Kev Dab Kev Qhuas (Hmong folk spirituality or Miao folk spirituality) is the common ethnic religion of

Miao people The Miao are a group of linguistically-related peoples living in Southern China and Southeast Asia, who are recognized by the government of China as one of the 56 official ethnic groups. The Miao live primarily in southern China's mountains, in ...

s, best translated as the practice of spirituality.Lee, Tapp, 2010. p. 36 The religion is also called Hmongism by a Hmong American church established in 2012 to organize it among Hmong people in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

.Bylaws of the Temple of Hmongism
Hmongism.org: published March 3, 2013 This practice has a blend of

animistic Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, h ...

theology,Tapp, 1989. p. 59 the respect between people and natural land spirits, and the understanding of the spirituality that are understood by Miao peoples. Although most Hmong people are able to continue to practice kev dab qhuas, due to the many influences of geographical locations, much of kev dab qhuas has incorporated other religious practices such as: Christianity, Buddhism,

Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...

,Lee, Tapp, 2010. p. 38 the broader Chinese religion, especially the emphasis on the pattern of the forces of the natural universe and the need of human life to be in accordance with these forces, and many more. Many Hmong people in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

have either converted to

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

or have a blended practice of Buddhism due to the openness and tolerance of Buddhism, and many Hmong Americans and Hmong Australians have adopted

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

or Buddhism.Lee, 2010.

Theory

Deities, House Spirits, and Nature Spirits

In Kev Dab Qhuas, there are many categories of spiritual entities and are split into three categories: deities, house spirits, nature spirits. Those categorized as Deities are: ''Yawm Saub (''Yer Show')''Lee, Tapp, 2010. p. 31 who endows all

shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spir ...

s with their abilities and believed to have been the creator of the world. It has been said that Yawm Saub can be called in or interfere times of need and can manifest in points of crisis throughout the course of history ''Nplooj Lwg'' (Blong Lue''') who is, according to the Hmong legend, the frog who created heaven and earth. It was a place inhabited by humans and spirits where they lived together peacefully. Humans, however, claimed that the frog had lied about the size of the world, which was supposed to be no larger than the palm of a hand or the sole of a foot, and killed the frog. Its dying curse was that humans and spirits would no longer live together but that they would be separated into two worlds. Furthermore, the world of mortals would know sickness and death, alternate heat and rain, and that the leaves would fall off the trees. Before, humans had been able to rise up on the thirteenth day after death, but henceforth they lost that ability. ''Yaj Yuam'' ('Ya Youa') is an ancestral

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

, the "Heavenly Archer", corresponding to the Chinese Houyi.Lee, Tapp, 2010. p. 30 According to the Hmong legend, there were 12 suns and 12 moons and this caused chaos in the world. Yaj Yuam shot down 11 suns and 11 moons and when it came time to shoot down the last sun, the sun ran away in fear leaving the world in darkness. The animals came together and to decide which one will call the sun to come back. The cow, horse, and dog could not do it and when the rooster offer to do it, they laughed at them. The rooster then decide to call the Sun to come back and it only came back because the chicken was not intimidating but still have a powerful voice. This is how the Rooster came to call in the morning. ''Nyuj Vaj Tuam Teem ('Nyu Va Tua Teng')'' who is the Lord of the Other World, determining life, death and

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrectio ...

or rest in heaven depending on what the person has done while living. ''Niam Nkauj Kab Yeeb ('Nia Gao Ka Ying')'' is the deity who watches over spiritual babies in the sky and if prayed to her, she can send children your way. Those categorized as House Spirits are: ''Dab neeb ('neng')'' or ''qhua neeb ('khua neng')'' are shamanic 'tamed' spirits that float through the worlds and work with the shamans operating within a specific sphere which is their domain, which usually is the home.Lee, Tapp, 2010. p. 26 Some examples are: ''Dab Xwm Kab'' ('Da Su Ka') (spirit of good fortune),''Dab Qhov Cub'' (the spirit of the main hearth), ''Dab Qhov Txos'' (the spirit of the ritual hearth), ''Dab Nthab'' (the spirit of the loft), ''Dab Roog'' (the god of the framework of the front door), and ''Dab Txhiaj Meej'' is the spirit of wealth and richness ''Dab Pog'' ('Da Paul') is the spirit who guides the spirits of babies and are sent by Niam Nkauj Kab Yeeb. ''Pog Koob Yawg Koob '') are past familial ancestor spirits who reside in the world of the dead form another category. They are involved in some shamanic practices and according to Hmong folklore, can come in times of dire by visiting in dream form or astral projection to provide guidance. Those categorized as Nature Spirits are: ''Ntxwg Nyug ('Zue Nyuu')'' which is a generic name often used in traditional stories to refer to a spiritual land entity. However, this name is translated to refer to the 'Devil' by Hmong Christians. While ''Ntxwj Nyug'' is an indigenous deity, ''Nyuj Vaj Tuam Teem'' is thought to derive from the

Jade Lord The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...

