The Viet people originated 5,000 years ago and soon began a rice farming culture. Throughout the budding nation, life centered around rice farming villages. Myriad facets in the way of life became expressed, across many centuries, in songs and sayings.

Today silver waters, tomorrow golden rice.[i]

The best verses, refined as they passed from village to village, became like brush strokes in a painting: Each one showed a detail of the farm life close to nature. These songs, taken together, show the heart of the countryside villager.[2]

Thanks to beneficial rain and mild breezes,

Times plowing, times transplanting, old and young working together

   Birds, chickens, fish, pigs, areca branches,

Whatever the season, those things color the country farm.

The yearly advent of beneficial rains produced ankle-deep to shin-deep water in which village women transplanted rice seedlings in the fertile earth. After dry weather arrived, the green fields turned into golden expanses, in which harvests produced rice for millions. Families cooked a variety of dishes using rice, fish, and meats, with local vegetables, herbs, and fruits, while some people boated foods and other goods to trade or sell in the village market.[3]

Joy, albeit amidst hard work of cultivating rice, originated in this life close to nature. For, the people noticed that natural energy forces such as sunlight, rain, and soil acted in harmony to nurture life, including the all-important rice plants. To deserve those benefits of nature’s system of harmony, the people realized that they, too, must live that way. A desire to seek harmony in all things—in nature and with other villagers—became a spiritual force in the soul of Viet people. Harmony was an essential quality of village life.

Within the village, people exhibited harmony by being reserved and by needing few material things. Matters of heart, feelings, and spirit reflected in a widespread use of art, music, and poetry within villages.

In appreciation for this way of living, people worshiped spirits that they saw in those natural forces. Such worship was a regular part of daily activities. The accompanying photograph, taken in 2018, shows a simple altar to the Spirit of Earth. This altar rests among ordinary items used in everyday living, indicating that the altar is a feature of normal, daily life. Each day at this altar, a family member pays respect to the Spirit of Earth through prayer and offerings.

Often expressed in song, this optimistic, spiritual life close to nature was hopeful and created feelings of joy. So, who would want to give it up to invaders?[4]

Our fields, cultivating, we plow,

Not ceding one inch to the Japanese and Western swarms.

Let’s all move stealthily around here,

Bringing our sticks and hoes, let’s chase them away from the village.[iii]

[i] Silver waters. Vũ Ngọc Phan. (2016). Tục Ngữ Ca Dao Dân Ca Việt Nam. Hà Nội: NXB Văn Học, p. 238.

[ii] Vũ, Tục Ngữ Ca Dao Dân Ca Việt Nam, p. 236.

[iii] Film of transplanting rice seedlings in water. Nhà Thóc (2012, Oct. 9). Thương Nhớ Đông Quê 1995. Hãng Phim Hội Điện Ảnh Việt Nam, Hãng Truyền Hình Nhật Bản, Youtube 1:54:12–1:55:12 of 1:56:27, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXHh6TGrK8A.

[iv]  Vũ, Tục Ngữ Ca Dao Dân Ca Việt Nam, p. 525.