Au Co

Au Co (Âu Cơ) was an immortal fairy in Vietnamese mythology, who married a dragon, her hundred children collectively known as Bach Viet, the ancestors of the Vietnamese. Au Co is often honored as the mother of Vietnamese civilization. Legend

The Au Co was a young, beautiful fairy goddess who lived up in the mountains. She always traveled to heal the suffering, because she was an expert in medicine and had a sympathetic heart.

So, one day, it happened that she was frightened to see a monster, and to escape she was transformed to fly away. At that moment Lac Long Quan, a dragon king of the sea, seeing her in danger, grabbed a stone and killed the monster.

When Au Co stopped to see who helped her, she returned to her fairy form and immediately fell in love with Lac Long Quan.

That's how they fell in love and, later, an egg bag from which 100 children came out. However, despite the love of Au Co and Lac Long Quan, she longed to be back in the mountains and he longed for the sea. For this reason they would separate, each taking 50 children. Au Co established in Vietnam because this earth surprised him, and here he raised the 50 young, intelligent, strong leaders, later known as Hung Kings. Importance of Au Co

This legendary story is very important to many Vietnamese people for many reasons. Some interpret history to evoke strong national unity and cultural tolerance. Other women and historians interpret history to indicate that matriarchal societies existed and were equal to patriarchal societies. Vietnamese women see it as a hero and a symbol to fight for their nation and their rights.

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