The Legend of Betel and Areca

Long ago, in a village, there were two brothers named Tân and Lang, who resembled each other so closely that even their own family often mistook one for the other. Their father, the tallest man in the region, had once been summoned by King Hùng to Phong Châu, where he was rewarded and given the name "Cao." From then on, the family adopted the surname "Cao."

Their parents passed away early, so the two brothers cared for and supported each other deeply. Seeing how diligent the Cao brothers were, the daughter of the Lưu family grew fond of the elder brother and wished to marry him. To distinguish which one was the elder, she followed her father’s advice and served them two bowls of porridge but only gave them one pair of chopsticks. Noticing that the younger brother offered the chopsticks to the elder first, she realized that the elder was Tân. She met with Tân, and the two fell in love and eventually married.

After marrying, Tân was devoted to his wife, caring for her lovingly. Having been inseparable since childhood, the younger brother felt neglected when Tân no longer gave him the same attention, leaving him feeling sad and lonely. Tân, occupied with many responsibilities, didn’t understand his younger brother's feelings.

One day, as Lang returned home from the fields, Tân’s wife mistook him for her husband and rushed out to embrace him. At that very moment, Tân also arrived and, seeing his wife embracing Lang, grew angry. From then on, he became even colder toward Lang. Feeling increasingly saddened and lonely, Lang decided to leave. With no destination in mind, he walked aimlessly forward. Eventually, Lang reached a large stream, but exhausted, he collapsed by the riverbank and wept, burying his face in his hands. He cried for so long, through sun and rain, that over time, Lang transformed into a stone.

When Lang did not return home for a long time, Tân became worried and suddenly realized everything. He hurried out to search for his brother. Tân searched everywhere until he finally reached the stream where Lang had turned to stone. Standing beside the stone, Tân wept continuously until he too died and transformed into a tree that grew straight up toward the sky, next to the stone.

Tân’s wife, waiting endlessly for her husband to return, eventually left the house to search for him as well. She also arrived at the stream, wept until she had no tears left, and died, transforming into a vine that wrapped itself around the other tree.

When neither of the three returned, the Lưu couple asked the villagers to help search for them. In front of the stone and the two strange plants, they built a shrine to honor the three young souls by the river. The local people called it the "Shrine of Brotherly Harmony and Marital Fidelity."

One year, there was a severe drought, yet the two trees growing beside the stone in front of the shrine remained lush and green. One day, King Hùng passed through that region. As he walked by the shrine, he was surprised and asked, "Which deity is honored at this shrine? I have never seen these types of trees before." The Lạc Tướng called upon some elders from the surrounding area to explain. King Hùng was deeply moved by their story. He ordered his soldiers to pluck a small leaf from the vine and a small fruit from the upright tree. After chewing both, he found them to have a fragrant and pungent taste. When he spat the mixture onto the stone, it turned red. The king then devised a way to harmonize these three elements, instructing the local people to cultivate more of these plants, burn the stone to make lime, and eat the green leaves along with the small fruits, thus creating a custom known as "the betel quid tradition."

To this day, betel and areca nuts remain essential for expressing goodwill, forming friendships, and celebrating marriages among the Vietnamese people.