Hai Ba Trung Belief and the Generals in Vietnam

Associate Prof. Dr Pham Lan Oanh
Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies

Summary
  Hai Ba Trung (Trung Trac and Trung Nhi) are two Vietnamese heroines in history who rebelled against the Dong Han Dynasty (Eastern Han). They established a court in the Northern Delta for Viet people. Responding to Hai Ba Trung’s appeal, many people participated in their uprising and became generals under Trung Vuong court. In 43 A.D, the Dong Han Dynasty sent General Ma Vien and the troops to suppress the uprising. Hai Ba Trung and their generals defeated against the Dong Han invaders. Hai Ba Trung and the generals all sacrificed. It has been a thousand years, connected the philosophy concept “born as generals died as saints”, people living in the Northern Delta of Vietnam worship to Hai Ba Trung and their Generals. Regarding the sanctification (The historical figures myths; The localization of historical figures, the historicalization of historical figures based on belief concepts and the analysis of the belief influenced forces), this article confirms the Hai Ba Trung beliefs and the worshipping the historical figure and national generals are the historical consciousness mind of the Vietnamese people.

Keywords: Hai Ba Trung, myth, historicalization, localization, historical consciousness