Folktales also provide lessons for how to treat others. This phrase is derived from a hmong folk tale that. Compiled by famed author and storyteller norma livo and coauthor, dia cha, this is the first collection of authentic hmong tales to be published commercially in the english language. It is worth noting that graham recorded the story in songs and stories of the chuan miao p. Traditionally, epic poems, myths, legends, riddles, tales, and folk stories were told spontaneously after supper. Pdf the hmong in laos did not have any commercially produced media until after. In fact, it is a very wellresearched and wellwritten work that tries to bring the full character of the hmong myths and folklore to a hmong and nonhmong audience. Beginning with a description of hmong history, culture, and folklore, the book. In every culture, there are always stories told from one generation to the next, whether they are fiction, nonfiction, myths, or folk tales.
The hmong in southeast asia include two groups, distinguished by differences in language and custom. Accompanying the legend is the story of a hmong messiah who will. And so she wrote a story in the hmong folk tale tradition about a dragon. Hmong folk tales hmong folk tales description and purpose the hmong have a large repertoire of folktales that they have orally passed down over the centuries. Why farmers have to carry their crops the wman and the tiger ngao njua and shee na the monkeys and the grasshoppers from njia and njo. Website celebration events december, 2004 and april 10, 2007 highlights from the learn about hmong website celebration launch event held december. This version is the version told to our hmong parent partner, touhoua yang, by his parents. Audio tales from the peoples of laos, thailand, and vietnam 2004. A university of colorado professor gets top billing for norma j. Other than the qhuab ke, the hmong have folk tales that relate to the. It would suggest that the story is quite old and widespread since it was known to the hmong of china. The stories that you are going to read are from many people around the world that heard stories or either have experienced them. Historyplex gives you a brief overview of the history, culture, and beliefs followed by this asian ethnic group. Peoples of laos, thailand, and vietnam world folklore by dia cha, norma j.
The hmong have a rich culture that is often passed on through oral stories. The author, who is an anthropologist, has woven many facts into the book that will help the reader appreciate different facets of life among the poor in thailand, the recent history of the hmong refugees from laos, their difficult life in the refugee camp of ban vinai and. Due to political unrest and in search of farmland, they migrated southwards. It is about the hmong as much as the thai people and their cultures. Bertrais and his 29 hmong folk tales collected from china dab neeg kwv. The religion is also called hmongism by a hmong american church established in 2012 to organise it among hmong people in the united states it has a pantheist theology, centered on worship of deities and progenitors of. The hmong are very superstitious due to their belief system and customs.
Hmong studies journal vol 8, 2007 hao huang and bussakorn sumrongthong. We nonchinese hmong also have dragons in our stories too though. Hmong american older adults geriatrics ethnogeriatrics. The hmong people and hmong life in the united states. Hmong folklore a hmong folk tale provided by maysua her. These folktales explain such things as the creation of the world and the origins of the hmong people and also provide lessons on how to treat others and live wisely. Since they didnt really have anyone to take care of them, they were always short on money and didnt have any money for an ac during the. Beginning with a description of hmong history, culture, and folklore, the book includes 16 pages of fullcolor photographs of hmong dress and needlework and 27 captivating tales divided into three sections. Hmong culture has had an oral tradition for millennia, but. Many of the hmong folk stories tell about an orphan who, although harassed and. These individuals are found principally in china, vietnam, laos and kingdom of thailand.
An activity book 2000 and an audio cassette, folk stories of the hmong. This collection of hmong oral folktales has been passed down for generations. One example of a prominent hmong folk tale is the story of the how the 18 hmong clans got their. Perhaps the best known form of hmong needle art is paj ntaub tib neeg also called story cloth these lovely pictorial embroideries developed very recently in hmong history. This big book of hmong folk tales is available again, only at hmongland and hmong abc. Hmong folklore the blossom, the humming bird, and the bee. We tend to tell them to our children and they too, pass it on to their children. Below is a horror story that has been passed on for generations and like many oral stories and folklores, they seem to change a bit depending on who is telling the story. Written bilingually in english and hmong, this book contains 28 most well known hmong folk tales such as the beginning of the world how we got grain and meat, the beginning of the world the sun and the moon, yao the orphan, the first farmer why farmers have to carry their crops, the woman and. Nkauj tsrsuab tiiia3 sis nab dab neeg tiaj rhawv zeb ngao njua and sfee na the story of the plain of jars a hmong folk tale in hmong and. Author ka vangs folk tale connects hmong children with. Peoples of laos, thailand, and vietnam world folklore cha, dia, livo, norma j.
