The relationship between legends and beliefs of worshiping Nguyen Trung Truc

By Nguyễn Tấn Kiệt
DOI: 10.37550/tdmu.EJS/2022.01.277

In Kien Giang, along with religion, belief is an indispensable need in the spiritual life of a part of the people. The most prominent is the worship of Nguyen Trung Truc (NTT) - a bright star in the southern land - a national hero against the French in the second half of the 19th century. Every year, from 26-28 (lunar year), people from all over the world gather in Rach Gia - where the temple worships NTT - to light incense to show gratitude on the occasion of the NTT festival. Besides the great feats recorded in history books, the people have created many legends about this hero. In the series of legends about NTT, the magical element associated with the motifs of “miracle birth”, “marvelous feat”, “incarnation” appear many times. They play a particularly valuable role to contribute NTT as an immortal god in the hearts of Kien Giang people.