misfortune from ancestral sins; retribution for forebears' misdeeds
A literary or formal term for trouble or calamity believed to be caused by the sins or misdeeds of one's ancestors. Often contrasted with 余慶 (よけい, blessings from ancestral virtues).
Antonyms: 余慶
He felt he was tormented by the misfortune brought on by his family's past sins.
In this story, the retribution for the ancestors' misdeeds extends to their descendants.
fortunate heredity; blessings passed down; rewards of virtue
From Middle Chinese 餘殃 (yú yāng). The kanji 余 means 'remaining' or 'excess', and 殃 means 'calamity' or 'misfortune'. The compound literally means 'remaining calamity', referring to misfortune that persists across generations.