The Hmong custom of ancestor worship

(Baonghean) - Every year, several Mong clans in Ky Son district perform ancestral worship rituals. This is a beautiful aspect of Mong customs and traditions, expressing gratitude to ancestors and praying for peace and prosperity.

The Hmong people's rice offering ceremony.

We visited Nam Khien village (Nam Can commune, Ky Son district) while the Lau clan was in the midst of their ancestral worship ceremony. Mr. Lau Va Tu, the clan leader, explained: “The Mong clan's ancestral worship ceremony usually lasts three days. The Lau clan holds its ceremony from the 25th to the 27th of January, and it must be completed before the 29th at the latest, not extending into February. Some other clans, such as the Tho and Va clans, choose to hold their ceremonies at the end of July and September of the lunar calendar.” The communal nature of the Mong people is evident in the clan meetings held to agree on the method of conducting the ceremony. Each clan appoints an organizing committee for the ceremony, responsible for managing and overseeing the ritual until its completion. Accordingly, households contribute money, rice, and wine to the clan leader's house to offer to their ancestors.

According to Hmong custom, a shaman must be four people. They are all people who understand the voices of the deceased and the spirits. Elder Lầu Xái Phia explained: “These four shamans each perform a different task. Three shamans will perform rituals for the first two days to gather the spirits of the deceased from each household at the head of the clan’s house. Through the shamans, these spirits will reveal the bad things and misfortunes of the past year. Each shaman performs rituals for a certain number of households. On the last day, they will perform rituals to send those bad things and misfortunes away, praying for a peaceful, happy, and lucky life.”

The ceremony takes place in the courtyard.

On the third day, after the last shaman finishes his ritual, a ceremony is held in front of the family's ancestral hall. Here, the shaman gathers the family members and performs the ritual of tying the largest rooster to three reeds. Everyone faces the setting sun. The shaman walks and chants in a clockwise direction for three circles, then turns in the opposite direction for three circles. The Hmong believe that bad luck and misfortune must be carried away towards the setting sun, never towards the rising sun, in order to show respect to their ancestors and the spirits of the mountains and forests.

The animal chosen by the Hmong people for the sacrifice is the goat. Therefore, no matter how poor a family is, they must prepare the largest goat possible for the sacrifice. After the sacrifice and slaughter, the goat meat cannot be eaten at home but must be taken into the forest. At home, the shaman will perform rituals so that the goat carries away the bad luck and misfortune of the family. Colorful paper cut by the Hmong people themselves is attached to the goat's body, depicting people or animals symbolizing the misfortunes of each household. Only after the shaman has completed the rituals is the goat slaughtered and taken into the forest.

Entering the forest is the final ritual of the clan's ancestral worship ceremony. The Hmong usually choose a spacious forest area, large enough for the clan members to sit and eat comfortably. The entire clan heads towards the forest where the sun sets. They carry goat meat, a small dog, and a rooster to ward off evil and pray for good fortune. When crossing a stream, the young men of the clan have prepared a small culvert. Here, the shaman performs the ritual and slaughters the dog, burying its head beside the culvert. This symbolizes that the dog will guard the path, preventing evil from returning to harm the clan.

After finishing their goat meat meal in the forest, the entire clan returned to the clan leader's house to continue the feast. Everyone wished each other a year of good fortune, peace, and happiness.

Dao Tho