LIÊN VĂN BẢN VÀ TIẾP NHẬN: DẤU VẾT “SƯU THẦN KÝ” TRONG “CÔNG DƯ TIỆP KÝ” VÀ SỰ TIẾP BIẾN THUYẾT THOẠI TRUNG QUỐC TRONG VĂN HỌC VIỆT NAM

Abstract

In the history of East Asian literature, the circulation and transformation of motifs among collections of tales of the strange is a common phenomenon, reflecting the dynamics of regional cultural exchange. This paper focuses on examining the intertextual relationship between Sou Shen Ji (搜神記, In Search of the Supernatural) by Gan Bao (China, 4th century) and Công dư tiệp ký (Miscellaneous Records from Leisure Hours) by Vũ Phương Đề (Vietnam, 18th century). By comparing selected stories that share similar plots, characters, or narrative details, the study identifies traces of the Chinese tale-telling tradition deeply imprinted in Công dư tiệp ký, while also revealing Vũ Phương Đề’s strategies of adaptation: altering geographical settings, linking stories to local history and belief systems, and reinterpreting moral meanings to align with Vietnamese cultural sensibilities. Applying theories of intertextuality and reception, the paper elucidates the mechanisms of cultural transformation and creative adaptation. The findings contribute to clarifying the reception and dynamic re-creation of Vietnamese tales of the strange within the broader East Asian narrative tradition, as well as the interaction among texts and the process of generating new works upon preexisting cultural foundations