rùa thi
Definition
- Noun:
- Tortoise shell and yarrow stalks: The two traditional tools used in East Asian divination practices, specifically for performing I Ching (Book of Changes) oracle consultations. The "rùa" (tortoise shell) was used for pyromancy (crack reading from heat), and the "thi" (yarrow stalks) were used for a numerical sorting ritual to generate hexagrams.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Người xưa thường dùng rùa thi để bói toán. (The ancients often used tortoise shell and yarrow stalks for divination.)
- Phương pháp rùa thi có nguồn gốc rất lâu đời. (The method of tortoise shell and yarrow stalks has a very ancient origin.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily historical and literary, referring to the ancient system of divination that preceded or coexisted with the later standardized I Ching stalk method.
- It symbolizes ancient wisdom, traditional prognostication, and a connection to spiritual practices.
Variants and Related Words
- Bói rùa thi (v): to divine using tortoise shell and yarrow stalks.
- Nhà vua cho vời thầy bói đến để bói rùa thi. (The king summoned the diviner to perform a consultation with tortoise shell and yarrow stalks.)
Synonyms
- Divination tools: instruments used for foretelling the future or seeking guidance.
- Oracle bones: (specifically for the tortoise shell component, often inscribed).
Related Idioms
- While there is no common idiom with the exact phrase "rùa thi," the concept is intrinsically linked to the idiom:
- Bói toán: to practice divination or fortune-telling.
- Ông ấy không tin vào chuyện bói toán. (He does not believe in divination.)