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 Hmong folktale called Nraug Ntsuag and Ntxawm. There are many versions of stories about an orphan boy named Nraug Ntsuag and Ntxawm, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy village headman. This particular version tells the story of how Nraug Ntsuag loses his wife, only to use his cleverness and determination to win her back.

Nraug Ntsuag and Ntxawm have not been married for very long when the hemp harvest season arrives. Nraug Ntsuag sends Ntxawm to her parents' village to help them process hemp into thread and cloth.

Halfway through their journey, Ntxawm suddenly tells Nraug Ntsuag that she can see her parents' village in the distance. She says that she can even hear the familiar sounds of rice pounders clicking and clanking.

She tells Nraug Ntsuag that her parents must be nearby and that she can walk the remaining distance by herself. She tells him to turn around and return home.

Nraug Ntsuag, trusting his wife, does as she asks. He plays his qeej, a traditional Hmong bamboo reed instrument, as he makes his way home.

But when Ntxawm approaches the settlement she believes to be her parents' village, she discovers something horrifying.

She is surrounded by tigers.

The sounds she had heard were not the sounds of rice being pounded at all. They were the sounds of tigers striking their fangs against rocks.

Realizing that she has been deceived, Ntxawm cries out to Nraug Ntsuag for help.

But Nraug Ntsuag is already walking away, playing his qeej loudly. He cannot hear her clearly. Instead, he believes she is telling him to hurry home.

The tigers capture Ntxawm and carry her deep into their territory, where they imprison her inside a cave.

---

One day, a father and son named Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav are hunting in the forest when they encounter the tigers' fortress.

They discover Ntxawm and realize that she is a human woman rather than a tiger's captive by birth.

After learning that Ntxawm is willing to marry the son, Tub Hluav Ncuav, the father and son kill the tigers and rescue her.

However, they know that Ntxawm has already been married. They do not want anyone to accuse them of stealing another man's wife.

To prove that they rescued Ntxawm from the tigers and did not simply take another man's wife, Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav skin one of the tigers and preserve its hide as evidence of what happened.

Ntxawm then marries Tub Hluav Ncuav.

---

Three months later, Nraug Ntsuag travels to Ntxawm's parents' village to bring his wife home.

But when he arrives, he discovers that Ntxawm never made it there.

Her parents are furious.

They blame Nraug Ntsuag for being careless with their daughter and accuse him of failing to protect her. As punishment, they strip Nraug Ntsuag of his wealth and make him their servant.

Although he has become his parents-in-law's slave, Nraug Ntsuag works extremely hard. His diligence eventually earns the sympathy of his mother-in-law.

Not long afterward, an elderly Chinese man comes to the village looking for someone to watch over his herd of horses and cattle.

Nraug Ntsuag's mother-in-law decides to let him go.

Nraug Ntsuag leaves the household and begins working as a herdsman.

Every day, while watching the horses and cattle, Nraug Ntsuag mourns the loss of his wife. He spends his days crying and wondering whether Ntxawm is still alive.

One day, his grief attracts the attention of a demon.

The demon tells him that Ntxawm is not dead.

In fact, she is alive. She has remarried and now has a child with another man.

The demon tells Nraug Ntsuag that if he truly wishes to see his wife again, she can help him.

But the demon is hungry.

She tells Nraug Ntsuag to bring her a plump chicken and meet her the following day near the place where the cattle graze.

Nraug Ntsuag returns home that evening and lies to the elderly Chinese couple. He tells them that he needs a plump chicken.

The next day, he brings the chicken to the demon.

After eating the chicken, the demon makes a long rope ladder. Nraug Ntsuag climbs to the very top of the ladder.

The demon then swings the ladder upward, sending Nraug Ntsuag high into the sky.

Above the clouds, Nraug Ntsuag looks into the distance.

There, he sees Ntxawm.

At last, he knows that the demon has told him the truth.

Ntxawm is alive.

---

That evening, Nraug Ntsuag returns to his parents-in-law and tells them that he wishes to go hunting.

His parents-in-law, who have grown sympathetic toward him, give him permission to leave.

Nraug Ntsuag puts on his finest clothes and sets out to find Ntxawm.

Eventually, the two are reunited.

