Like
many other highland ethnic minorities, the Hmong in Sa Pa still preserved many
traditional customs, including funeral is a traditional ritual, morality
drinking water to remember its source, is the appreciation between the
living and the deceased.
When people give to earthly realm of the ancestors, H’mong people call as “Tua” or "Ninh Tua" (the dead) is to follow the laws of nature. Based on the object and the cause of the deaths that H’mong people have held various funeral rites. For children who died less than three months old, the family wil not held the funeral and when bury they have to bring the dead passing the wall, do not bring straight the main door. Parents are not crying because fear of ghosts, ghost door will rebuke family. As for the case of death outside of the home such as: accidents, suicide, fall river, down stream, They have never taken the dead into the house for held the funeral then Family will set up a shack outside for the funeral, because the H’mong’s concept that those who die outside the home, largely due to the kind of evil that hurt, so when brought into the house the ghosts back in the house to harm others in the family. The dead children, died in the house and accidental death are considered unusual deaths, so that the funeral is also more simple than the funeral of the dead old.
According to traditions, the funeral of H’mong people consists of many different rituals. When families have relatives died, the first thing they have to do that they will carry a gun crew outside shot three times to signal to the people in the village knew the family of the deceased. Descendants, the village people heard gunfire in the area will flock to the family to offer condolences, and see what to help. The dead will be clean the face, nose, limbs, new dressing every things clean before returning to their ancestors. According to the traditions of H’mong people, the cleansing is complete, The water of cleaning for the dead will pour under the bed of the dead, the face towel will be washed to dry then burn. After washing the dead, they used a piece of wood to bring dead bodies placed between the house and the oldest son will go to invite shaman to celebrate "Khai Ke" show the way for the dead souls to the ancestors. This ritual is indispensable in any funeral of H’mong people. Family will prepare an arbalest "Ninh", a knife and a chicken to celebrate with significant knife is the tool path, Arbalest is a weapon to protect the dead on the road, chickens are directions. The ceremony is completed; the traditional music for funeral is continued for “Khai Ke” to show the dead soul the way to their ancestor.
Previously, H’mong people often hang the dead body in between of the house, also tie on the horse back "Ninh Dang" to bring the dead soul to ancestor. Today, most of the family they put the dead body in the coffin. After the ceremony, relatives, brothers, children and grandchildren to do Le Phung ceremony. According to the H’mong’s concept, when his parents died, a son, daughter must give parents a new outfit, a pig for the dead bring along. The eldest son has to do first then others follw . In the funeral ofHmong people, the wife’s brother and his brother-in-law are the two most important people, beforethe funeral, the wife’s brother and his brother-in-law is always to hire a master singing "Chi Sung Sinh" to on behalf of the family held the funeral for the dead in accordance with tradition. In addition, the family of wife’s brother will bring a pig, a pack of rice, 10 liters of wine, 3 boiled eggs, money to “Le Phung” for the dead. The village people each carry a pack of rice, a bottle of wine, a bunch of incense to “ Le Phung” for the dead. Depending on the economic conditions of the family that they held the funeral for the dead big or small.
The funeral with Buffalo will usually held for 3-4 days with a lot of different ceremonies such as: "treo sáng đù", "Nùng chàn gì" , "Tiu rìa kềnh", "Gẩu trùng" "... everyone will sing and play funeral music all night to farewell the dead. Until it nearly daylight, They will bring the dead out of the house and carried out the opening buffalo ceremony . Before carrying dead bodies out of the house, the family must ask a shaman ceremony to catch that horse ghost out of the house, with significant that later the descendant can work normally. The family also ask to men in the village take a branch of Peaches or plum to beat surrounding the house with meaning chasing ghosts out of the house. Dead bodies being carried out of the yard killing a buffalo, the eldest son always take the buffalo over to the dead. Before the ceremony, the shaman to celebrate “Le Diem” ceremony, then that Shaman take the rope tie buffalo to handover for the dead. Uncle or brother-in-law on behalf of external family who killed buffalo in the sense that he is an external representative for the offering on behalf of the dead. Buffalo finished killing people bring to open, and then processed into the ceremony nine to make shaman rituals for the dead and processed food in the funeral, the rest they divided into small pieces divided for families who sacrifice to serve visited to thank. After lunch, about 2 or 3 PM, their will carry the dead to burial, then people go back home. In the first three days of early morning and late afternoon, that they have to bring the dinner for the dead in cemetery, with meaning that the new dead like a little child so It doesn’t know how to work. Buried for three days, the descendants will clean and make the fence surrounding the grave. The dead are 12 days, Descendants will invite the dead soul home again. After two years, descendants will make small ceremony for the dead "Ua Pli" to the dead away peacefully, after a few years, the family continues to celebrate "Nhu Dang" is last offered in the funeral of H’mong people. After that descendants just invite the dead soul home on new year.
