| Abstract: |
Descriptions of the earliest stages of Vietnamese official history start with myths and legends, with more entries of historical facts as the ages descend, as in the case of old historical writings of many other nations. In clarifying Vietnamese ancient history, we have to make a close study of the nature of these myths, distinguishing facts from legends, and bring into light the trends of thought underlying the historical descriptions. What is aimed in this articles is to elucidate the nature of mythological interpretations by analysing how the framework of Vietnamese ancient history was constructed, seeking the religious and ideological foundation on which the authority of the rulers rested, and clarifying how the rise and fall of various political powers can be explained. This is done with an assumption that the historical descriptions concerning the founding of an independent country reflects the basic national values and the way of thinking of the native people who wrote them. When we try to trace back the ancient historical facts in Vietnamese records, we are invariably led to the study of Chinese sources, yet when we pursue the Vietnamese myths, we are brought to the analysis of Vietnamese legends and folklore. In this article the writer will confine himself to take the later course.
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