Return of the Sword

Editor’s notes: Return of the Sword is aVietnamese folk story by Helen Le. Helen’s grandpa told the story to her in Vienamese; later, Helen wrote an English version of the story for her school writing assignment when she was nine years old. Helen also drew a picture of the Turtle Tower standing on a small island near the center of Hoan Kiem Lake.

I will tell you the story of Hồ Hoàn Kiếm. “Hoàn Kiếm” means “Return of the Sword”.

It was in Hà Nội City, capital of Việt Nam. Six hundred years ago, when China invaded Việt Nam, the Vietnamese people fought back very hard to keep the land. There was a general named Lê Lợi. He got on the boat and travelled along the lake enjoying the nature. Suddenly, a big turtle came up and gave a sword to the general. He used the sword to fight in battles. He won all the battles between China and Việt Nam.

After the war finished, he came back to the lake, the turtle came back up. The general pointed the sword at the turtle. And the turtle grabbed the sword and came back down under the water.

Now the lake is called Hồ Hoàn Kiếm. The turtle still lives in the lake and it is over 600 years old. When the weather is cold, the turtle comes up and rests on the little island called Turtle Temple. The size of the turtle is about 3 metres by 2 metres.

Helen Le

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Editor’s notes:

Hoan Kiem Lake (in Vietnamese: Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, meaning “Lake of the Returned Sword” or “Lake of the Restored Sword”) is a scenic lake in the urban district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.

Legend has it that, in the 15th century, a peasant named Lê Lợi obtained a magical sword from Kim Qui, a Golden Turtle God. Lê Lợi used the sword to lead a rebellion against the Chinese armies that occupied Vietnam. After overthrowing the Chinese and establishing the Lê Dynasty, Emperor Lê Lợi returned to the lake; Kim Qui emerged and asked Lê Lợi to return the sword. The emperor drew the sword and hurled it toward Kim Qui. Kim Qui quickly caught the sword by his teeth then submerged. Lê Lợi afterwards named the lake “Lake of the Returned Sword”, or Hoan Kiem Lake. The Turtle Tower (in Vietnamese: Tháp Rùa) standing on a small island near the centre of lake is linked to the legend.

The Hoan Kiem turtle (Rafetus leloii) is a critically endangered species from Southeast Asia, with one known living specimen in Hoan Kiem Lake in Vietnam. It is affectionately known as Cụ Rùa, meaning “great grandfather turtle” in Vietnamese. The lake itself is small and shallow, measuring 200 metres wide, 600 metres long, and only 2 meters deep, and is badly polluted. In the Spring of 2011, concerned with the Hoan Kiem turtle's more frequent than usual surfacing and apparent lesions on its body, the city authority started attempts to capture the giant reptile of Hoam Kiem Lake. The turtle was netted and the captured creature was put into an enclosure constructed on an island in the middle of the lake for study and medical treatment.

(Text adapted from articles Hoan Kiem Lake and Hoan Kiem Turtle - Wikipedia.org)

Marlow Lagoon is a recreational park that features the “Art Path” created by different ethnic groups in Palmerston, Northern Territory, Australia.

The “Art Path” is designed in mosaic and constructed from pieces of ceramic tile. The most noticeable monuments erected at the end of the “Art Path” are a group of three columns designed by the three Tien siblings Quan, Thơ and Nhi, who are residents of Palmerston. The columns depict Vietnamese symbols such as: Vietnamese traditional dresses, conical hat, bamboo, “mai” flower, dragon, and particularly a turtle with a sword in its mouth illustrating the tale of Hồ Hoàn Kiếm.

Illustrations:

“Turtle Temple” in color pencil by Helen (Quỳnh Hương) Le

“Kim Qui and the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem)” in ceramics by Rdavout, wikipedia.org

The Turtle Tower and Hoan Kiem Lake, Ha Noi, Vietnam

Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, Australia