Survey of Nguyen Trung Truc Worship in the South

When the village officials discussed rebuilding the communal house to worship Nguyen Trung Truc and the Nam Hai god, Le Nestour immediately responded by contributing a lot of money and participating in the communal house construction committee.

Although there are some myths, from admiration and respect, people still imagine to exalt the hero who served the people and the country and has been passed down to this day: Nguyen Trung Truc is an immortal man. Comparing related documents, these stories are the necessary basis for the thesis in the process of decoding the phenomenon of people deifying Mr. Nguyen. After his sacrifice, due to the situation of the country falling into the hands of the French, it was impossible to publicly worship, the Nguyen family in Xom Nghe organized a day of soldiers to commemorate Nguyen Trung Truc under the name of worshiping the Le. Since then, the 10th of March every year, from the meaning of praying for fish, has become the worshiping day of the Le of the family. Mr. Muoi Tho said that in the ritual, in addition to the offerings to the Nine Generations and Seven Ancestors, land, and soldiers, Nguyen Trung Truc was given a solemn place in front of the house for relatives to pray. Unlike characters who originated from natural gods, Nguyen Trung Truc is a real character in history. From his heroic deeds and immortal spirit, he was deified by the people of the South and according to the law of legendary creation, the characters close to the hero were also cared for and passed down by the people. They were the parents, wife, children, and friends revolving around the Confucian axis of the three bonds: Father and son, husband and wife, and friends of the hero. This further demonstrates the deification, becoming closer and entering the hearts of people.

2.3.4 Myths related to relatives

2.3.4.1 About filial piety to parents

Nguyen Trung Truc was very filial to his mother. When he was young, he had to go fishing every day to earn money to support his family. According to the book Q&A of the Nguyen Trung Truc uprising , when he arrived in Ta Nien, preparing to attack Kien Giang fort, he took his mother to hide at Duong Cong Thuyen's house in Rach Gia market. When he retreated to Hon Chong, he also took his mother with him. Only when he crossed the sea to Phu Quoc island did he have to leave his mother behind. Unable to capture him, the French colonialists sent people to arrest his mother, then tried every way to get her to write a letter advising her son to surrender, but she did not listen. Later, when she heard that her son had surrendered, she was so angry that she vomited blood and died. But some people said that his mother was not captured by the French army. This was a made-up story to force him to surrender because of filial piety. When the French attacked Hon Chong, it is not clear where she went to hide. But later she went to hide in Tan Thuan (now Tan

Tien, Dam Doi district, Ca Mau province) and died there. According to this book, Nguyen Trung Truc's father died early, leaving behind eight children, causing his mother to work hard day and night. But according to the story that remains in the family, Nguyen's father did not die early. After Nguyen Trung Truc was captured in Phu Quoc, he was still alive to take his family and the families of the insurgents down to the boat to hide in Ca Mau. Another anecdote is that when her husband moved to Ca Mau, Mrs. Le Kim Hong (Mr. Nguyen's mother) was still in Hon Chong, under the control of the colonial government, and she died there. Only later were her remains exhumed and placed next to her husband in Dam Doi (Ca Mau).

When doing fieldwork in Kien Giang and Ca Mau, we heard a lot about the story of Seven boats and six burdens. According to the management board of Vinh Hoa Hiep communal house, Chau Thanh district, Kien Giang and Mrs. Tu, the house next to the grave of Mr. Nguyen Cao Thang and Mrs. Le Kim Hong (father and mother of Nguyen Trung Truc), after Nguyen Trung Truc was killed by the French in Rach Gia, to avoid the enemy's pursuit, Mr. Phung (father of Nguyen Trung Truc) together with Mr. Thoai, Mr. Kien and the surviving insurgents at the military training ground discussed leaving Ta Nien. Seven boats and six burdens together pulled up their masts and sailed out to sea to find a place to hide from the enemy. Six families traveled on seven junks from Ta Nien to Ca Mau. The Nguyen family was the largest, traveling on two boats, the remaining five families: Lam, Le, Tran, Truong, Trinh, each family traveled on one boat, each boat had about 15 - 20 people, rowing towards the wild fields and dense forests. The group arrived at a small creek with dense trees on both sides, built a row of houses together, and helped each other survive by collecting honey, setting traps, and building bags to catch fish and shrimp to sell at Ca Mau market. When the village had many houses, everyone contributed to build a communal house, named Tan An communal house to remember their homeland Tan An prefecture. In 1946, the French came to search, used the communal house as a police station, and were driven out by Nguyen Trung Truc's descendants. The villagers feared that they would return, so they destroyed the communal house. Up to now, after more than 150 years of living and working on the new land, Nguyen Trung Truc's descendants have developed to the ninth and tenth generations with thousands of people living, concentrated in the two communes of Tan Tien and Tan Duc in Dam Doi district, Ca Mau province.

