trùng tang
Definition
- Noun:
- A phenomenon of consecutive bereavements: A Vietnamese folk belief and cultural concept describing the unfortunate event where multiple deaths occur closely within a family or household, one after another, often considered spiritually inauspicious or caused by conflicting astrological timing of the first death.
- A state of repeated mourning: The situation where a family must hold another funeral while still in the mourning period for a previous death.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Gia đình họ lo sợ gặp phải trùng tang. (Their family fears encountering trùng tang.)
- Cụ ông mất đúng giờ xấu, nên con cháu phải làm lễ tránh trùng tang. (The old man passed away at an inauspicious hour, so his descendants had to perform a ritual to avoid trùng tang.)
- Hai cái chết liên tiếp trong tháng khiến mọi người bàn tán về chuyện trùng tang. (The two consecutive deaths in one month made people talk about trùng tang.)
Advanced Usage
- The concept is deeply tied to spiritual and geomantic () beliefs. Rituals, often conducted by a Buddhist monk or a spirit medium, are performed to "bind" or "lock" () the spirit of the deceased to prevent it from "calling" other family members.
- It is often analyzed in relation to the date and time of death, with certain hours and days considered more likely to lead to this phenomenon.
Variants and Related Words
- Trùng tang liên táng (n): A more severe form, implying consecutive deaths and burials in rapid succession.
- Câu chuyện về hiện tượng trùng tang liên táng thật đáng sợ. (The story about the phenomenon of trùng tang liên táng is truly frightening.)
Synonyms
- Consecutive misfortunes: A series of bad luck events.
- Multiple bereavements: The experience of losing several loved ones in a short time.
- Chain of deaths (in a spiritual/folk context).
Related Cultural Concepts
- Giờ xấu / Ngày xấu: Inauspicious hour / day (for death).
- Cúng trấn trùng tang: A ritual to suppress or prevent .
- Phạm giờ trùng tang: To die at an hour that causes .