minh sinh (minh tinh)

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Spirit banner / Funeral banner: A long, narrow strip of red silk or red cloth, inscribed with the full name and official titles of a deceased person. It is carried on a pole or attached to a frame and leads the funeral procession ahead of the coffin.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Minh sinh được một người thân cầm đi trước linh cữu. (The spirit banner is carried by a relative walking in front of the coffin.)
  • Tên và chức tước của cụ được viết cẩn thận trên tấm minh sinh. (The gentleman's name and titles were carefully written on the funeral banner.)

Advanced Usage

• The is a traditional element in formal Vietnamese funeral rites, particularly those following Confucian rituals. Its purpose is to announce the identity and social status of the deceased to both the living and the spiritual world during the final journey.

Variants and Related Words

• Minh tinh (n): An alternate, commonly used term for .
• Cờ phướn (n): A general term for ceremonial banners or streamers used in rituals, which can include funeral contexts.
• Linh cữu (n): The coffin containing the body of the deceased.

Synonyms

• Funeral streamer
• Commemorative banner
• Spirit streamer

Related Cultural Concepts

• Đám ma / Tang lễ: Funeral ceremony. The is a specific object within this ceremony.
• Cây nêu: A ritual pole. Historically, the might be attached to such a pole during the funeral rites.
• Hồn bạch: A different ritual object, often a piece of white silk or paper symbolizing the soul of the deceased, which is placed on the ancestral altar. It is distinct from the .