Tradition / Region: Vietnamese Mythology
Alternative names: White Chicken Demon
Category: Bird
The Myth
The White Rooster Demon appears in the Vietnamese legend of The Golden Turtle (Rùa Vàng). According to the Golden Turtle, a white rooster that had lived for a thousand years transformed into a powerful demon and dwelt upon Thất Diệu Mountain. The creature was bound to an evil spirit that haunted the region, causing travelers to perish through terrifying supernatural illusions and protecting the forces that prevented King An Dương Vương from completing the construction of Cổ Loa Citadel.
The Golden Turtle revealed that the White Rooster Demon and the innkeeper’s daughter were both manifestations of the same demonic influence. It instructed the king that the rooster had to be sacrificed before the evil spirit could be destroyed. Following this advice, the innkeeper killed the white rooster as an offering. At that very moment, his daughter also fell dead, and the demon’s power collapsed. The king then unearthed and burned the haunted remains hidden beneath Thất Diệu Mountain, ending the curse that had plagued the land.
With the White Rooster Demon destroyed, the evil spirit could no longer interfere with the construction of the citadel. Cổ Loa was completed, allowing An Dương Vương to establish his kingdom under the protection of the Golden Turtle.
Sources
Trần Đình Hoành. (2010, April 30). Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái – Truyện Rùa Vàng. TRẦN ĐÌNH HOÀNH. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://trandinhhoanh.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/truy%E1%BB%87n-rua-vang/