A long time ago, a brother and sister survived a great flood. Students at frost lake were studying hmong folktale stories and were retelling the stories integrating with technology. Wisconsin, joining their family members center for. These folk tales relate legends of the hmong that teach. Hmong needlework on flowercloth, story cloth and clothing. The blossom, the humming bird, and the bee this is a hmong folktale similar to the cinderella story. This version is the version told to our hmong parent partner, touhoua yang, by. This paj ntaub story cloth depicts the hmong creation story, also available as a published esl book.
The purpose of the author in transcribing this oral literature into written form hmong or french and then into english was to. Miao folk religion or hmong folk religion is the common ethnic religion of miao peoples, primarily consisting in the practice of kev dab qhuas hmongic. Peoples of laos thailand and vietnam world folklore ebook. Below is the hmong version of the frog prince that has been passed on for generations and like many oral stories and folklore, they seem to change a bit depending on who is telling the story. University format manual, and that this thesis is suitable for shelving in the. This source presents a discussion of the basic elements of traditional hmong myths, legends, and folk tales, but not the actual stories themselves. Peoples of laos, thailand, and vietnam world folklore by cha, dia, livo, norma j. In hmong folktales and songs, the ancient hmong kingdom is celebrated as a golden age. And some of them were stories heard from the old folks. It appears that hmong men began to draw elements of traditional hmong stories to help make sure they would be remembered during the times of change. We envision a thriving community with a heightened hmong consciousness. Nine years later, dia cha is listed as primary author on an activity book, teaching with folk stories of the hmong, an electronic resource.
Hmong creation story about the flood and hmong clans. His name was nruag nas brother na, and hers nkauj mim sister mee. However, whats important is that each of them has its purpose. They were carried on the water in a big drum for many days until the water drained away. The hmong people are from southeast asia, mainly laos and thailand. Folk stories of the hmong by dia cha overdrive rakuten. Hmong folktales and folklore hmong studies journal. See the flood, a hmong folk tale about the emergence of the hmong. Nkauj tsrsuab tiiia3 sis nab dab neeg tiaj rhawv zeb ngao njua and sfee na the story of the plain of jars a hmong folk tale in hmong and beginning esl level 1 story teller. How we got grain and meat the beginning of the world. Elaborate hmong quilts or flower cloths bandao or paj ntaub in hmong are one example of hmong art that conveys stories from the past. A hmong folk tale in hmong and beginning esl level 1 charles johnsoi edi tc. There once was a woman named ka vang who had hair like polished black granite and a love for stories and many things hmong.
Folk stories of the hmong is a more challenging collection than it appears at first blush, and readers may be discouraged in the early going. Hmong are hill tribes that live in kingdom of thailand. Folk stories of the hmong remains one of the essential books that sadly in most cases will be found in the childrens book section. Peoples of laos thailand and vietnam world folklore download. Most of these stories are from actual people whove experienced ghost, paranormal, or unusual things. Hmong individuals have their own news channel from this one can get all the news of hmong individuals and their lives. Although creative expression within hmong history and culture is evident in our oral stories, oral poetry, textile art and the playing of various bamboo instrumentswhat we would categorize as heritage art formsone will quickly discover that, even in this category, there. The hmong factions continued their separate political alliance, with those under the french now working closely with the americans. The hmong museum exists to recognize and acknowledge the intersections of all things hmong. China and laos in the folklore of hmong american refugees. Why some people are lefthanded and some people are righthanded long ago, in the land of laos, there was a town of 3,000 people, ruled by a king. This includes the documenting of arts, history, folk tales, personal and family histories, traditional knowledge, current issues, and. Hmong culture has had an oral tradition for millennia, but the language itself did not even exist in written form until the 1950s. Hmong people come from the mountainous areas just south of china.
The war took a heavy toll with a third of the estimated 300,000 hmong dead or injured from being recruited to fight for the warring factions, and half of the total hmong population forcibly displaced in various areas. Pdf this paper examines two basic issues that have been of major concern to. In a world without a written language, the hmong use oral tradition to educate vocabulary and language and pass knowledge history, skills, and values to younger generations. These stories depict moral values and capture the essence of the hmong culture. Through various forms of songs, poetry, and recitation, the hmong pass down their stories, beliefs, history, and moral values from one generation to the next. The hmong in china miaozu have the same stories, but instead in their version, the tiger in the stories is a dragon. There was one really old hmong couple that had no kids. However, as one becomes accustomed to the tales and their style, it gets easier to appreciate both the aesthetics of the tales and their relationship to world folklore.
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