The Course of Vietnamese Marvelous Stories from the Tenth to Sixteenth Century: from Legend to Popular Tradition

摘要

Vietnamese marvelous stories from the tenth to sixteenth century, heirs of the oral tradition, have deeply influenced the literature of the country. This development is no coincidence, but rather the result of a long evolution of this literary genre. Indeed, beginning from the tenth century, certain cultured persons and Confucian scholars began to collect myths, legends, and tales of the country, giving rise to numerous works. Legends about the origin of the Vietnamese people, which had been transmitted orally before the tenth century, were compiled into collections. At the same time, court historians devoted themselves to writing treatises of national history, while other scholars focused on poetry. There are several collections of Vietnamese popular literature from the tenth to sixteenth century that mark a period of transition between the oral tradition and written tradition; in other words, between popular culture and scholarly culture.