Hmong Instrumental Music - Part 2: Interesting Legends

>> Lesson 1: Musical Instruments from the Great Forest

Tra Kenh (Khen)

The Hmong mouth organ (khen) is the most popular musical instrument among the Hmong people. Knowing how to play the khen is a criterion for girls to choose a lover, so almost every young man learns to play it by the time he reaches adulthood. If they don't have enough money to buy one, they borrow from each other or practice together.

The sound of the flute in spring. Photo courtesy of Dinh Tuan.

According to Mr. Va Phai Tenh, former Party Secretary of Muong Long commune, Ky Son district, the Mong people in Nghe An have a folk tale about the Hmong flute as follows: "Once upon a time, there was a family where the mother unfortunately died, and for some reason, she was not buried. The six children, heartbroken, wept bitterly day and night, crying until their tears ran dry and their throats were hoarse, but they could not ease their grief. Someone advised the six siblings: 'If you can't cry anymore because your throats are hoarse, make a flute and play instead of crying.' So the six siblings made six flutes and played them to express their love for their mother and to tell her about her kindness to her children and grandchildren. But playing the flutes for so long exhausted them, and they fell ill. One after another, they fell ill; it was impossible for all six siblings to play together to express their filial devotion to their mother. So they took a dried gourd, hollowed out six holes, inserted six flutes into them, and cut off the stem end of the gourd to make a mouthpiece. Thus, only one person was needed to play." She could still speak the words of the six brothers. And after a few flute melodies, as if understanding the filial piety of her children, the mother was taken to be buried so that she could rest in peace. From then on, the Hmong people have a custom of playing the flute when someone dies so that the deceased can quickly return to their ancestors."

In Nghe An, there is also a story passed down about a Hmong man who used his flute to save his wife. The story goes:

"Old Man Ba ​​Su and Y Don were husband and wife, living together in warmth and happiness. One day, Old Man Ba ​​Su went to the fields, and at home, Y Don was kidnapped by a tiger. Upon hearing the story, Old Man Ba ​​Su wanted to go into the forest to kill the tiger and save his wife. But knowing he was too weak to defeat the tiger, he practiced martial arts day and night, and was given a precious sword by the elders of the village. When he was strong and his swordsmanship was perfected, confident in his own strength, he went into the forest to find the tiger. With the precious sword in hand and the flute on his back, he searched through forests and mountains, to caves and grottoes, traveling by day and resting by night. Every night he would take out his flute and play the songs he had played for Y Don, as if reminiscing about the time when they were passionately in love. Each time he did this, his legs seemed stronger, his eyes sharper, and his ears more acute."

One day, while playing his flute, he suddenly heard a faint sound like wind rustling through leaves. Looking closely, he saw a tiger. He was about to swing his sword to strike, but the tiger quickly pleaded, "I am Y Dơn, your wife. The gray tiger captured me and made me wear this tiger skin. That tiger is coming back soon; you must be careful and take precautions. It's very vicious!" Indeed, the tiger returned. Smelling the strange flesh, its eyes widened and it lunged at Già Ba Sử. The tiger and man wrestled for a long time. Encouraged by Y Dơn, he finally killed the ferocious tiger. But how could he remove Y Dơn's tiger skin? Out of love for his wife, he took out his flute and began to play. The flute's melody was full of affection and love; the more he played, the more enchanting it became, like the voice of his heart whispering to his beloved wife. Suddenly, the tiger skin vanished, revealing the beautiful, virtuous, gentle, and graceful Y Dơn. The couple happily returned to their village, and from then on, they lived together even more lovingly and happily, with many children and grandchildren, their numbers growing like a beehive in the forest.

Male turtle

In the Hmong language, drums are called "turtles." Although drums are rarely used, they are very important in the spiritual life of the Hmong people. Drums are only played when someone dies. Some Hmong families make drums for long-term use, while others only make drums when someone dies. Drums must be made in the forest, and the process is not very difficult for them. A hollowed-out section of dry tree trunk and two pieces of cowhide are all that's needed to make a drum. They collect the dry tree trunks from when they go into the forest or cultivate fields; whenever they slaughter a cow, they dry the hide to save it. While making the drum is easy, the ritual of welcoming it home is elaborate and complicated. First, they name the drum, and upon bringing it home, they immediately perform welcoming rituals including: inviting the spirit of the drum (chí mủa), and playing three welcoming flute pieces (chí đùa).

The drum can only be used after all the necessary procedures are completed. Instead of placing it on a stand or hanging it in a convenient location, a specific place must be created for hanging it. Three small bamboo or wooden poles, about 3 meters long, are tied together at the ends, and the three legs are separated at three different angles so that the space under the three legs is wide and high enough for the person playing the mouth organ to move around and dance under the drum and the three legs of the drum stand without the instrument getting caught.

The sacred drum of the Ly family in Hop Thanh village, Xa Luong commune (Tuong Duong district). Photo: Huu Vi

Blồng tea, Gò dở tea (3-hole flute)

It's called Trà Blồng because the sound when played resembles a leaf trumpet, resonating far but sounding harsh. The head and mouthpiece of the flute are also made like a vertical flute (trà liến dồ). The flute is made from a single short section of bamboo.

The three-hole flute doesn't have its own set of songs, but it can play melodies similar to those played on leaves or vertical flutes. Nowadays, the three-hole flute is rarely used anymore. Perhaps this is because leaves are easier to obtain and can produce the same content as the three-hole flute, while the three-hole flute requires time and effort to find bamboo and reeds. Perhaps this convenience has led to the leaf flute gradually giving way to the leaf flute? Furthermore, according to some elders, the Hmong people rarely play the three-hole flute in their villages and avoid playing it at night, which is why the flute is becoming less and less popular.

Divide the spoils

It is a steel ring, about the size of a chopstick, with a handle made of aluminum or a bent and folded steel ring shaped like a knife handle. During the ceremony, the shaman recites, chants, and sings songs while shaking the ring to keep the rhythm. When raised and brought down, the pieces of metal clash together, creating a sound similar to playing toothpicks.

Besides the musical instruments mentioned above, the Hmong also use bells for their livestock to make it easier to find and identify their animals. Notably, unlike the Hmong in the northern provinces, the Hmong in Nghe An do not use gongs (xap xoeng) in spiritual rituals or in daily life.

(To be continued)