Every culture has a mythology, and it’s only natural that these stories would reveal some of their secrets about the world. One of the intriguing things about these fantastical creatures is the way in which they can vary from one country to another. In Vietnam, for example, there is a popular folk tale featuring an elephant-headed creature called Nguoi Mec. But before you start looking for Vietnamese elephant-headed creatures on Google Maps, know that this creature isn’t actually mythical. Vietnamese folklore creatures are actually quite similar to their counterparts in other Asian countries.
The story of Nguoi Mec begins with a young woman named May Tuyet and her beau, Khuc Toan. The two were good friends, but as time went on, they began to drift apart. This made May’s father very upset, and he demanded that the two get married. May was shocked by this proposal due to her relationship with her lover, and she ran away because she didn’t want the marriage to take place. As she ran away, however, she lost her shoe along the way. The shoe was found on a cliff face by Khuc Toan who picked it up and put it inside his bamboo hat.
Know Everything About Vietnamese Folklore Creatures :
1. Ao Dai
In Vietnam, ao dai is a traditional costume of Vietnam, usually worn by women. Ao Dai is famous for its simplicity and elegance. Ao dai was originally designed for women to wear when they went outside in the 19th century. It became a national costume reserved for formal occasions in the 1920s after being chosen by Emperor Thieu Tri and his wife Empress Nam Phuong.
The term Ao Dai consists of two words: Âu (a Chinese word meaning silk) and ây (meaning clothes). Therefore, Aodai means ây made from silk. Aodai is not only a dress but also an art with unique characteristics of which every pattern has its own meaning rich in cultural identity.
2. Bi-Cycle
Bi cycle is a two-wheeled vehicle, with no pedals or steering wheel, simply pushed by body and you can control it by shifting your weight just like pushing a wheelchair. They usually carry loads from 20-50 kg and are used for short distance transportations. In the old days, bicycles were only for upper class people. However, in the 1980s and 90s Vietnam had become a major bicycle producing country of which millions of bicycles were produced each year. Today, people still use bicycle as their main means of transport to work or school on daily basis but they have also replaced scooters as main vehicles of delivery men.
3. Bình văn
Binh Van is a metaphor for an old, knowledgeable and wise person. Binh văn means “old book” in Vietnamese which hints to the character of a person to be close to God’s knowledge.In ancient times, books were only available for the royal family. Usually books were created by expert scholars working for the royal court. The primary aim was to teach students about principles of government from a moral and religious perspective. Later on, books became valuable objects that helped people understand cultural history and their own place in it.
4. Bình châm
Binh châm means “a needle or a thread” in English. It is used to refer to those things that are used in daily life. In Vietnamese, Binh câm means “something that needs thread”. It can be anything from clothes, bags and utensils to furniture and appliances: the meaning of Binh câm depends on the context. Binh câm is usually used in a declarative sentence such as “I have some cloth to sew”. However, sometimes it is also used in an imperative sentence like “please sew for me”.
5. Bún tôm
Bun tôm means “soup noodle” in English. It is a very popular dish among the Vietnamese people as there are many different varieties of this noodle soup. In fact, noodles played a very important role in traditional Vietnamese life since they were not only versatile and easy to prepare but they were also cheap and delicious.
In general, Vietnamese people take their time to enjoy a meal and never rush when eating. They spend hours talking while sharing the meal with friends and family. In Vietnam, rice is usually eaten with every meal. There are many different kinds of rice varieties in Vietnam such as red rice, black rice and jasmine rice etc. that are well-known for their deliciousness among other Asian countries.
6. Ca Tra
Ca tra means “three layer fortified cake” in English which is a traditional snack food from Hue city with a history of more than 700 years old during the reign of King Thuong Dang Tu (1443-1497). Three Layer Cake is a traditional Hue food. Its ingredients consist of rice flour, water, starch, coconut milk, peanut oil and low-tar salty chicken meat as the main ingredients. It is also called ‘Three Layers Cake’. In the most ancient times, rice flour was only used for making dumplings before it became a general ingredient in foods.
7. Cai Goi
The name Cai goi means “boiled green onion” in English which is used to refer to a variety of traditional dishes rich in flavors such as fish balls or meatballs cooked with green onion and fish sauce which are usually served together with special soup in some kind of a bowl or on top of noodle dish as well.
