel to ruin. At last after a roar, the dragon had born an egg lying by the hut. The dragon left after that. vietnamesefairytales.blogspot.com Seconds later, a gold big turtle swam to seaside. It hid the egg under sands and crept to front of the men and said: “I am a God Turtle. I want you to protect offspring of God Dragon, the king of all animals living in the water.”

Vietnamese fairy tales

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