Thailand Culture

Posts Tagged ‘hmong’

Hmong Show (in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Part Three)

Hmong Show #6: The Shaman

As the Hmongs normally live on high mountains, it is a problem for them when they become ill. Because of this reason and also the belief in spirits, when a Hmong is ill, he tends to go to a shaman, or more than one shaman if his illness still continues. Most of the Hmong villages have one or more shamans. The Hmong shaman may be either male or female, although nowadays male shamans seem to be more common. The performer is the shaman of Mae Khi, our Hmong village neighbor.

The following procedures are that of the shaman:

• patient to be sat on the bench in the middle of the house.
• Shaman lights joss sticks and invites his familiar spirits he controls to cure sick person
• Shaman asks the spirits by throwing a pair of sticks or two halves of a single buffalo horn whether sickness can be healed.
• If the good health can be restored, the shaman carries on otherwise he stops (and the patient has to go to another shaman)
• Shaman throws a pair of sticks again and asks the length of illness 3 or 5 days.
• Shaman asks the spirits for the offerings, such as pigs or chickens.
• Shaman prays and sprays the patients with water he keeps on the altar by using his mouth.

Hmong Show #7: The Throwing of Makong

MAKONG, the cotton ball, is played on the New Year day only. The Hmongs New Year’s day falls on the first day of the eclipse period of second lunar month. The Hmong villages neighboring each other take turn to hold the gatherings. It is an opportunity for young boys and girls to meet and get to know each other. Boys and girls line up on each side and take turns to throw the MAKONG. While they are loping the cotton ball, hey converse with one another and arrange to meet further if they like each other.

Hmong Show #7 review: This Hmong show only has one buy (wearing boy Hmong clothes) so all the Hmong girls lined up instead and throw ball back and forth at each other while seemingly talking and giggling at each other. While it is good to know that this is how the Hmongs play, the show is a very boring Hmong show.

Hmong Show #8: The Tua-Lu Spinners

TUA-LU, the top, is one of the Hmong’s favorite sports. There are several ways of playing TUA-LU.

1. To throw the TUA-LU far but it must remain spinning, the farthest wins.
2. To throw down a TUA-LU and while it is spinning others try to strike it. Anyone who hits the TUA-LU is the winner.

As these two ways of playing top take too much space and they are dangerous, we opt for the third. TUA-LU game by competing for the longest. The audience is encouraged to play after the two old Hmong men have demonstrated the first two ways.