When people give to earthly realm of the ancestors, H’mong people call as “Tua” or "Ninh Tua" (the dead) is to follow the laws of nature. Based on the object and the cause of the deaths that H’mong people have held various funeral rites. For children who died less than three months old, the family wil not held the funeral and when bury they have to bring the dead passing the wall, do not bring straight the main door. Parents are not crying because fear of ghosts, ghost door will rebuke family. As for the case of death outside of the home such as: accidents, suicide, fall river, down stream, They have never taken the dead into the house for held the funeral then Family will set up a shack outside for the funeral, because the H’mong’s concept that those who die outside the home, largely due to the kind of evil that hurt, so when brought into the house the ghosts back in the house to harm others in the family. The dead children, died in the house and accidental death are considered unusual deaths, so that the funeral is also more simple than the funeral of the dead old.
According to traditions, the funeral of H’mong people consists of many different rituals. When families have relatives died, the first thing they have to do that they will carry a gun crew outside shot three times to signal to the people in the village knew the family of the deceased. Descendants, the village people heard gunfire in the area will flock to the family to offer condolences, and see what to help. The dead will be clean the face, nose, limbs, new dressing every things clean before returning to their ancestors. According to the traditions of H’mong people, the cleansing is complete, The water of cleaning for the dead will pour under the bed of the dead, the face towel will be washed to dry then burn. After washing the dead, they used a piece of wood to bring dead bodies placed between the house and the oldest son will go to invite shaman to celebrate "Khai Ke" show the way for the dead souls to the ancestors. This ritual is indispensable in any funeral of H’mong people. Family will prepare an arbalest "Ninh", a knife and a chicken to celebrate with significant knife is the tool path, Arbalest is a weapon to protect the dead on the road, chickens are directions. The ceremony is completed; the traditional music for funeral is continued for “Khai Ke” to show the dead soul the way to their ancestor.
Previously, H’mong people often hang the dead body in between of the house, also tie on the horse back "Ninh Dang" to bring the dead soul to ancestor. Today, most of the family they put the dead body in the coffin. After the ceremony, relatives, brothers, children and grandchildren to do Le Phung ceremony. According to the H’mong’s concept, when his parents died, a son, daughter must give parents a new outfit, a pig for the dead bring along. The eldest son has to do first then others follw . In the funeral ofHmong people, the wife’s brother and his brother-in-law are the two most important people, beforethe funeral, the wife’s brother and his brother-in-law is always to hire a master singing "Chi Sung Sinh" to on behalf of the family held the funeral for the dead in accordance with tradition. In addition, the family of wife’s brother will bring a pig, a pack of rice, 10 liters of wine, 3 boiled eggs, money to “Le Phung” for the dead. The village people each carry a pack of rice, a bottle of wine, a bunch of incense to “ Le Phung” for the dead. Depending on the economic conditions of the family that they held the funeral for the dead big or small.
The funeral with Buffalo will usually held for 3-4 days with a lot of different ceremonies such as: "treo sáng đù", "Nùng chàn gì" , "Tiu rìa kềnh", "Gẩu trùng" "... everyone will sing and play funeral music all night to farewell the dead. Until it nearly daylight, They will bring the dead out of the house and carried out the opening buffalo ceremony . Before carrying dead bodies out of the house, the family must ask a shaman ceremony to catch that horse ghost out of the house, with significant that later the descendant can work normally. The family also ask to men in the village take a branch of Peaches or plum to beat surrounding the house with meaning chasing ghosts out of the house. Dead bodies being carried out of the yard killing a buffalo, the eldest son always take the buffalo over to the dead. Before the ceremony, the shaman to celebrate “Le Diem” ceremony, then that Shaman take the rope tie buffalo to handover for the dead. Uncle or brother-in-law on behalf of external family who killed buffalo in the sense that he is an external representative for the offering on behalf of the dead. Buffalo finished killing people bring to open, and then processed into the ceremony nine to make shaman rituals for the dead and processed food in the funeral, the rest they divided into small pieces divided for families who sacrifice to serve visited to thank. After lunch, about 2 or 3 PM, their will carry the dead to burial, then people go back home. In the first three days of early morning and late afternoon, that they have to bring the dinner for the dead in cemetery, with meaning that the new dead like a little child so It doesn’t know how to work. Buried for three days, the descendants will clean and make the fence surrounding the grave. The dead are 12 days, Descendants will invite the dead soul home again. After two years, descendants will make small ceremony for the dead "Ua Pli" to the dead away peacefully, after a few years, the family continues to celebrate "Nhu Dang" is last offered in the funeral of H’mong people. After that descendants just invite the dead soul home on new year.
