Confucianism and Political Strategies: A Case Study of Dragon and King Narratives Recorded in the Việt Official Histories

Purpose: In pre-modern Vietnam, Confucianism played a central role in shaping historical writing and legitimizing political authority. This study examines how Confucian literature strategically incorporated dragon-and-king legends into official historiography to construct a sacralized image of kingship and reinforce dynastic legitimacy. It further aims to identify recurring narrative motifs to uncover the mechanisms through which political discourse operated via legendary texts. Methodology: Moving beyond the treatment of legends as mere folkloric elements, this study interprets them as instruments of power in the construction of collective memory and royal identity. Drawing on five official Vietnamese historical chronicles from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, the research identifies ten representative legends and analyses them through key Confucian doctrines, including the Mandate of Heaven, Rectification of Names, and cosmological omens. Main Findings: Three central motifs emerge: divine dragon lineage, dragon-protected rulers, and celestial signs of rightful rule. The findings reveal how the synthesis of Sinitic political thought and local belief systems generated a distinct mytho-political discourse, reflecting processes of intercultural adaptation in the construction of dynastic legitimacy and social order. Applications: The findings offer valuable insights for understanding the role of myth and narrative in state-building processes, particularly in contexts where cultural hybridity and political symbolism intersect. Novelty/Originality: This study is original in its interdisciplinary application of discourse analysis and Eric Hobsbawm’s theory of “invented traditions” to demonstrate how folk legends were reformulated, or even invented, by Confucian scholars to serve ideological ends. Keywords: Confucianism, invented traditions, Việt legends, intercultural interaction, political strategies.