2.3.4.2 The legend of the hero's wife and children

According to folklore, Nguyen Trung Truc had a wife named Dieu, commonly known as Ba Do, from Minh Luong village (now Chau Thanh district, Kien Giang). Other sources claim that Ba Dieu and Ba Do were two sisters, not the same person. Ba Dieu was the one who followed Mr. Nguyen closely during the time of fighting the French in Kien Giang. It is said that once she went to spy on the San Da post in Rach Gia and was captured by the enemy.

But Nguyen Trung Truc came to her rescue in time. Later, she was arrested again and locked up in Rach Gia prison, until Mr. Nguyen captured Kien Giang fort (1868) and freed her. Whether they had children or not, where and when she died is still unknown. When building a base to fight the French in Phu Quoc, he had another wife named Le Kim Dinh (commonly known as Mrs. Quan Lon Tuong), gave birth to a son but died prematurely. Currently, her grave and temple are still in Cua Can, Phu Quoc. According to the story, when the insurgents were besieged in 1868, Mrs. Dinh used a boat to follow the Cua Can river to go to the mainland. But unfortunately, she encountered a section of the river filled with sand, her boat ran aground and could not go. Exhausted, she gave birth prematurely on a stormy night, and then died of hemorrhage. The premature baby also died. Someone found both bodies and hid them in a tree hollow. When things were peaceful, the people buried the remains of the mother and daughter at Ong Lang beach. Her grave was called the grave of Ba Lon Tuong.

In the interrogation record when Mr. Truc was detained in the Saigon prison, there was a sentence: My fate is complete, I have not succeeded in saving my country, I only ask for one thing, that they end my life as soon as possible and hope that they send my children to Saigon. Based on this sentence, Mr. Truc had at least two or three children, but there is no document mentioning what happened to them later. In Tien Phong newspaper, there was an article " The Marks of Gia Long and Nguyen Trung Truc in Phu Quoc " , the researcher still found legends related to Mr. Nguyen's relatives, excerpt: Near the mouth of Cua Can river is the tomb of Ba Tuong Lon - wife of the general Nguyen Trung Truc, which is also preserved and looked after by the people day and night. The people on Phu Quoc island still pass down the story that: Nguyen Trung Truc's wife gave birth but lacked milk to breastfeed her child. Knowing this, the French army ordered that whoever breastfed Nguyen Trung Truc's child would be executed for three generations. The villagers in Cua Can were afraid and did not dare to give milk. The whole village begged for milk but no one gave, so Nguyen Trung Truc's wife boarded a boat to cross the sea to the mainland to save her child, but the boat ran aground and both mother and child died. The place name Cua Can was born from that time. After Ba Tuong Lon passed away, in Cua Can commune, whoever gave birth could not raise a child. People rumored that Ba Tuong Lon hated the world, so whoever gave birth to a child, she would take away. If Cua Can villagers wanted to raise their children, they had to go elsewhere to give birth, and only after the breastfeeding period was over did they dare to bring them home. Ba Tuong Lon's tomb was found on April 27, 1963, in Dong Ba area, Hamlet 3, Cua Can commune. Every year on the 18th and 19th of the 8th lunar month, people hold a memorial service to pay respect to her. (Tien Phong Newspaper, November 28, 2014).