. ''Xob ('Saul')'', the god of thunder and lightning. ''Nkauj Hnub ('Gao Ńu')'' and ''Nraug Hlis ('Ńdao Hli')'' "Lady Sun" and "Lord Moon" whose love were spilt in order for the world to coexist together. When there is a solar eclipse, it is said that they get to meet. The legend says that the Hmong people are thankful that they spilt their love in order for the world to be together. ''Poj Ntxoog'' ('Po Zhong') is a fearful spirit (often a feminine spirit) associated with the tiger. ''Zaj Laug'' ('Zha Lao') is the "Old Dragon" or " Dragon King" who is often part of Hmong legends as a character for the main hero to overcome his trials. ''Dab Qus'' ('Da Goo') is a generic term for any spirit that is not part of house and can be good or bad depending on the type of spirit. Other notable spiritual figures in Hmong legends are: The first shaman was ''Siv Yis ('She Yee')'': Hmong shamans refer to themselves as "Siv Yis" when they are in spiritual ecstasy. Chiyou (or Txiv Yawg '') is worshipped as an ancestral god of the Hmong nation. The Hmong house is a reflection of the cosmos. It is constructed around a central post () representing the world tree, axis of the spirits, which god is ''Dab Ncej Tas''.Lee, Tapp, 2010. p. 37 The roofs represent the heaven (the spiritual world) and the floor symbolises nature (the world of men). The axis of the building represents the male head of the household and his ancestral spirit, the ancestral unity. People are in the between of heaven and earth.

Yeeb Ceeb and Yaj Ceeb

"Yeeb and Yaj" is the Hmong equivalent of the

yin and yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...

found in Chinese traditional religion and

. Differently from the context of Chinese thought, the Hmong "yeeb and yaj" is not represented by symbols such as the '' taijitu''. The concept represents the world of the living and the world of the spirits: ''yeeb ceeb'' is the spiritual world, while ''yaj ceeb'' is the world of material nature. The Hmong also practice ''looj mem'', like the Chinese feng shui which is used to determine place of best birthing boys or girls.

Structure and practices

Niam Neeb Txiv Neeb (Shamans)

Shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spir ...

practice is called ''ua neeb'' (ua: "to heal through the, ''neeb: the spirit world", the ''dab neeb'' being specifically shamanic spirits), ''while the shaman is called Niam Neeb or Txiv Neeb'', meaning "mother/father of the ''neeb''". The position of a shaman is not inherited as shamans are chosen by the ''neeb'' class of gods, manifesting through trails experienced by those chosen. Chosen people are guided by elder shamans until they are able to perform the healing rituals themselves. A shaman has control on their spirits helpers. In the spirit journey, the shaman calls on their helpers who are spirits to guide or assist them in the spirit world. They moves and sing on a spiritual horse (''nees'') represented in the living world by a shaman's bench (''rooj neeb''). They also call on the forces of the cosmos to help them, such as the creator, ''Saub'', the First Couple, ''Pog Ntxoog'', Lady Sun and Lord Moon (Nkauj Hnub Nraug Hli), the seven stars of the

Pleiades The Pleiades (), also known as The Seven Sisters, Messier 45 and other names by different cultures, is an asterism and an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. At a distance ...

, and occasionally animal spirits.Lee, Tapp, 2010. p. 25 Divination horns (''kuam neeb'') is one form or means of communication whether the spirit has returned, and they are used in many rituals. The shamans perform two sessions of healing rituals: the diagnostic rituals (''ua neeb saib'') and subsequently the healing rituals (''ua neeb kho''), only if the patient shows no signs of recovery after the first ritual.Lee, Tapp, 2010. p. 27 The shaman's altar also has a special hanging or standing altar, with two or three tiers depending on the status of the shaman.Tapp, 1989. p. 63 The main focus of the tiers is to be a place for all the shaman's tools and items to be placed neatly, another can sometimes be a respect to their teacher, and another tier to practice spiritual healing or khawv koob. It is believed that these tiers represent Siv Yis' grotto near the top of the holy mountain, above a pool near of which grows the flower of immortality. This pool is represented by a bowl of water placed upon the altar. From the altar depart several cotton threads resulting attached to the central housepost, and it is along these threads that the ''neeb'' travel when they visit the altar.

