Regarding the death anniversary of King Sat Hai

(Baonghean)Sat Hai Dai Vuong Hoang Ta Thon is considered a deity of the rivers and seas of Vietnam, worshipped at coastal areas from the north to the south-central region. In Nghe An province, he is one of the two most famous and sacred human deities, and is worshipped in temples built in many places by the people...

Sát Hải Đại Vương is a historical figure clearly recorded in national history. His ancestral home was in Vạn Phần commune, Diễn Châu prefecture (now Diễn Vạn commune, Diễn Châu district), near Vạn estuary where the Bùng River flows into the sea. Many legends surround his life and career, all converging on one point: his mother was a mortal, while his father is not mentioned in any documents. His birth was the result of the union between his mother and the essence of the Water Realm. According to legends, historical records, and inscriptions, he died on the first day of the Lunar New Year at Trào stream, Hoằng Hóa district, Thanh Hóa province, while traveling (currently, there is a temple dedicated to him in Hoằng Tiến commune, Hoằng Hóa district). This information is widely used in current publications. However, in our opinion, this date is inaccurate, and there are many issues surrounding his death date that need to be re-examined.

The temple dedicated to Sat Hai Dai Vuong is located in Dien Van (Dien Chau).

Firstly, the Trần dynasty, with its three great victories against the Mongol Empire, greatly strengthened the prestige of Đại Việt, earning the respect and friendship of neighboring nations. For a long time, the country enjoyed peace, and diplomatic relations between Đại Việt and the southern countries, especially Champa, were excellent. Evidence of this is King Trần Nhân Tông's marriage of Princess Huyền Trân to Chế Mân, expanding Đại Việt's territory as far as Thuận Hóa. Although the Champa king harbored resentment after the rescue of Princess Huyền Trân, the Trần dynasty was very powerful at the time, so Champa did not dare to retaliate. Only towards the end of the dynasty, when the Trần dynasty weakened, did Champa bring up the past and demand the return of Châu Ô and Châu Rí. Therefore, during the reign of Sát Hải Đại Vương Hoàng Tá Thốn, it is impossible for Champa troops to have harassed Đại Việt's maritime territory. If there was any aggression, it would have only been in the Thuận Hóa region (bordering Champa). While all documents state that he passed away in Cửa Trào – Thanh Hóa, a place very far from Châu Thuận and Châu Hóa.

Secondly: During the Tran Dynasty, there was a custom of sealing the official seal on the 23rd of the 12th lunar month and only opening it on the 15th of the 1st lunar month of the following year. During that time, all official documents and official duties were temporarily suspended (except, of course, in cases of national security emergencies). This custom persists to this day in the seal-opening ceremony at the Tran Temple in Nam Dinh. According to the family genealogy, he was 85 years old when he passed away. Therefore, during the Tet holiday, when the country was at peace, there was no reason for an elderly general to be on duty at sea on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Thirdly: Recently, we were fortunate to have access to the genealogy of the 7th branch of the Nguyen family in Quynh Doi village, written by scholar Nguyen Lan between 1501 and 1510, during the early Le dynasty. The Nguyen, Ho, and Hoang families were all founding families who established the land of Quynh Doi today. All three families also have a very close marital relationship. This genealogy has been copied and continued by descendants of the Nguyen family in subsequent generations. Besides recording the history, lineage, and tombs of the Nguyen family, it also contains records about the Ho and Hoang families and the history of Quynh Doi village. Among these records is very important information about the ancestry of Sat Hai Dai Vuong. We would like to offer the following provisional translation: “…Hoang Khanh (one of the three village chiefs of Quynh Doi) was the grandson of Hoang Ta Thon from Van Phan. Hoang Ta Thon was born during the Tran dynasty, assisted Tran Thanh Tong and Nhan Tong in fighting the enemy, and was bestowed the title of Sat Hai Than (Sea God), with the honorary title of Ngoc Minh Hung Trieu Lao Tuong Quan (Jade Bright and Prosperous General). He was born on April 15th, 1254 (Year of the Tiger) and died on March 15th, 1339 (Year of the Rabbit). The king ordered a dragon boat to carry his remains back to his hometown of Van Phan for burial…”.

Fourth: We met directly with Mr. Hoang Nam - the clan leader of the Hoang family in Dien Van commune, a descendant of Sat Hai Dai Vuong, and he told us: "For generations, every year at the Hoang family temple and ancestral shrine in Van Phan, a ceremony is held to commemorate Sat Hai Dai Vuong on the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month. On this day, a large number of local people and people from other places, especially fishermen, come here to worship and ask for blessings from him. And every three years, a grand ceremony is held, including the ritual of sending off the boats..."

From the above inferences, we see that documents stating that he died on the first day of the Lunar New Year while traveling are inaccurate. It is regrettable that his death date is not fully recorded in national history. The family genealogy of the 7th branch of the Nguyen family in Quynh Doi village, written 162 years after his death, can be considered the earliest document recording his death (outside of national history). This is extremely important information for studying Sat Hai Dai Vuong. Determining the correct date of his death will allow his family and temples throughout the country to hold commemorative ceremonies on the exact anniversary of his passing. This also supplements official history and corrects inconsistent information currently found in books and newspapers.

The section on Sat Hai Dai Vuong in the Nguyen family genealogy.

Another thing that saddens both locals and tourists is that while temples dedicated to him are magnificent and splendid throughout the country, the main temple and tomb of his in Dien Van commune, Dien Chau district, currently do not live up to the stature of such a distinguished figure. The temple grounds are small, desolate, overgrown with weeds, and construction work remains unfinished due to incomplete land clearance. His mother's tomb is located at the foot of the Vach Bac dike, constantly traversed by people, vehicles, and cattle. This is highly inappropriate and disrespectful to the deceased, especially someone who contributed so much to the nation. We respectfully request that the authorities at all levels pay attention to expanding the grounds and renovating the temple to be solemn and worthy of his contributions. Hopefully, in the future, the main temple of Sat Hai Dai Vuong in his hometown of Van Phan will be grand and solemn, expressing deep gratitude to the hero, and contributing to the education of patriotism and the tradition of remembering one's roots for the future generations of the country!

Quang Phuoc – Tu Quang (Nghe An Provincial Library)