Hmong
Spirituality - RITUALS & CEREMONIES
Traditional Hmong rituals and ceremonies remain an important part of
the Hmong cultural and spiritual experience. While some rituals are
routine, others are powerful and very serious in their purpose and
outcomes. Ceremonies range from blessing houses and treat illnesses to
calling souls and appeasing angry spirits.
Soul Calling
When someone becomes ill, it is common for the family to conduct a soul
calling (hu plig). Depending on the nature and severity of the illness,
the family might turn to a Shaman for the cure, especially when it is
suspected that the cause of the illness may be the result of a soul that
has wandered afar or taken captive by a malevolent spirit. Known as
“soul loss (poob plig), these
situations can sometimes be serious and require special measures to find
and retrieve the soul. While many Hmong may perform soul callings, the
Shaman is considered the expert in serious cases
Because a lost soul may be asleep or held captive in the unseen world
the Shaman must first use special divination horns known as
kuam to uncover where the soul is located
and how to recover it. Next, the Shaman enters a trance as he or she
journeys into the spirit world to retrieve the soul. This journey
commences by standing on a plank or bench in front of the alter, which
represents mounting flying spirit horses. The shaman enters the spirit
world through the Strings and Bamboo (xyoob
thiab sob), which are hung up on the ceiling. Shamans use the
strings as a bridge, which will lead them to their spiritual
destination.
 During
the trance, the Shaman voices a special chant to entice the soul to
return. During this journey, the Shaman covers his or her face with a
piece of fabric for concealment and protection from evil spirits which
may impede the soul calling. To further entice the soul, the Shaman uses
the soul of a sacrificed pig or cow to temporarily take the place of the
lost soul. Special paper or “spirit money” is then burned, which rewards
the soul of the animal for its sacrifice. The shaman orders the pig to
sit in place of the soul as the Shaman guides the soul back to the body.
It could take up to a year for the soul to return. When the soul has
fully returned, the shaman must free the soul of the sacrificed animal.
He does so by burning the jaw bone.
See video of a Shaman chant during a soul calling
Shaman as he stands on the plank or bench. Because of the physical
nature of the soul calling, helpers ensure that Shaman does not fall
while performing the ceremony. Helpers may also be responsible for
burning the paper (spirit money) for the replacement soul and tasked
with striking the gong (nruas neeb.) The
purpose of the gong is to call the assisting spirit to help the shaman
and to permit the shaman to enter a trance and then later exit from the
trance.
During the trance and spiritual journey, the shaman may encounter evil
spirits and may even be forced to fight. At times, the battle can be so
intense that the Shaman may fall to the floor make expressive noises.
If the bad spirit is too powerful, the shaman will have to use the
divination horns (kuam) to see if the spirit can be defeated. If the
divination horns indicate no, the shaman will have to stop.
After the shaman completes the journey, a table of food, is served by
the family to relatives and friends, The Shaman is paid for his or her
services and given some of offered some of the meat that was from the
sacrificed pig or cow. The shaman also takes home the jawbone of the
pig, and burns it so that the sacrificed pigs can be reborn.
Animal Sacrifice
Live animal sacrifices occurs during the ua neeb
and ua plis ceremonies. Chickens are
sacrificed because their souls have wings and can therefore fly and
search for and awaken the soul. The cow or pig is sacrificed because
their souls have four legs, allowing them to carry the soul back to a
person’s body. Chickens and pigs are usually sacrificed in the home,
though cows are typically sacr ificed
at the place where purchased and then brought home to be butchered.
String Tying
The string tying ceremony, ua plis, is
performed when a couple decide to get married, a new baby is born, or
when an individual becomes very sick . Strings are tied around the
person’s hand to shield them from evil spirits. The strings represent
the binding up and holding intact of the person’s life souls. Sometimes
string tying can follow a soul calling ceremony. During the string tying
ceremony, family members are called upon to tie cotton strings around
the loved one’s hand and to speak special words such as wishing them a
long and happy life. After the string tying, everyone feasts on a
sacrificed animal. |
