Hmong
Spirituality - GLoSSARY OF TERMS
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The alter is constructed with wood and is covered in special paper. The shrine allows the shaman to perform chants on behalf of people who are very ill. Note that the alter has two shelves and is enclosed at the top. The second shelf allows the shaman to perform chants for people outside of the shaman’s house. Newer shamans have only one shelf in their alter and can therefore only perform chants on behalf of people inside the house.
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Animism is the belief in the existence of a spiritual realm beyond, but closely linked to, the seen world. Animism constitutes perhaps the earliest form of religious expression of humankind and is characteristic of aboriginal and many native cultures, though it can be practiced by anyone who believes in spirituality apart specific organized religions. Central to animism is the belief in souls or spirits that inhabit human bodies and other organic objects such as plants and animals (and sometimes even inorganic objects such as caves and rocks), and that these spirits have a life apart from the physical world..
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Bells are used during various ritualistic chants to awaken the soul that has left the body. The sound of the bells allows the dab neeb [link to glossary] to help the Shaman retrieve the soul. Typically, the Shaman puts the bells on his fingers, with the red cloth strips hanging down through the fingers. The shaking of the bells can also indicate the spirit’s indication of a “chosen” Shaman.
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The neeb, the host of spirits invoked by the shaman, are opposed to the dab, which is the ordinary word for spirits, although all may be referred to together as dab neeb, the widest category of all the spirits and supernatural forces known to the Hmong. The dab are themselves divided into several groups, of which the most important, although special dab are associated with the vocations of hunting, herbalism, and blacksmithery, are the dab nyeg and the dab qus. The dab nyeg include the domesticated spirits (dab qhuas) which inhabit various parts of the Hmong house and protect the household. The dab pus are wild, forest spirits, who inhabit particular spots of the natural landscape although they roam, and may attack or capture human souls. All nature is imbued with spiritual essences, but dab qus have a particular predilection for wild and uncultivated spots, prominent crags or solitary boulders, dark clumps of bushes and isolated groves of trees. Throwing a stone at such a grove of trees, or disturbing a boulder, may disturb such a dab qus and rouse it to attack and inflict (hem) harm upon one. [Excerpt from “Hmong Religion” by Nicholas Tapp”, Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 48, 1989: 59-94, p. 61, LINK
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 The gong is used by the shaman to call on the dab neeb [link to glossary] for assistance with spiritual matters. However, when the shaman is chanting, he or she may not have access to the gong in which case the gong may be used by a helper.
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 Bull or buffalo horn tips are used to identify the location of the soul in the unseen world of spirits The horns are gathered by the Shaman in one hand and tossed to the ground. The placement of the horns reflects the location of the soul. For example, if the shaman tosses the horns to the ground and all four land as shown in the picture, then the soul is still in the house.
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 A Shaman is a spiritual healer and intermediary between the physical and spiritual worlds.. Shaman, whether men or women (typically men), are among the most important members of Hmong society and are expected to fulfill two primary responsibilities: 1) join patients “in the fight for life and health;” and 2) “restore the wholeness of the patient’s self by bringing back the patient’s wandering soul or souls.” See, Cha, Dia, Mai Zong Vue, and Steve Carmen. A Field Guide to Hmong Culture (Madison: Madison Children’s Museum, 2004), p. 61.
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Traditional Hmong Shaman are chosen by the spirits after going through an extensive illness. (Essentially, the spirits cause the future Shaman to be ill and refuse to allow him or her to get well until they accept their fate. After being so identified, the individual begins an apprenticeship under the tutelage of the Shaman who helped to bring the apprentice through the ordeal.
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Becoming a Shaman by personal choice is becoming more common. Such a shaman goes through a training or apprenticeship, but does not necessarily perform rituals in exactly the same manner as a traditional Shaman. (He does not, for instance, enter into a trance to enter into the spirit world). While it might seem that this modern form of Shaman would be less desirable or capable, in fact, in the families and clans where such Shaman have trained, this type of Shaman is expected to be capable of diagnosing and treating illness as well as traditional Shaman.
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- Soul calling is the act of calling back to the body a wandering, lost, or captive soul. It is a fairly common ceremony in the Hmong culture and occurs frequently when people fall ill. But it can also be invoked under a variety of circumstances, including, to prevent illness and promote good health, to usher in a new baby (three days after birth) and a new marriage (three days after union). In addition, entire families participate in a soul calling ceremony every new Hmong New year and also some family members who are undertaking or returning from a long journey.
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- the Hmong believe that each individual has a number of spirits or souls (either three or five depending on the person). As long as the souls are balanced and in harmony, the person continues to live a happy and productive life. But souls can wander away, become lost, or be taken captive by an evil spirit. Often, souls are nearby, but serious trouble can occur when souls wander into the untamed world of spirits. Prevention of soul loss is accomplished by not offending spirits or frequenting places where dangerous spirits lurk..
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 Strings and bamboo sticks are hung horizontally from the ceiling and act as a bridge to the spirit world. The strings connect from the alter to a bamboo stick attached to the ceiling, and then again to a bamboo stick over the front door. When the dab neeb [Link to glossary] comes to help the Shaman and when the Shaman enters the spirit world, they both travel through the strings while the bamboo sticks represent the “supports” of the bridge.
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 The Shaman’s sword is used to defend against evil, destroy bad spirits, and provide protection for people against disasters
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