Ntxawm tells Nraug Ntsuag everything that has happened since the day she was captured by the tigers. She also tells him that Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav have kept the tiger skin as proof that they rescued her lawfully and that Tub Hluav Ncuav is now her husband.

Nraug Ntsuag thinks carefully.

He tells Ntxawm that he will return with the skin of a goat. He asks her to secretly exchange the goat skin for the tiger skin.

If they can make the tiger skin disappear, he believes that the elders will have no evidence that Ntxawm was lawfully taken from the tigers and given to Tub Hluav Ncuav.

Ntxawm agrees.

She is still attracted to Nraug Ntsuag's handsome appearance and would rather be with him than Tub Hluav Ncuav, whose face is covered with acne scars.

---

That night, Nraug Ntsuag returns to his parents-in-law and tells them that he has found Ntxawm.

But instead of telling them the truth, he invents a story.

He claims that Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav had lusted after Ntxawm and kidnapped her. He tells his parents-in-law that the two men had wrongfully taken his wife from him.

He asks them to help him seek justice.

His parents-in-law believe him.

They agree to help him recover Ntxawm.

Nraug Ntsuag then tells them that he is craving goat meat.

His parents-in-law slaughter a goat for him.

After eating the meat, Nraug Ntsuag carefully skins the goat and preserves its hide.

He dries the skin until it is ready.

Four or five days later, Ntxawm's parents gather a group of elders to help settle the dispute over who is Ntxawm's rightful husband.

They travel together to Ntxawm's village.

Before the elders begin their judgment, Nraug Ntsuag secretly meets with Ntxawm.

He gives her the dried goat skin.

Ntxawm then secretly exchanges it for the tiger skin that Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav have kept as evidence.

---

The elders gather to hear both sides.

Ntxawm's parents explain that their daughter was kidnapped by Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav and insist that Nraug Ntsuag is her rightful husband.

Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav deny the accusation.

They explain that they rescued Ntxawm from the tigers and that the tiger skin is their evidence. They insist that they did not steal another man's wife.

The elders demand to see the tiger skin.

But when Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav produce their evidence, the skin before the elders is not that of a tiger.

It is the skin of a goat.

The tiger skin is nowhere to be found.

Without the tiger skin to support their claim, Ntseb Nraj Nraum and Moj Txiv Kuav can no longer prove that they rescued Ntxawm from the tigers.

The elders therefore rule that Ntxawm must be returned to Nraug Ntsuag, her original husband.

Ntxawm leaves Tub Hluav Ncuav and returns to Nraug Ntsuag.

She leaves her son behind with Tub Hluav Ncuav.

Upon their reunion, Ntxawm's parents accept the two as husband and wife once again. They give their daughter and son-in-law a magnificent dowry, and Nraug Ntsuag and Ntxawm begin their life together anew.

And so the story ends.

---

The Cleverness of Nraug Ntsuag

Like many Hmong folktales, this story does not necessarily portray its male protagonist as the kindest or most morally upright person.

Instead, Nraug Ntsuag is often portrayed as clever, resourceful, and exceptionally skilled at outwitting others—even people far more powerful than himself.

His intelligence allows him to overcome circumstances that would otherwise seem impossible. His handsome appearance and the beauty of the woman he loves also become important elements in the story.

In many Hmong folktales, the hero's greatest weapon is not physical strength or wealth. It is his wit.

Nraug Ntsuag loses his wife, his wealth, and his freedom. He becomes a servant and spends his days mourning. Yet through determination, deception, and clever planning, he eventually finds Ntxawm and devises a way to reclaim her.

The story reflects a recurring theme in Hmong folklore: a clever person, even one who begins with nothing, can overcome powerful enemies, outwit authority, and change the course of his own fate.

Here is the audio version of Nraug Ntsuag and Ntxawm.



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, though the two stories differ in the details of their openings.

Xyooj Mim and Xyooj Kaub are orphaned siblings who have no parents or family left to care for them. One day, Xyooj Mim happens upon a dragon prince. The prince offers to marry her, but in return, he promises to provide for her younger brother. He gives Xyooj Kaub a magical grain of rice and a piece of meat that can replenish themselves, allowing the boy to have food for the rest of his life.

There is, however, one condition: Xyooj Kaub must never completely finish the rice or the meat. As long as a portion remains, the food will magically replenish itself. But if he ever eats everything, the magic will be broken, and the food will never return.

