Âu Cơ is a legendary figure of Vietnamese mythology, wife of Lạc Long Quân and regarded as the mythical mother of the Viet people [1]. Her story, passed down through the Lĩnh Nam chích quái, tells of the birth of one hundred sons from a sack of eggs [1].
Âu Cơ(2825 — 2520)
Âu Cơ
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« “Thiếp vốn là người nước Bắc, ở với vua, sinh hạ được trăm con trai, vua bỏ thiếp mà đi, không cùng thiếp nuôi con, làm người vô phu vô phụ, chỉ biết thương mình.” [1]»
« “Ta là nòi rồng, đứng đầu thủy tộc, nàng là giống tiên, sống ở trên đất, tuy khí âm dương hợp lại mà sinh ra con, nhưng thủy hỏa tương khắc, giòng giống bất đồng, khó ở lâu với nhau được, nay phải chia lá.” [1]»
Key Facts
- According to tradition, Âu Cơ lived between 2825 and 2520 BCE (legendary dating, not historical) [1]
- The earliest account appears in the Lĩnh Nam chích quái, in the chapter Hồng Bàng Thị truyện [1]
- Âu Cơ marries Lạc Long Quân and gives birth to a sack of one hundred eggs from which one hundred sons are born [1]
- The couple separates: 50 sons follow their mother to the mountains (Phong Châu), 50 follow their father to the sea [1]
- The eldest son, who stays with Âu Cơ, becomes the first Hùng Vương, founder of the kingdom of Văn Lang [1]
Works & Achievements
A founding tale explaining the common origin of all the Viet people, passed down orally before being set in writing.
The earliest known text to recount in detail the story of Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân.
The division of Âu Cơ's hundred sons leads to the creation of the first legendary kingdom of the Viet people.
A Vietnamese identity phrase meaning “children of the Dragon and the Fairy,” drawn directly from the myth of Âu Cơ.
Anecdotes
According to the Lĩnh Nam chích quái, Âu Cơ lived as a recluse in a cave in the northern mountains when Lạc Long Quân, the dragon lord, transformed himself into a handsome young man surrounded by musicians to seduce her; a palace is said to have magically appeared [1].
Legend has it that Âu Cơ did not give birth to a hundred children separately, but to a single sac containing a hundred eggs, which she first regarded as a troubling omen before abandoning it in a field [1].
Seven days later, the sac is said to have opened and a hundred boys emerged from it, growing up without needing to be breastfed, a sign according to the tale of their extraordinary nature [1].
When Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ decided to separate because of their opposing natures — he from the people of the waters, she from the people of the mountains — they divided their hundred sons into two groups of fifty, one following the father to the sea, the other following the mother to the mountains [1].
The eldest son, who stayed with Âu Cơ at Phong Châu, is said to have become the first Hùng Vương king, founder of the legendary kingdom of Văn Lang, regarded as the founding ancestor of the Viet people [1].
Primary Sources
Long Quân and Âu Cơ met in the land of Tương; she said to him: “I come from the North, I have lived with you and we have had a hundred sons, but you have abandoned me without raising them.”
Lạc Long Quân asked for Âu Cơ's hand in marriage; she gave him a sack from which a hundred sons were born, who then divided the land between themselves, between the mountains and the sea.
Key Places
Region where Âu Cơ settled with fifty of her sons and where the first King Hùng Vương was enthroned.
Mythical place where Âu Cơ is said to have lived before her meeting with Lạc Long Quân.
Wondrous palace where Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân settled after their union.
Temple dedicated to Âu Cơ, built under the Hậu Lê dynasty, a place of worship still active today.
Place where Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân were reunited and decided how to divide their hundred sons.