thần tích
Definition
- Noun:
- Hagiography of a deity: A written or oral account detailing the life, miracles, and deeds of a Vietnamese deity or genie, often used in folk religion and communal worship.
- Sacred biography: The legendary story associated with a local guardian spirit or tutelary god, explaining their divine origin and their protection of a village, region, or craft.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Làng tôi còn lưu giữ cuốn thần tích về vị thành hoàng. (My village still preserves the hagiography of the tutelary god.)
- Thần tích kể rằng vị thần đã giúp dân làng đánh đuổi giặc ngoại xâm. (The sacred biography tells that the deity helped the villagers repel foreign invaders.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "thần tích" is often studied in the context of "tín ngưỡng thờ thành hoàng" (the worship of tutelary gods). These texts are crucial for legitimizing the cult of a village's patron saint.
- In academic writing, "thần tích" may be translated as "divine chronicle" or "legend of a genie" to convey its cultural and religious function.
Variants and Related Words
- Thần phả (n): A genealogical register or chronicle of a deity, often overlapping in meaning with but sometimes considered more formal or clan-oriented.
- Sự tích (n): A story of origin or legend; a more general term for a tale explaining the origin of something, which can be secular or sacred.
Synonyms
- Hagiography: A biography of a saint or venerated person.
- Sacred legend: A traditional story of divine beings, believed to have a historical basis.
- Mythological account: A narrative involving gods or supernatural forces.
Related Cultural Concepts
- Thành hoàng: The tutelary god of a Vietnamese village; the subject of a .
- Lễ hội làng: Village festival; often involves reciting or performing stories from the of the local deity.