Vietnamese Child

Peering into old family albums, while visiting my Vietnamese grandmother in France, revealed a treasure trove of historical wonders.

One afternoon during May, I found this wonderful photo of my grandmother, Phuong Lan.

Phuong Lan at ten

I was blown away, partly by the intensity of her gaze and the exoticism of the Vietnamese setting. I loved the way her hand reaches out to caress that leaf. It is a hauntingly beautiful photo. But its meaning deepens and inspires sadness once you understand my grandmother's past. 

You must know that my grandmother's mother, a Vietnamese princess, had eloped with a French man when Phuong Lan was only an infant. Princess Cong-Nu-Cuc-Phuong discarded her baby, leaving Phuong Lan with her father, never to return. Maybe I am imagining this but my grandmother's expression in this photo is so solemn that I can't help but feel that she would have deeply resented her  abandonment as a child.

She is ten years old in this photo and you will notice that her hair is completely shaved. I asked her why. In response, she gave a shy smile and answered, "That is the way we did things."

Since my return from France, I conducted a little research and I found that it is common practice in traditional Vietnamese communities to shave off a child's head. A newborn's hair is considered 'dirty' or not as healthy. It is believed that by shaving it off, one gives better chance for new, healthier hair to grow later. From a rational viewpoint, this practice would at least inhibit lice and other disease-carrying agents. 

Another interesting finding is that Vietnamese parents traditionally resort to practices that aim to 'confuse the evil spirits' who otherwise might harm their child. It is best, for example, to refer to a child with an unpleasant name rather than use words that praise how beautiful it is. The idea is that lurking spirits, feared for their ability to cause a child's illness or death, would not be attracted to an 'ugly' child. Similarly a girl, with a shaved head could look less attractive to the evil spirits hence ensuring that she is kept safe.

I mentioned in a post years ago, that when she married my grandfather, Yves Candeau, one of the conditions placed on my grandmother by her mandarin father was that she ought to never cut her hair. At this time, when she was twenty-four, her hair had grown long and healthy, down to her ankles. I ignore whether the shaving she had been subjected as a child had paid off, but she certainly had an abundant bunch of gorgeous hair as an adult!

And here she is in all her glory. 

She told me this is one of her favorite photos.