For a while, Xyooj Kaub follows the instructions. But as he grows older, his curiosity gets the better of him. One day, he eats the very last grain of rice and the last piece of meat. The magic disappears, and Xyooj Kaub is once again left without food.

Hungry and heartbroken, he wanders until he reaches a lake. There, he sits beside the water and begins to cry.

While he is crying, Xyooj Kaub encounters a dragon king. The dragon king takes pity on him, gives him food, and tells him where he can find his sister, Xyooj Mim.

The dragon king asks for only one favor in return. He tells Xyooj Kaub to deliver a message to his dragon-king son-in-law: the dragon king's kingdom has suffered a terrible fire, and he needs his son-in-law to come and help rebuild it.

Xyooj Kaub agrees.

He then begins a long journey on foot, traveling many miles until he finally reaches his sister.

When Xyooj Mim sees her younger brother again, she is overjoyed. Xyooj Kaub also meets his brother-in-law, the dragon prince. The dragon prince takes Xyooj Kaub with him to Heaven, where he is given the extraordinary opportunity to see his deceased parents and his elder brothers and sisters-in-law once more.

But Xyooj Kaub is still human, and because he is not a heavenly being, he cannot remain in Heaven forever. Eventually, he must return to Earth with his brother-in-law.

When Xyooj Kaub returns, Xyooj Mim holds a great celebration to welcome him home. During the festivities, Xyooj Kaub makes a bet with the village headman. They compete to see who has the ability to call the dragon king out from his lake.

The village headman tries first, but he cannot summon the dragon king.

Then Xyooj Kaub uses the special words taught to him by the dragon king he had met earlier.

Immediately, the dragon king emerges.

The dragon king grabs Xyooj Kaub and takes him down into the dragon kingdom. Everyone on Earth believes that Xyooj Kaub has died.

But Xyooj Kaub has not died.

In the dragon kingdom, he meets the dragon king's beautiful youngest daughter, Nkauj Zuag Paj. The two become deeply fond of one another and eventually fall in love.

Xyooj Kaub wishes to marry her, but the dragon king does not immediately agree. Instead, Xyooj Kaub must prove himself through a series of riddles, games, and contests. After many challenges, the dragon king finally accepts Xyooj Kaub and grants him permission to marry Nkauj Zuag Paj.

The two are married.

After the wedding, the dragon king secretly places Nkauj Zuag Paj inside an umbrella and gives the umbrella to Xyooj Kaub.

The old dragon king warns him:

"Do not open this umbrella, no matter how hot the sun becomes. Keep it closed until you arrive home."

Xyooj Kaub accepts the umbrella without knowing that his bride is hidden inside it.

As he begins his journey home, the weather becomes unbearably hot. Xyooj Kaub complains about the scorching sun. He is also confused and frustrated because he has just gotten married, yet his wife is nowhere to be seen.

What Xyooj Kaub does not know is that the terrible weather is being caused by Nkauj Kub Kaws, the sister of the Thunder God. Nkauj Kub Kaws is jealous of Nkauj Zuag Paj and is also in love with her.

The heat becomes unbearable.

Again and again, Xyooj Kaub is tempted to open the umbrella.

Finally, he gives in.

The moment he opens it, Nkauj Zuag Paj tumbles out.

She is angry and heartbroken.

She reminds Xyooj Kaub that her parents specifically warned him not to open the umbrella. Xyooj Kaub apologizes and begs her to return inside so that they can continue their journey together.

But Nkauj Zuag Paj tells him that it is already too late.

That night, while Xyooj Kaub is sleeping, Nkauj Zuag Paj's family comes to Earth. They build a beautiful home for the couple and provide them with servants, rice fields, and everything they need to live comfortably.

For a time, Xyooj Kaub and Nkauj Zuag Paj live together.

But Nkauj Kub Kaws has not given up.

She disguises herself as a beautiful woman and repeatedly comes to visit Xyooj Kaub. She flirts with him and gradually begins to manipulate him.

Little by little, she convinces Xyooj Kaub that she is the woman who truly belongs with him.

She tells him that Nkauj Zuag Paj is not beautiful at all, but rather a monster who drinks the blood of sheep.

