Content Warning: Discussion of colonization, genocide, imperialism, and usury. Brief mention of suicide.
In this episode, I tell the Vietnamese myth: "The Fly". The tale is interested in the wealth dynamics and court-administrated justice in Chinese-dominated Vietnam. The origin of the story is completely unknown. I could find no reference to the myth online and my source had no information concerning who it was written by and when. The myth itself contains a surprising clarity concerning capitalist systems and the exploitation of the working class by the ruling class. These morals surrounding money are central to the tale and were likely used to demonstrate the dangers of choosing fortune over community.
We'll discuss the early history of the Vietnamese, the interactions they had with Imperial China, and the failure of the Trưng Sisters' rebellion. We will make sense of the lack of supernatural elements in the myth, its musings on wealth acquisition, and the failure of court systems to benefit those without capital.
Thank you for listening!
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