Definition

1. Noun:
   • Sorcerer, Magician: A person, traditionally male, who is believed to possess and use supernatural or magical powers, often to heal, protect, cast spells, or communicate with spirits. The term is often used in a historical or folk context.
   • Wizard, Enchanter: A practitioner of magic arts, frequently within the framework of traditional Vietnamese folk religion and practices.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ngôi làng tin rằng chỉ có thầy pháp mới trừ được con ma đó. (The village believed only the sorcerer could exorcise that ghost.)
  • Trong câu chuyện dân gian, ông lão là một thầy pháp quyền năng. (In the folktale, the old man was a powerful magician.)
  • Thầy pháp đọc thần chú và làm phép trước đám đông. (The wizard chanted incantations and performed rituals before the crowd.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "thầy pháp" is often considered archaic or literary in modern Vietnamese and is strongly associated with traditional, village-based spiritual practices rather than contemporary entertainment magic.
• It implies a formal or recognized role within a community's spiritual life, distinct from a simple trickster or illusionist.

Variants and Related Words

• Pháp sư (n): A more formal or general term for a master of magic or a sorcerer, also common in fantasy contexts.
• Thầy cúng (n): A ritual master who performs ceremonies and offerings, often overlapping with the functions of a but not always implying the same level of magical power.
• Phù thủy (n): Witch, sorcerer/sorceress. This term can be neutral or pejorative and is not gender-specific.

Synonyms

• Sorcerer: A person who claims to use magic derived from spirits or supernatural forces.
• Magician: A person who practices magic; in this context, it implies genuine supernatural ability.
• Wizard: A man skilled in magic; an enchanter.

Related Concepts

• Bùa chú (n): Amulets and incantations, the tools and spells often used by a .
• Lên đồng (n): Spirit mediumship, a related but distinct practice where a medium is possessed by spirits, whereas a typically commands spirits through ritual and magic.

noun

1. (cũ) sorcerer, magician