| Lạc Long Quân 雒龍君 |
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| Reign | 2839 BC – 2439 BC |
| Predecessor | Kinh Dương Vương |
| Successor | Hùng Quốc Vương |
| Spouse | Âu Cơ |
| Father | Kinh Dương Vương |
| Mother | Long Mẫu Thần Long |
Lạc Long Quân (literally "Dragon Lord of Lạc"; also called Hùng Hiền Vương), according to the creation myth of the Vietnamese people, was the father of the Vietnamese people, and their first true king. Lạc Long Quân was the son and sole successor of Kinh Dương Vương (the King of Kinh Dương 涇陽王), who ruled over Xích Quỷ (赤鬼). He is supposed to have become king in 2839 BC.
Lạc Long Quân's wife, Âu Cơ, gave birth to a sac containing 100 eggs from which 100 children were born; this is the origin of the story of the 100 Vietnamese family names. One day Lạc Long Quân told Âu Cơ: "I am descended from dragons, you from fairies. We are as incompatible as water is with fire. So we cannot continue in harmony." This said, the husband and wife parted. The man went seawards with 50 of their children, while his wife went to the mountains with the other half of the clan. The eldest son, who followed his mother,[1] later installed himself as Vietnam’s first monarch, Hùng Vương.
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Lạc Long Quân's father was Kinh Dương Vương (whose father was De Minh and his mother Vu Tien Nu), his mother was Than Long Nu (her father was Động Đình Quân, who ruled over Động Đình Lake ) and Đế Lai (Âu Cơ's father) was Lạc Long Quân's cousin.[2]
The books Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (from the 15th century) and Lĩnh Nam chích quái ("Wonders plucked from the dust of Linh-nam", from the 14th century) mention the legend with Âu Cơ.[3]
Ngư Tinh's elimination
During Lạc Long Quân's time, Lạc Việt (ancient Vietnam) was still undeveloped and isolated. In the Eastern sea, there appears a giant fish, called Ngư Tinh. This fish has lived for centuries, with the size of its mouth, it can consume a ship with 10 fisherman at the same time. Whenever the fish swim, waves can reach the sky, drown multiple ships, all the people passing through the area were all eaten by the fish. Ngư tinh lives in a big cave under the sea, above the cave is a huge mountain which divide the sea into two areas. Lạc Long Quân decied to slay the beast in order to help the innocents. He built a huge ship, made a burning human-shaped piece of metal, then sailed straight to Ngư tinh's nest. There he held the human-shaped piece of metal up to trick Ngư Tinh. Ngư Tinh thought it was a human than opened its mouth and tried to swallow to burning metal. Lạc Long Quân threw the burning metal into Ngư Tinh's mouth. Ngư tinh's throat was burning, it struggled and tried to sink Lạc Long Quân's ship. Lạc Long Quân then took his sword out and slew the beast, slicing it into three different pieces.
Hồ Tinh's elimination
After slaying Ngư Tinh, Lạc Long Quân went down to Long Biên. There appears a nine-tailed fox that live for thousand years. The fox lived in a deep cave, under a rock mountain in the West Long Biên. This fox often disguised into human shape, lure the women, then bring them to the cave and feed on them. This fox has been harassing people from Long Biên to Tản Viên mountain. The innocents were so afraid of the fox that they have to leave their homes, farms to other places in order to live peacefully. Lạc Long Quân loved his people, brought his sword to the beast's nest, tried to slay the beast. When Lạc Long Quân reached the cave, the fox smelled human, then suddenly attacked, Lạc Long Quân then used magic to called the elements of wind and thunders to trap the beast. After 3 days, the beast has weakened, tried to find a way to run away. Lạc Long Quân caught the beast and slice his head off. The beast revealed itself as a huge nine-tailed fox. Lạc Long Quân got into the cave and rescued everybody that was alive and tortured by the fox
Descendant of Dragon and Fairy
Lạc Long Quân was married to Đế Lai's daughter, Âu Cơ. After marriage, Âu Cơ gave birth to a sac of a hundred eggs, which hatched into a hundred boys. One day, Lạc Long Quân confessed with Âu Cơ "I am descendant of the Dragon, you are descendant of the Fairy, fire and water cannot live together in harmony." The two of them then divided their children. Fifty sons follow their mother and go up to the mountain, the other fifty followed their father and live with the sea, divide and rule over those places, these children are ancestor of Bách Việt. The oldest brother followed Âu Cơ to Phong Châu (Phú Thọ), became the first King of Vietnam, Hùng Vương and established the early stage of Vietnam, Văn Lang.
Most cities in Vietnam have named major streets after him.[4]
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Lac Long Quan
Hồng Bàng Dynasty
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| Preceded by Kinh Dương Vương |
King of Văn Lang 2839 BC – 2439 BC |
Succeeded by Hùng Quốc Vương |