House altar

Along with the shaman alter, the Hmong household altar is dedicated primarily to the ''Dab Xwm Kab'' (spirit of good fortune). It is placed on the wall of the main room of the house. On the altar people make offerings of rice, chicken, soup and rice served in bamboo, with

incense Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also b ...

and joss paper. ''Txi dab ('Ge Da')'' is the general term for the offerings to the spirits,Tapp, 1989. p. 70 while ''laig dab'' is the ritual of offerings to the ancestors. On the last day of the Old Year, rice is offered to the ancestors, with a sacrificed chicken, and a soul-calling (''hu plig'') ritual is held. Joss papers are a central element of Hmong altars. There are both joss paper used as offerings and decorative joss papers. The second ones are used as

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

s connecting with the gods, and they are usually composed of large white sheets, with smaller yellow or silver sheets, and sometimes little red squares. Another type of Hmong altar is devoted to a special category of spirits known as the ''('da choua')'', or spirits of medicine, which are generally practiced by Hmong women. In Hmong community, it is often Hmong women who specializes in the knowledge of

herbalism Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern reme ...

. Although not as popular, this herbalist spiritual system works in tandem along with the Shamanistic practices.

Rituals and psychology

Religious rituals involving the respect of spirits and ancestors are performed by the patriarch of each family or the spiritual leader of a clan or a cluster of male relatives. More difficult ceremonies such as soul-calling () are performed by ritual experts the

(''niam neeb'' ''txiv neeb'') for spiritual healing, and various experts in funeral rites like the reed pipe player (''txiv qeej''), the soul chanter (''nkauj plig'') and the blessing singers (). The soul is believed to continue to exist in an afterlife in the ancestral spirit world or sometimes decide to

reincarnate Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...

. The body (''cev'') is a

microcosm Microcosm or macrocosm, also spelled mikrokosmos or makrokosmos, may refer to: Philosophy * Microcosm–macrocosm analogy, the view according to which there is a structural similarity between the human being and the cosmos Music * Macrocosm (al ...

believed to be constructed by a number of soul parts (''plig'' or ''ntsuj'') that mirror the macrocosm. Hmong religion includes specific rituals for the milestones of the life cycle: there are rituals for birth and baby naming, marriage, rename after marriage, trauma and sickness, extending the mandate of life for sick elderly, death and funeral. There are also festivals with corresponding ceremonies: the New Year (''Lwm Qaib'' or ''Ntoo Xeeb'', or also ''Noj Peb Caug'') in mid-November, ''Nyuj Dab'' (Ox Festival), ''Dab Roog'' (Door Festival) and ''Npua Tai'' (Pig Festival).

References

Citations

Sources

* Nusit Chindarsi. 1976. ''The Religion of the Hmong Njua''. Bangkok: Siam Society. * Her, Vincent K. 2005. ''Hmong Cosmology: Proposed Model, Preliminary Insights'', Hmong Studies Journal, Vol 6, 2005. * Symonds, Patricia V. 2004. ''Calling in the Soul: Gender and the Cycle of Life in a Hmong Village''. Seattle: University of Washington Press. * Gary Y. Lee, Ph.D., D. Lett.
Hmong Religious Practice in Australia
'. In: ''From Laos to Fairfield: With Faiths and Cultures'', Lao Community Advancement Cooperative, Cabramatta, 2010. * Gary Y. Lee, Nicholas Tapp. ''Culture and Customs of the Hmong''. Greenwood, 2010. * Nicholas Tapp, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Hmong Religion
' in ''Asian Folklore Studies'', Vol. 48, 1989: 59–94. * Hao Huang, Bussakorn Sumrongthong.
The Hmong "Ntoo Xeeb" New Year Ceremony
' in ''Asian Folklore Studies'', Vol. 63, 2004: 31–55.

External links

Temple of Hmongism — Hmongism.org
* Kaomi Goetz.
Ua Dab, the Hmong religion
'. Minnesota Public Radio, 2001. * Lian Slayford-Wei.
The Religion of the Hmong Ethnic Group in China
'. 2009. * Changvang Her.
Celebrating Hmong New Year in Merced
'. The California Report, 2012. {{Religion topics Asian shamanism Asian ethnic religion Miao people