Ancestral Shaman Descendant

My great grandfather was a shaman and this was his tswb neeb (shaman bell). This shaman bell must be well over 100 years ago. My grandpa held onto it for all these years, one of the only remaining artifacts of his father. My grandpa recently passed away, and so my grandma decided to depart with it and pass it down to me, as I am the shaman descendant of the family. My type of shamanism is neeb txwv zeej txwv txoob, which is ancestral shamanism and is passed down from one generation to the next within a family lineage. To know that I carry with me the shamanic lineage of my great grandpa and to then receive his tswb neeb was just a surreal moment.

I felt the energy when I touched the bell in my hands. The ground beneath me shook and vibrated into my blood and bones. My face just felt hot and warm. It feels like a complete circle moment to have been gifted this. To just see it and hold it is just so unreal. The noise it makes just calls to me deeply and it's like an energy charge every time I hear it or touch it.

The Y shape engraved onto the bell is known as "3 kwv tij" or "the three brothers." In the Hmong culture, it is often referred to as "Hmoob Vaj, Tsab, xeem Lis" or "Hmoob xeem 3 kwv tij." Many refer to this as "xeem kwv, xeem tij. xeem neej, xeem tsaj. xeem niam, xeem txiv" which refers to the family relatives of the husband and wife. There are many variations of this folktale, but it is believed that the first three Hmong last names were from the Vang (Vaj) clan, Chang (Tsab) clan, and Lee (Lis) clan. We consider them to be the first elder brothers and the first families in the Hmong. They were the first to lead tradition and ritual. Folktale has it that the three elder brothers went on to have their own families and ran out of names to call their children. So one by one they decided to call them Yang (Yaj), Her (Hawj), Vue (Vwj), Xiong (Xyooj), Thao (Thoj), and the many remaining Hmong 18 clan last names. Today, many people including shamans will use the saying "Vaj, Tsab, xeem Lis" in rituals to bring order and command during negotiations, healing rituals, and traditions. Calling upon "Vaj, Tsab, xeem Lis" brings seriousness to the issue or task at hand and demands respect from both humans and spirits alike.

I am honored that my great grandfather's shaman bell is now resting upon my shaman altar. In a way it feels like it made its way back home. One day, I hope to live long enough to pass both my own shaman bell and my great grandfather's bell to the next shaman in my family.