The Creation of Hmong clans by Yer Yang

Yer Yang column: Ancient story tells of the creation of Hmong clans

"What is Hmong?" This is a typical question I often am asked.

I don't really mind people asking such question because I'd rather have
them ask me rather than to make assumptions about my culture or any
other cultures.

As a teacher, I take every opportunity to go into classrooms and
community groups to help them better understand the Hmong culture and
history.

As a result, this helps dispell misconceptions, promotes tolerance and
develops an appreciation for cultural diversity.

For many years, as an adolescent, I searched high and low for traces of
my origin - the Hmong origin.

My historical knowledge went as far as the country in which I was born
- Laos.

Back then, I indulged in folktales, historical myths and legends
nightly by fireside in our little hut, atop a mountain, amidst the
jungle of Laos. There weren't any written history, only stories.

Let us take a historical journey together.

Imagine yourself sitting by a real blazing, crackling campfire outside,
in the deep woods with you and your guests surrounded by tall ancient
trees, bamboo trees, palm trees and exotic plants. Nearby, you would
hear an owl hooting, cricket chirping and many voices of the wild.
There, your elder shared an ancient tale of how the Hmong came to
existence, a well-known folktale:

The creation of Hmong clans

Heaven darkened, thunder roared, and lightning flashed across the sky
like veins on a hand. The wind raged across the land and whipped down
everything. Rain poured down onto the land. Soon, the earth was buried
under a sea. All things and all people and animals were gone, except
for a Hmong boy and his sister.

They were so frightened during the chaos of the earth that they ran and
took refuge in a huge wooden funeral drum. There, they floated for
many, many days as the sea had risen higher and higher until it reached
land of the sky. As the brother and sister bumped into the land of sky,
the Sky King heard drum beats, "Dhong, dhong, dhong, dhong!"

"What earthly noise is that disturbing the peace of this kingdom,"
wondered the Sky King. "Soldiers, go see about this noise!"

When the soldiers returned, they reported, "Your Highness, you would
not believe what we have seen. The earth's sea has reached our land!"

"Impossible," the Sky King exclaimed.

"Well then, take care of the earthly sea. Take my iron spears and
puncture holes into the earth and drain the water away, please."

So, as the King had directed, the sea was drained, and the drum landed
on earthly ground on a very high mountain. The brother and sister
climbed out, only to find that everything and everyone had been
destroyed during the flood; there were no people or animals to be seen.
They were heartbroken and very lonely.

They had explored high and low, long and far, and found no one.

Loneliness continued to plague them daily. So, one day the brother
gained enough courage, got down on his knees in front of his sister and
proposed, "Sister, would you please marry me? We could have children to
fill this land and we will no longer be so lonely here."

Shocked to hear the brother's proposal, the sister angrily scolded,
"Brother, that's out of the question! You know we cannot be married!"

The brother walked away in shame, but refused to give up the idea and
continued to propose every so often.

The sister was determined to put a stop to her brother's marriage
proposal once and for all. So, she thought of an idea. Near their hut,
there were two huge stones, too big for one person to move, the sister
called out to her brother, "Come over here, I have a proposal for you."


"Are we ready to be married, sister?" he asked sarcastically.

"No, brother, only a miracle can make that happen."

She continued, "Now, here are two huge stones. This one is your stone;
this one is mine. You roll yours down on that side of the mountain; and
I roll mine down on this side of the mountain. If by miracle, these two
stones should come back to their spots here tomorrow morning, then,
I'll marry you. If not, then it is not meant to be and we shall never
discuss this issue again."

The brother hesitantly agreed.

As the sister proposed, they rolled their stones on each side of the
mountain. This proposal worried the brother greatly. He was not going
to sit there and let fate take charge of his life, so that night as his
sister was fast asleep, he carefully thought out a plan and managed to
drag and pull the two stones back up the mountain and placed them in
their respective spots right before dawn.

He then quietly crawled back into bed. At dawn, the sister stepped out
the front door, and there stood the two stones in their exact spots.
She was speechless and submitted herself to fate.

Finally, the brother and sister lived as husband and wife. Soon, they
were expecting a child. They both were very excited and couldn't wait.
Many months passed, they gave birth to the child. To their disbelief,
the child was round like a big soft egg.

They didn't know what to make of it. So, they prayed to the ancestors
for forgiveness and guidance, and to bestow good fortune onto them in
the future.

They then decided to cut the round soft egg-like baby into pieces and
scatter the pieces in all directions.

Two pieces fell into the (nkuaj tsi) goat house and became the Lee
clan.

Two pieces fell in the (nkuaj npua) pigpen and became the Moua clan.

Two pieces into the (Vaj) garden became the Vang and Yang clans, and so
on like the Kue, Xiong, Vue, Thao, Hang and more clans the pieces
became.

In the morning, to the brother and sister's surprise, there were little
houses scattered everywhere around their mountain with smoke puffing
and curling up out of every chimney. There were pigs, cows, horses,
chickens and oxen everywhere.

Here, on this beautiful mountain, lived a Hmong village with all
imaginable clans.

No longer lonely, the brother and sister lived happily ever after with
their new family and friends.

.

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