2.3.4.3 The myth of friendship

In the Vietnamese folk consciousness, the characters who revolted against foreign invaders often had deputy generals and friends to assist them, ready to sacrifice for the greater cause. History has Le Lai saving the Lord, and the hero Nguyen Trung Truc also had a Lam Quang Ky saving his friend. Lam Quang Ky, whose real name was Hung Thai, was born in An Bien district (Kien Giang), and lived in the Ta Nien area. Lam Quang Ky was the son of Lam Quang Dieu, of Chinese origin, who was the village chief at that time; and was a friend of Nguyen Trung Truc. After burning the French ships at the mouth of the Nhat Tao river, Mr. Nguyen operated in the Long Xuyen quadrangle, down to Rach Gia and secretly stayed at Lam Quang Ky's house. The two were very compatible in planning to fight the French. Here, Lam Quang Ky introduced Mr. Nguyen to four more like-minded friends: Ngo Van But, Hong Van Ngan, Nguyen Van Mien and Trinh Van Tu. In the battle to capture Kien Giang fort on the night of June 16, 1868, Lam Quang Ky was the one who made great contributions. After capturing the citadel, Mr. Nguyen personally went to Nui Sap to build a barricade across the river, blocking the enemy's advance. He handed over the task of defending the citadel to Lam Quang Ky. The French quickly mobilized troops along the Nui Sap canal in an attempt to retake Kien Giang citadel. Lam Quang Ky steadfastly defended the citadel from the morning of June 16 to the afternoon of June 21, 1868. Knowing that he could not hold out for long, Mr. Lam withdrew a group of troops to the tenth capital and then to Dam Cung and Bai Hap. When Nguyen Trung Truc went to operate in Phu Quoc, the French listened to the Vietnamese traitor Huynh Cong Tan and captured his mother and announced that he would surrender. Lam Quang Ky was determined to stand up and die in place of Mr. Nguyen so that he could continue to live and establish a large branch to fight the French. Mr. Lam disguised himself as Nguyen Trung Truc and surrendered. Before surrendering, he brought a tray of betel and wine, a mourning scarf, and poured a glass of wine, to his father, Cai Tong Lam Quang Dieu, to ask for forgiveness for his unfilial act. Mr. Dieu raised his glass of wine and praised his son's actions. The French army thought they had found a formidable opponent, so they immediately executed him. But when they executed him, the traitor named Luom, who was originally a subordinate of Lam Quang Ky, recognized him. The enemy then realized that this was not Nguyen Trung Truc but Lam Quang Ky in disguise. However, seeing that he was a loyal man, they let his relatives take him back to bury him (PL2 2.1). Lam Quang Ky's tomb is now in Vinh Thanh A hamlet, across from the communal house, to the East Southeast, and has been renovated and built very aesthetically by his descendants. Through the story, in the people's minds, Nguyen Trung Truc was a leader who sacrificed himself for the people and the country, so he had subordinates who sacrificed themselves to save him heroically. Meanwhile, Lam Quang Ky's sacrifice to save Nguyen Trung Truc was recognized as

spirit of bravery. He was brave, ready to accept death for his friends. For the sake of justice, he saved the commander, the leader of the uprising, so that Mr. Nguyen had time to consolidate his forces, and continue to lead the people to fight against the French.

CHAPTER 2 SUMMARY

Nguyen Trung Truc is not only a historical hero but also a legendary figure. In the second half of the 19th century, in the South, despite the court's order to stop fighting, anti-French movements arose everywhere, such as Truong Dinh in Go Cong, Nguyen Trung Truc in Rach Gia, Ha Tien, Thu Khoa Huan in My Tho, Thien Ho Duong in Dong Thap Muoi. Compared to the anti-French uprisings of other leaders, Nguyen Trung Truc's uprising has a special significance. This was the first uprising to damage the enemy's spirit and strength on a large scale, from the Nhat Tao battle to the attack on Kien Giang fort, and was also the opening battle for the destruction of the modern iron ships, which were the invincible pride of the French. National hero Nguyen Trung Truc is a historical figure who has been sanctified as a god in the consciousness and folk beliefs of the South.

Stories circulating in folklore, recorded, prove that Nguyen Trung Truc is a legendary figure respected and worshiped by the people of the South. Within the scope of written documents and field documents, the researcher found that the group of legends related to the life and career of Nguyen Trung Truc is quite large in the group of folk legends about the hero of the resistance against the French in the South. In chapter 2, the thesis described the stories and legends about the hero Nguyen Trung Truc, which are stories about his talent, intelligence, bravery, filial piety to his parents, stories about his exploits and the sacredness of Nguyen Trung Truc. Over time, although more than a century and a half have passed, these legends still have profound humanistic values, and the elderly often tell them to their children and grandchildren in their free time. The people's participation in death anniversaries and communal house festivals is a way to continue and educate their children and grandchildren about patriotism, admiration, and respect for the national hero who sacrificed his life for the country.

Nowadays, besides the stories and legends that have become classics, people continue to create more versions and magical stories about the hero to suit the views and thoughts of ordinary people in the new era. However, the number of these details and versions is very small and only focuses on the details of Nguyen Trung Truc's great strength, his indomitable spirit, and his unyielding power in front of his enemies. The legend of Nguyen Trung Truc has both the common features of folk legends and its own unique features.

unique. The stories in this legend system have diverse content and rich art, aiming to praise His Wisdom - Courage - Integrity - Righteousness. All are both historical and romantic and heroic.

CHAPTER 3: SURVEY OF THE WORSHIP OF NGUYEN TRUNG TRUC IN THE SOUTH

As a new land, the South inherited previous cultural achievements as a historical necessity. However, from the 17th - 18th centuries, our country was divided into Dang Trong and Dang Ngoai, so the majority of immigrants to Dong Nai and Gia Dinh were Thuan - Quang people. This shows that Thuan - Quang culture was the first seeds planted in this new land. On the other hand, the majority of Thuan - Quang immigrants to Dong Nai - Gia Dinh were poor, so the cultural baggage brought to the new land was mainly folk culture, including folk songs, melodies as well as types of performances, living customs and cultural and religious institutions of their homeland, including the indispensable communal house. When people, due to many different circumstances, came to the new land to settle down, it was obvious that in their cultural needs, they would build places of worship such as pagodas, communal houses, and shrines to satisfy their spiritual needs to pray for peace, as well as to affirm sovereignty over the area where they lived.

