| 1. The wood for casting lots (Gwau). Gwau is made from either wood or horns. It has a special style: if it is made from wood it is a sprout plant; if it is a horn, it is from an animal that died a natural death. This is because Hmong people believe that Gwau is a communication tool with ancestor spirits, and since Gwau needs to be a holy thing in order to communicate accurately, they cannot use the horn of an animal that died accidentally. Gwau is a communication tool between the human and the spiritual. The results from cast lots are as follows: - Both turned face up means the human language cannot communicate with the spirit. -Both turned upside down means the human language can communicate with the spirit but the spirit does not accept. -One side turned face up and the other one turned face down means that the human and the spirit can communicate each other and also the spirit can accept an offering of food. |
 |
 |
2. Gong (Jua-Neng) This is an instrument in the ghost model ceremony (“Aur-Neng” in Hmong language). This instrument is of great importance in Aur-Neng and the sign to tell people in the village that they have Aur-Neng to treat a person who is sick in a family in the village. These days this ceremony is abridged, but the important steps remain. |
 |
3. Chair (Jong-Neng) The chair on which the shaman sits for the worship (Aur-Neng). This chair helps the shaman have the concentration required to make the ghost model. |
| 4. The King coin This is an important tool for the Aur-Neng (Ghost model). It is a tool of communication between the earth and the world of the god of death. The Aur-Neng is for treating a sick person. The coin is the tool to pass through the barrier to enter the world of death and make an agreement with the god of the death. If the god of death agrees, the shaman will give a premium to the god of death or the ancestor spirit but all of ghosts will help get rid of the illness. Therefore, Aur-Neng will have the king coin for the whole session of worship. |
No comments:
Post a Comment