1475
A TRESURE CHEST OF VIETNAMESE FOLKLORE FROM A
RESEARCHER'S PERSPECTIVE
A Treasure Chest of Vietnamese Folklore is one of the many reowned major
works by Professor Nguyen Dong Chi, among which mention should be made of
A history of Vietnamese Classical Literature (1942); Dao Duy Tu (1943); Hat
Giam Folk Opera in Nghe - Tinh (1944-1962); Vietnamese Legendary Stories -
A Sketch (1956); An Insight into Peasants Uprisings in the Middle Ages (1973).
This work comprises 5 volumes totaling 3000 pages and has been published over
25-year period from 1958 till 1982
1
.
The debut of the first two volumes captures the immediate interest of the
general public from North to South Vietnam and abroad
2
. Volume Three
(released in 1960) has established the undeniable position of the author in the
ranks of those involved in the study of folklore in Vietnam, Volumes I, II and III
were reprinted several times before the publication of the Volume IV in 1975.
Nguyen Dong Chi has established his authority in the collection, identification
and narration of folk stories. Both Le Van Hao and Ta Phong Chau, though
living far apart in Hanoi and Paris respectively, have more or less unanimous
view on the high standards of scholarship of Nguyen Dong Chi
'
s works. This is
a high representative collection of folk tales from North to South after long,
elaborated and extensive field work, an excellent comparative study of folk tales
from the world in terms of time, space, typology and motifs in order to arrive at
a keen observation of the unique features of Vietnamese folk tales, Nguyen
Dong Chi
'
s works are also highly acclaimed for their simple and yet charming
narrative style "in which poetical inspiration is well blended with reality"
3
. Vu
Ngoc Khanh
4
also comments on Nguyen Dong Chi
'
s unmistakable style such
1
. Nguyen Dong Chi. A Treasure Chest of Vietnamese Folklore. Volume I & II (1957), Hanoi
Literature, History and Geography Publishing House, Vol. III (1960), Hanoi History
Publishing House; Vol. IV (1975), Hanoi Social Sciences Publishing House; Vol. V(1982)
Hanoi Social Sciences Publishing House.
2
. Durand, Maurice (1964). A Critique of Volume I "A Treasure Chest Vietnamese Folklore".
Journal of School of Oriental Antiquity Study (B.E.F.E.O.) No 1. Paris.
3
. Le Van Hao (1964). Book Review on "A Treasure Chest of Vietnamese Folklore". Journal
of Shcool of Oriental Antiquity Study (B.E.F.E.O.) No1. Paris. Ta Phong Chau (pen-name Anh
Phong), (1975). On "A Treasure Chest of Vietnamese Folklore", Literature Journal No 2.
Hanoi.
4
. Vu Ngoc Khanh (1993). Some comments on "A Treasure Chest of Vietnamese Folklore".
Education Today No 17,26. IV. 1993. Hanoi.
