This week, we have…

• A fun fact inspired by a recent Globle: Capitals answer

• Answers to last week's games

• Reader survey

The sword lake in the heart of Hanoi

Nestled in the heart of Vietnam's capital city is a freshwater lake that holds a legendary history. Hoan Kiem Lake sits in the Old Quarter of Hanoi (Capitals answer November 6), surrounded by pedestrian streets, restaurants and shops. Its name translates to Lake of the Returned Sword in homage to a fifteenth century tale about an emperor fighting invaders from China's Ming Dynasty. Previously it was named Luc Thuy Lake, or Green Water Lake, thanks to its colour. 

According to legend, the Golden Turtle God lent the ruler, Emperor Le Loi, a magical sword to chase away invaders and usher in an era of peace. After ten years, the emperor defeated the invaders and achieved independence. Later, while the emperor was boating on the lake, a giant turtle appeared and demanded the emperor return the sword to him, which he promptly did. The turtle and the sword disappeared into the lake, and it was renamed. 

The lake is home to turtles today, and there is a monument called Turtle Tower on an island in the centre of the lake as well. Turtle Tower is one of the most recognizable icons of Hanoi. It was built to make the emperor's fishing more comfortable in the 1400s. In 1890, the French built a miniature Statue of Liberty on top, which was removed in 1945 after French control was overthrown. 

While the existence of the sword may be mythical, Le Loi was a real emperor whose dynasty spanned 360 years. His story has similar echos to another tale of a sword in a lake, that of King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake. Excalibur, the magical sword, was also returned to the lake when Arthur died. 

Learn more

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho%C3%A0n_Ki%E1%BA%BFm_Lake
https://flavorsofhanoi.com/blog/hoan-kiem-lake-and-surrounding-landmarks/
https://vinpearl.com/en/hoan-kiem-lake-explore-the-iconic-place-in-the-heart-of-hanoi
https://www.thenotsoinnocentsabroad.com/blog/the-legend-of-hoan-kiem-lake-in-the-hanoi-old-quarter

Trivia

Answers to last week's games

Monday, November 4 to Sunday, November 10.

Linxicon

The following are the shortest paths from last week:

• #266 tale -> literature -> law -> license

• #267 sleep -> rest -> functioning -> vital -> crucial

• #268 throat -> voice -> evoke -> inspire

• #269 scholar -> mathematician -> mathematics -> addition -> add

• #270 probably -> probable -> probability -> counting -> count

• #271 cabinet -> door -> enter -> participate

• #272 onion -> cellar -> warehouse -> corporate

• #273 Play now!

Forgeous

Play Forgeous for Nov 11