Nkauj Zuag Paj repeatedly warns her husband that Nkauj Kub Kaws is dangerous and malicious. She begs him not to believe her lies.

But Xyooj Kaub refuses to listen.

Eventually, Nkauj Kub Kaws succeeds in turning him completely against his own wife.

Xyooj Kaub drives Nkauj Zuag Paj away.

Heartbroken, Nkauj Zuag Paj returns to the dragon kingdom.

As she leaves, she takes the house, the servants, and the rice fields that her family had provided for them.

She leaves Xyooj Kaub with only one thing: a rooster.

Even after everything he has done to her, Nkauj Zuag Paj still pities him.

Soon afterward, Nkauj Kub Kaws reveals her true form to Xyooj Kaub. She mocks him for his foolishness and leaves him as well.

Xyooj Kaub is now completely alone.

He has lost his wife, his home, his servants, his rice fields, and even the woman who deceived him.

With nothing left, he returns to the lake where Nkauj Zuag Paj disappeared. Every day, he sits beside the water and cries, longing for his wife.

One day, he encounters two female frog servants. They have come to the lake to wash Nkauj Zuag Paj's clothes.

Xyooj Kaub begs them to help him see his wife again.

At first, they refuse. But after he pleads with them repeatedly, they finally agree to help.

The frog women explain that they can drink the water from the lake and temporarily empty it so that Xyooj Kaub can enter the dragon kingdom beneath it.

They attempt to do so.

The first time, their bodies become enormously swollen from drinking so much water.

Xyooj Kaub laughs at them.

They try a second time, but again they become bloated, and Xyooj Kaub mocks them.

On their third attempt, however, the frog women successfully drink the lake dry.

Xyooj Kaub immediately jumps into the empty lake.

At last, he finds Nkauj Zuag Paj again.

But he cannot simply bring her home.

Nkauj Zuag Paj explains that since leaving him, the Thunder God has come to ask for her hand in marriage. In only a few days, she will be taken to Heaven to become his wife.

Still, she tells Xyooj Kaub not to lose hope.

She gives him a plan.

She tells him to fill three basins with water. One basin must be placed at the front door, one at the back door, and one on the roof of his house.

Then, on the day she is taken to Heaven with the Thunder God, Xyooj Kaub will hear the sound of bells.

When he hears the bells, he must look into the water in each basin. Her reflection will appear in the water as she passes overhead.

He must grab her when he sees her.

However, Nkauj Zuag Paj does not clearly explain one crucial detail:

He must reach upward and grab her from the sky—not grab her reflection in the water.

The day finally comes.

Nkauj Zuag Paj passes over Xyooj Kaub's home on her way to Heaven.

The bells ring.

Xyooj Kaub looks into the first basin.

He sees her reflection and reaches into the water, but he grabs nothing.

He rushes to the second basin.

Again, he sees her reflection and reaches into the water.

Again, he fails.

Finally, he runs to the third basin on the roof.

Once more, he sees Nkauj Zuag Paj's reflection in the water.

But instead of reaching toward the sky, he reaches for the reflection.

He misses her.

Nkauj Zuag Paj continues on to Heaven with the Thunder God.

Three days pass.

But Nkauj Zuag Paj does not want to remain with the Thunder God.

She tells him that she has unfinished business in the dragon kingdom and asks permission to return to Earth.

The Thunder God agrees.

When Nkauj Zuag Paj descends from Heaven, however, she does not return to the dragon kingdom.

She goes straight to Xyooj Kaub.

She finds him, takes him beneath her arm, and carries him away.

The Thunder God realizes what has happened and becomes furious.

He pursues them, but Nkauj Zuag Paj and Xyooj Kaub manage to escape his wrath.

Together, they travel far away and eventually settle at the bottom of Heaven.

There, among the billions of stars, Xyooj Kaub and Nkauj Zuag Paj live together happily ever after.

And this is why, according to the folktale, whenever a Hmong couple gets married, they are supposed to keep their marriage umbrella close to them for at least three days—so that they do not suffer the same misfortune as Xyooj Kaub and Nkauj Zuag Paj.

The story reminds us that love requires trust, patience, and the wisdom to listen to those who genuinely care for us.

 

Here is the audio version of the story.    

 



 



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.