Definition

1. Noun:
   • Legendary tale / Legend: A story or narrative that is passed down through generations, often involving extraordinary, miraculous, or supernatural events and characters. It emphasizes the wondrous and fantastical nature of the transmission.
   • Legendary transmission: The act or phenomenon of stories, customs, or knowledge being passed down in a legendary or mythic manner.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • "Truyền kì" là một thể loại văn học dân gian quan trọng. ("Truyền kì" is an important genre of folk literature.)
  • Chúng tôi thích nghe những câu chuyện truyền kì về vùng đất này. (We enjoy listening to the legendary tales about this land.)
  • Sự tích về vị anh hùng đó đã trở thành một truyền kì. (The story of that hero has become a legend.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often appears in literary contexts to classify a genre of medieval Vietnamese narratives that blend historical settings with supernatural elements, similar to the Chinese .
  • "Truyền kỳ mạn lục" là một tác phẩm văn xuôi nổi tiếng của Nguyễn Dữ. ("Truyền kỳ mạn lục" is a famous prose work by Nguyễn Dữ.)

Variants and Related Words

• Truyền thuyết (n): legend, saga. Often used interchangeably but may imply a stronger link to a specific historical place or figure.
• Huyền thoại (n): myth, mythology. Often refers to more ancient, foundational myths.
• Cổ tích (n): fairy tale, folktale. Typically more focused on moral lessons for children.

Synonyms

• Legend
• Legendary story
• Saga (in a broad sense)

Related Concepts

• Kỳ ảo (adj): fantastic, marvelous. A key characteristic of stories.
• Hư cấu (v/n): to fictionalize / fiction. Highlights the constructed, narrative nature of these tales.