Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Thoughts on Ly Thai To
Ly Thai To is the King Arthur of Viet Nam. It is said he was given a magic sword to repel a Chinese Invasion. After the enemy was defeated, a turle snatched the sword from him while he was on a boat in Hoan Kiem Lake.
Unlike Arthur, Ly Thai To is an actual figure who lived about a thousand years ago. It is interesting that his big staatue near Hoan Kiem Lake doesn't show him with a sword, but holding a scroll of the law. He is most valued for restoring law to VietNam rather than for feats of battle. After the magic sword is returned to its source, the words, the law, remains.
Unlike Arthur, Ly Thai To is an actual figure who lived about a thousand years ago. It is interesting that his big staatue near Hoan Kiem Lake doesn't show him with a sword, but holding a scroll of the law. He is most valued for restoring law to VietNam rather than for feats of battle. After the magic sword is returned to its source, the words, the law, remains.
Labels: literature, Viet Nam, Viet Nam and the West, Vietnamese history
