Unit 3: Human Evolution

Hmong Religion

All necessary information on Hmong religion is found in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. However, the information is scattered throughout the book. I have provided an overall summation, in outline form, and a few specific references. For the details, read the book! Remember, you will need to be familiar with Hmong religion, how if fulfills the function of any religion, and be able to compare it to the Yanomamo and Nuer beliefs.

Types of Hmong Supernaturals

1. Creator Being: Hua Tei created the world, but lost interest in humans as soon as he created them, and is not involved in their affairs.

2. Various subsidiary gods or spirits, the most important of which is Yer Shau.

3. Malicious Spirits or gods: Ndu Nyong and dabs.

4. Spirits of places.

5. Spirits of the household.

6. Spirits or souls of the dead.

Yer Shau and Ndu Nyong

1. Yer Shau

  • Yer Shau is a subsidiary god who has had a long interest and involvement with humans.
  • He is capable of appearing in human form.
  • He sees all, knows all; but is also very human in that he has material substance, lives in a house, tends a garden and raises pigs, likes to eat and drink and talk with friends.
  • He is polygynous.
  • Yer Shau saved humans from Ndu Nyong, the spirit of sickness and death.

2. Ndu Nyong

  • Ndu Nyong is a demon god who likes to devour human souls
  • Hmong have from 1-20 souls, depending upon the group and the family. (Remember, Hmong religion developed in an egalitarian tribe: there is no hierarchical, bureaucratic institution that says what people must believe to be a member.)
  • One soul, in the form of ox or pig, resides in Ndu Nyong's huge corral, where he keeps his livestock.
  • If Ndu Nyong consumes these souls (in their pig or ox form) the person will die; this can perhaps be prevented because if humans sacrifice an animal, Ndu Nyong can consume it instead of the human soul. In general Ndu Nyong and the dabs take souls, which causes illness. Again, the person may be healed if the soul can be redeemed by providing animal sacrifices. (This is recounted throughout The Spirit Catches You...)
  • Conversely if a person dies, his soul has been consumed--hence an ox is sacrificed at the funeral to take the place of the consumed soul; this ransoms the soul so it can be reincarnated.
  • Originally, Ndu Nyong was trying to directly devour the souls of all humans in a "war" against humans; he was assisted by a variety of evil spirits called dabs. Dabs are still the direct cause of much pain, sickness and death.
  • In the end, Yer Shau provided humans with shamans who can combat Ndu Nyong and his demons in their own domain.

Ndu Nyong's War Against Humans, and Shee Yee, the First Shaman

1. Humans in the past prospered and multiplied, which pleased Yer Shau.

2. Ndu Nyong went to earth to kill people by stealing their souls; Yer Shau sent two servants after Ndu Nyong, but Nyong could fly and the servants could not, so they were unable to stop him.

3. The two servants had a child, Shee Yee, the first shaman, whom they left on earth. According to the story, when Shee Yee was left by his parents (when they went back to the sky) he approached the Hmong for help, but they refused. He then went to the Chinese, who did help him. Later, Shee Yee learned how to heal, to retrieve souls, etc.

4. Shee Yee acquired a winged horse, and with his information and ability to travel (via the horse) to the spirit world and directly combat Ndu Nyong, he began to help the Hmong.

5. Shee Yee and Ndu Nyong had many battles and chases, both here on earth and in the spirit world. (One version on p.170 of The Spirit Catches You...) Ultimately, Ndu Nyong kidnapped Shee Yee's son, and fed him to Shee Yee, who ate without knowing he was eating his son (see p. 278-279).

6. In a rage, Shee Yee wished to kill Ndu Nyong, but was permitted only to blind him. In grief, Shee Yee left earth, but returned in a years time with all his shamans tools to give to humans. But no one was there to greet him, and he threw them on the ground, saying that they would work only 1 in 10 times.

7. Shamans (and view Between Two Worlds, see below)

  • Selection made by Shee Yee's spirit helpers. An individual is singled out by a dream, or by being made seriously ill (including having epilepsy).
  • Shaman must enter the spirit world and retrieve lost souls.
  • Shaman goes into a trance-like state to do this--previously often assisted by opium, but opium is not necessary, and not normally used in the U.S.
  • His bench is transformed into a winged horse, to carry him into the spirit world.
  • Animal sacrifice is required for this ceremony, to placate the supernaturals, to exchange for the human soul; animal sacrifices also required from time to time to household spirits, spirits of place, etc.

Hmong Shaman Performing Ceremony in US

Be sure to view the video Between Two Worlds, by Dwight Conquergood, located under Resources, at left. The video is on Hmong shamanism in the US, among some of the Hmong who ultimately settled in Wisconsin. The introduction to the video involves the earlier Native American shamans. Viewing the video is required!