Nguyen Xuan Hong (2010) Traditional and developing festivals of Vietnamese people in the Mekong Delta, PhD thesis, Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts, (33, pp.50-51) has counted the number of traditional folk festivals of Vietnamese people in the South with 683 establishments, of which communal houses account for 635 (accounting for 92.97%). The province with the largest number of communal houses is Ben Tre (174 communal houses, accounting for 27.40%), Tien Giang (95 communal houses, accounting for 14.96%), Dong Thap (67 communal houses, accounting for 10.55%), the province with the smallest number of communal houses is Ca Mau (19 communal houses, accounting for 2.99%), Can Tho city (18 communal houses, accounting for 2.84%), Bac Lieu (11 communal houses, accounting for 1.73%). This shows that the religious and spiritual needs of the people of the South are not small, including the worship facilities of Nguyen Trung Truc.

3.1 OVERVIEW OF NGUYEN TRUNG TRUC WORSHIP INSTITUTES IN THE SOUTH

3.1.1 Statistics of Nguyen Trung Truc worship relics in the South

Historical factors, community exchange and consolidation, and geographical conditions have determined the establishment of hamlets and the construction of communal houses by the Vietnamese. In the South, most communal houses over 200 years old are located near rivers or main traffic routes, the further south the number of communal houses decreases. In the past, because the land and soil of this area was acidic and salty, not favorable for agricultural production, it attracted few people to come and settle down. However, admiring the national hero, the people

People built communal houses, temples, and shrines; the number of communal houses gradually developed and expanded; the object of worship was Nguyen Trung Truc. Through processing documents and fieldwork in localities related to the life and career of Nguyen Trung Truc, the researcher compiled a statistical table and distributed the worship facilities in the South as follows:

Table 3.1 Statistics on the distribution of monuments worshiping hero Nguyen Trung Truc in the Southern provinces


STT

Conscious

Address

Classification of monuments


1


Long An

Nhat Tao estuary memorial area, An Nhat Tan, Tan Tru district

Historical and cultural relics level

conscious

Binh Duc Communal House, Thanh Duc Commune, Ben Luc District

Nguyen worship

Clean


2


Kien Giang

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in My Hiep commune

Son, Hon Dat district.

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in My Lam commune,

Hon Dat district.

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in My Lam commune,

Hon Dat district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Soc Son commune,

Hon Dat district.

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house, Hon Dat town,

Hon Dat district.

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Tho Son commune,

Hon Dat district.

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house, Tan Thanh town

Hiep, Tan Hiep district.

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Tan Hiep commune

B, Tan Hiep district.

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Ganh Dau commune,

Phu Quoc district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Cua Can commune,

Phu Quoc district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Mong Tho commune,

Chau Thanh district.

*


Vinh Hoa Hiep Communal House, Chau Thanh District

Historical and cultural relics level

conscious

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Rach Gia city.

Historical site

National Culture

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Lai Son commune,

Kien Hai district

*

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Survey of Nguyen Trung Truc Worship in the South

Conscious

Address

Classification of monuments


3


An Giang

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in Long Giang Commune,

Cho Moi district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in Long An City

Through

*

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in Vinh Trach commune,

Thoai Son district

*


4


Can Tho

Thuong Thanh Communal House, Thuong Thanh Commune, Cai Rang District

Nguyen Temple

*Clean


5


Hau Giang

Long My Communal House, Long My Town

*Worship Nguyen

Clean

Long Binh Communal House, Long My Town

*

Long Tri Communal House, Long My Town

*

Thuan Hung Communal House, Long My Town

*

Rach Goi Communal House, Chau Thanh District

*

Phung Hiep Temple, Nga Bay City

*


6


Soc Trang

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in An Thanh Dong, Cu Lao Dung district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Temple in Cu Town

Lao Dung, Cu Lao Dung district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in Long Phu town,

Long Phu district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in An Lac Thon Commune, Ke Sach District

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in Phu Loc Commune, District

Thanh Tri

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in Nga Nam Town

*


7


Bac Lieu

Nguyen Trung Truc communal house in An Trach A commune,

Dong Hai district.

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House, Ngang Dua Town,

Hong Dan district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in Phuoc Long Commune, Phuoc Long District

*


8


Tra Vinh

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in Luu Nghiep Commune

Anh, Tra Cu district

*

Nguyen Trung Truc Communal House in An Quang Huu Commune,

Tra Cu district

*

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