Love Stories of the Miao Book Trailers

I am working on a couple of short stories for my collection, Love Stories of the Miao, and decided to share the book trailers first. With time, hopefully, I will get a chance to present the actual story here.

**Disclaimer** All art/audio clip belongs to its rightful owner.

Flower Embroidery
This story is about the Hmong/Miao of Wenshen/Yunnan, China. 

Nraug Ntsuag & Ntxawm

 Here is another audio clip of a folktale called, Nraug Ntsuag and Ntxawm. There are many stories about an orphan boy, Nraug Ntsuag, and a wealthy village head's daughter, Ntxawm. Here's a summary of this particular story.

Nraug Ntsuag and Ntxawm have gotten married for not too long. When the hemp harvest season arrives, Nraug Ntsuag sends Ntxawm to her parents' village to help them make threads and cloths from hemp. Half way on their trip, Ntxawm says to Nraug Ntsuag that she can see her parents village in the distance and she can hear the sounds of the rice pounder clicking and clanking. She tells Nraug Ntsuag that her parents are near so she can walk the remaining distance by herself. Nraug Ntsuag can return home.

Playing his qeej, bamboo reed pipe, Nraug Ntsuag turns around to make his trip back home. When Ntxawm approaches the settlement she assumed to have belonged to her parents, she finds out that she was surrounded by tigers. The sounds that she heard earlier were not that of rice pounders, but the tigers banging their fangs against rocks. Ntxawm calls back to Nraug Ntsuag to help her, but playing his instrument loudly, he heard her telling him to travel home faster.

The tigers capture Ntxawm and take her deep into their fortress where they imprison her inside a cave.

Xyooj Mim & Xyooj Kaub

 

 

This Hmong folktale is called, Xyooj Mim & Xyooj Kaub. It is very similar to the story, Ntsuag thiab Niam Nkauj Zuag Paj. The difference is in the opening's details.

 

Unfortunately, I do not have time to write the story down in Hmong so I am providing the audio clip only. For those of you who may not understand the Hmong language, here is a summary.

 

 

Xyooj Mim and Xyooj Kaub are a pair of orphaned siblings. One day, Xyooj Mim chances upon a dragon prince who offers her marriage and in return, he promises to give her brother a magic rice grain and a piece of meat that could replenish itself to feed the young Xyooj Kaub for the rest of his life. But the catch is that Xyooj Kaub must never completely eaten all his rice and meat. If he empties the food, it can never replenish itself again. Once grown, Xyooj Kaub's curiosity causes him to break the magic food spell, and he is left hungry once more.

 

While crying beside a lake, he stumbles upon the dragon king who offers Xyooj Kaub food and directions to find his sister, Xyooj Mim. To repay the dragon king's generosity, all he asks of Xyooj Kaub is to relay a message to his dragon king-in-law to come help rebuild his fire-damaged kingdom.

Sharing Hmong Music

In this post, instead of just sharing music from one artist, I have decided to share music from a couple of different artists. When I get a chance, I will post up the English translation for each song.

This first song is called Hlub Tam Toj Roob Hau Pes by Paj Xia Yaj and Nuj Sua Lis, Hmong Shee Yee's new pra-ek.

Sharing Hmong Music - Mim Yaj

I believe Mim Yaj released her sophomore album this past Hmong New Year. She also participated in the Hmong International New Year Beauty Pageant and came out third place.

Nraug Hmoob by Mim Yaj is a nice blend of qeej instrumental music (I can hear Yang Geli in there) with a traditional "kwv txhiaj" from the White Hmong of Paj Taug Lag, Wenshen, Yunnan.

Hlub Hauv Npaus Suav Summary

Hlub Hauv Npaus Suav Summary

**Spoiler Alert **

Muaj Tsim (Nuj Sua Lis) keeps having dreams about a beautiful girl, who he remembers her name in the dream to be Laim Txias. Having fallen in love with the girl in his dreams, he sketches her face onto a poster board.

Muaj Tsim moves to a village in the highlands to be a doctor for the local villagers. While taking a break from his duty, he spots a girl swimming in a lake who resembles the girl in his dreams. He calls out and chases after her, but is unsuccessful.

Nkauj Hmoob Noj Neeg

Nkauj Hmoob Noj Neeg Summary

**Spoiler Alert**

Koob (Koob Xyooj) is a student at Siam University. Since Thailand will become a member of the ASEAN Integration, Koob and his classmates are instructed to research the diversity of cultures and religions in Thailand—including ethnic minorities. Koob is stressed out about not being able to locate any information on the Hmong. His Thai friend, Da, suggests he focuses his topic on a Hmong religion so he can gather data by interviewing Hmong elders. Koob and his friend locate an elderly Hmong man, who then shares a story about a group of Hmong who practiced cannibalism.

Tub Feej (Koob Xyooj) and his friend are on a business trip. They get lost and end up at a strange Hmong village. Trying to sell his “ntiv qeej,” Tub Feej borrows a qeej (reed pipe) from the village head and begins to play it. The moving and beautiful sound of the qeej draws a crowd of admirers, including a beautiful, mute girl named Nag Yuam (Dej Ntxhee Muas). She falls instantly in love with Tub Feej.

Tuag Hlub Summary

Tuag Hlub Summary

**Spoiler Alert**

Yis Hawj (Leem Lis) was betrothed to her sickly maternal cousin, Kim Lis (Xeeb Lis), at age three. Since then, she has lived with her fiancé’s family and visits her biological mother occasionally. Yis, however, does not love her fiancé and is annoyed by Kim’s pestering elder brother, Teem Lis (Vej Lis).

One day on her way to visit her mother, Yis trips and falls near a bamboo-pipe water system. A young man, Kuab Yaj (Ceeb Hawj), happens to be nearby and rushes over to help Yis. Afraid that Yis’ twisted ankle might swell up, Kuab quickly finds an herb. He chews it up in his mouth and wraps it around her ankle with a piece of cloth torn from the sleeve of his hemp shirt. Before he leaves, she asks him to give her drinking water and they both seem to be fond of each other’s presence.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year readers!

I apologize for being inactive in the last six months. I've been thinking about the blog a lot but I was and still am very busy applying for professional school and I just don't have the time to post anything. The good news is that hopefully my busy schedule will dampen a little and I will be able to find bits of time here and there to put up new posts.

Hope everyone has accomplished a lot in the past year. If not, set new goals this year and strive for them!

Below, I'm sharing a picture of the newly reconstructed General Vang Pao statue at the Fresno Fairgrounds. I was there for the unveiling ceremony. It looks good, much more improved in quality and size than the old one.

Sharing Hmong Music

Kub "Qab Kaws" (Qab Kaws means frog) Vaj is a Hmong pop/rock artist.  He is one of the few Hmong soloists from Thailand who makes original music, and his songs are filled with good meanings too.  He possesses strong vocals and a wide range singing ability.

I like many of his songs, including "Nplooj Siab Vib Nais" and "Thov Hmoob Hlub Hmoob," but "Tsis Nco Yav Tag Los" was the easiest one to sub so I'm sharing this one first.  Maybe in the near future, when I feel like it, I'll sub and share the other two favorites as well. 

"Tsis Nco Yav Tag Los" tells the story of a man who has overcome a broken heart, meets a new and better woman (and learns to be appreciative of her), and thus makes it clear to his ex-lover/wife that he will never miss her again for leaving him.