The Legend of Saint Gióng

During the reign of King Hùng, there lived an elderly woman who was alone and childless. One morning, as she visited her vegetable garden, she stumbled upon a giant footprint that had crushed her eggplants. Startled, she exclaimed:

“Oh my, whose foot is this big?”

Curious, she placed her foot inside the mysterious footprint. Suddenly, she felt a shiver run down her spine. After this encounter, she became pregnant. In due time, she gave birth to a plump, healthy baby boy. She named him Gióng.

However, Gióng was no ordinary child. Even by the age of three, he couldn’t sit up, crawl, speak, or even laugh. He simply lay on his back, eating and sleeping.

The Invasion of the Ân Army

During that time, the Ân invaders stormed into the kingdom, led by a fearsome general known as Ân Vương. They burned villages, destroyed homes, and slaughtered the people. King Hùng’s army had fought valiantly but could not defeat them. Desperate, the king sent envoys across the land to seek a talented hero who could save the nation.

One day, the king’s messenger arrived in Gióng’s village, proclaiming the royal decree. Upon hearing the announcement, Gióng’s mother jokingly said to her son while rocking his cradle:

“My dear child, how will you ever fight for our country if you can’t even sit up or speak?”

To her astonishment, Gióng suddenly sat up and spoke for the very first time:

“Mother, call the king’s messenger here for me!”

The mother was both terrified and overjoyed. She hurried to fetch the messenger. The villagers, amazed by the news, followed her to Gióng’s house.

When the royal envoy arrived, he saw the three-year-old boy and scoffed:

“You’re just a child who has only now learned to speak. What could you possibly want with me?”

With a steady and confident voice, Gióng replied:

“Go back to the king and tell him to forge me an iron horse, an iron sword, an iron armor, and an iron helmet. I will fight and drive the invaders away!”

Everyone was awestruck, believing this boy to be heaven-sent. The envoy immediately rode back to report to the king. Upon hearing the request, King Hùng rejoiced and ordered blacksmiths across the kingdom to gather all the iron they could to forge the items Gióng had requested.

The finished items were so massive and heavy that it took hundreds of soldiers to carry them. When they finally approached Gióng’s village, the villagers heard the loud clamor of the approaching soldiers and panicked.

The Awakening of the Hero

Gióng’s mother rushed to him, frightened:

“My son, this is no child’s game! The king’s soldiers are here. What should we do?”

Gióng calmly stood up and said:

“Do not worry, Mother. But first, feed me as much as you can!”

The mother cooked pot after pot of rice, but Gióng devoured every bit as soon as it was ready. The more he ate, the bigger he grew. His mother called upon the villagers to help. Everyone brought rice, vegetables, livestock, and even fruits, yet Gióng continued eating, growing taller and stronger with every bite. Soon, he had transformed into a towering young man with incredible strength.

The Battle Begins

When the iron horse, sword, armor, and helmet arrived, Gióng stepped outside. With a single stretch, he grew even larger, towering above the soldiers. His booming voice echoed:

“I am a warrior sent by Heaven!”

Clad in iron armor and holding his iron sword, Gióng mounted the iron horse. The horse neighed and spewed fiery flames from its mouth. Gióng bid farewell to his mother and the villagers, then galloped toward the battlefield with earth-shaking strides.

When he arrived, the Ân army was spread out across the forest. Wielding his sword, Gióng cut through the enemy ranks like a storm. His horse’s fiery breath set entire camps and forests ablaze. The invaders were terrified and scattered in all directions.

But as the battle raged on, Gióng’s sword broke in half. Without hesitation, he uprooted clusters of bamboo along the roadside and used them as weapons. With the bamboo in hand, he smashed through the remaining forces, defeating Ân Vương and his army completely.

The Ascension of Saint Gióng

With peace restored, Gióng did not return to the village. Instead, he rode his iron horse to the base of Sóc Mountain. There, he removed his armor and helmet, leaving them behind. Then, both he and the horse soared into the heavens, vanishing into the sky.

To honor Gióng’s heroic deeds, King Hùng built a temple in his village and bestowed upon him the title Phù Đổng Thiên Vương (The Heavenly King of Phù Đổng).

Even today, traces of Saint Gióng’s legend remain. The series of round ponds stretching from Kim Anh to Sóc Sơn is said to be the footprints of his iron horse. The charred bamboo forests in the area are remnants of his fiery battle, and these golden, spotted bamboos are now called “đằng ngà” (ivory bamboo).

The story of Saint Gióng lives on as a symbol of the Vietnamese spirit—undaunted, resilient, and always ready to rise when the homeland calls.