Exploring the Three Souls of Hmong Cultural and Spiritual Belief

Hmong cultural belief is that a person has multiple souls. The term "Ntsuj plig" is referred to as "soul." Ntsuj tes, ntsuj taw is referred to as the soul of the arm and feet. Ntsuj qaib, ntsuj noog is referred to as the bird and chicken soul, otherwise known as the body soul. There are many souls such as ntsuj ntsej, ntsuj muag; ntsuj nkauj iab, nraug oos; ntsuj ntaub, ntsuj ntawv; ntsuj koob, ntsuj xov, tuam ntsuj lwm ntsuj, and many more. However, the Hmong believe there are three main important souls that are vital to our existence and understanding of birth, life, death, and reincarnation. The three souls are 1. ) Ntsuj roj, ntsuj ntsha, 2). Ntsuj pa fuab xyw, and 3). Ntsuj xyoob, ntsuj ntoo / Ntsuj xub zeb, hlau xub ntoo.

The first soul is Ntsuj roj, ntsuj ntsha. This soul is translated to "the soul of oil and blood." Blood and oil in our body is a genetic print from our ancestors. This "genetic essence" refers to the traits and characteristics passed down from one's parents, and your parents' parents, and their parents, and so forth, all the way back to Pog Cas, Yawg Ces. Pog Cas, Yawg Ces is referred to as the very beginning of a lineage, the first carriers of a family line. We carry our lineage in the oil and blood in our body. It is central to the rituals of Zaj Taw Kev (during funeral) and Ua Nyuj Dab (a sacred ritual requiring a ritual called 'ua neeb tos cov laus tuaj yuav nyuj dab'), focusing on the belief that the Ntsuj roj, ntsuj ntsha will eventually reunite with the ancestral realm upon death.

In a shamanic healing ritual, the shaman needs to replenish a person's Ntsuj rov and ntsuj ntsha to prevent them from becoming depleted or contaminated. When someone experiences weak blood flow or severe illness, it's believed to be due to their Ntsuj rov and ntsuj ntsha being weakened, unwell, or frightened.

The second soul is the Ntsuj pa fuab xyw. This soul is the breath and strength soul. This is the soul that takes the journey back to be reincarnated in the heavenly guardian of Nyuj Vaj Teem. Everyone enters the world taking a breath, and everyone will leave this world giving it back. It is believed that this departed soul travels to what is referred to as 12 Tshooj Ntug - 9 Ntsug Kab, 8 Ntsug Kev, where it awaits any spiritual trials in the spiritual court of the afterlife before reincarnation. Typically, individuals who died violently or committed significant wrongdoings will undergo these spiritual trials. During these proceedings in the afterlife, they either defend their actions or seek a fair trial as victims of crime or violent death experienced in their life form. In traditional Hmong funerals, the qeej tu siav focuses on this soul. The ultimate fate of this soul is to undergo reincarnation following death, ideally returning as a descendant of the deceased individual, thus becoming a member of the present generation as a child.

Most prevalent among the elderly, when their Ntsuj pa fuab xyw departs from their body and journeys to 12 Tshooj Ntug, they can experience severe illness or sickness. This phenomenon also occurs frequently in individuals grappling with depression, sadness, or trauma.

The third soul is the Ntsuj xyoob, ntsuj ntoo / Ntsuj xub zeb, hlau xub ntoo. This is the bamboo and tree soul, or also known as the "backbone or support" soul. This is the soul that stays at the grave of the deceased. This soul is the focus of the Xi (traditional funeral ritual), Tso Plig (soul release rites), and Ntov Pob Ntoos (laig dab or ancestral offerings) rituals, and it is destined to join the guardian spirits of the deceased's family. When someone passes away, their ntsuj xyoob too also separates from their ntsuj ntoo. In metaphorical language, this represents extracting life from a tree, illustrating that just as the individual is no longer alive, the bamboo is no longer considered a tree.

The journey from birth through life, traditional funeral customs, and the afterlife revolves around these three vital souls. In a traditional funeral where the taw kev ritual, or "pointing the way" for the Ntsuj roj, ntsuj ntsha, is not performed, the person's soul may not be acknowledged by the ancestors, and they may not be accepted as part of the family lineage by them. Consequently, if the family fails to attend to the fate of this soul and perform a traditional funeral, they may face severe spiritual troubles, misfortune, illness, and potentially curse their lineage for generations to come. Moreover, the soul might transform into a malevolent ghost or spirit, plaguing the family and wreaking havoc upon them.

Following the death process, if the qeej tu siav is not directed towards the deceased, for whatever the cause may be, it will result in the failure of the Ntsuj pa fuab xyw, or breath soul, to undergo reincarnation. As a consequence, it will not have a clan or lineage to return to. It will not have a home to come back to, a body to return to, or anyone to claim it. As a result, it will become a dab tu cas tu ces thiab dab tuag tshaib tuag nqhis, or also referred to as "homeless and hungry ghosts." When this happens, it will cause sickness or havoc to the surviving family (immediate and extended).

Hmong cultural belief holds that an individual possesses multiple souls, each with its own significance. Despite the variety of souls, the Hmong emphasize three main souls crucial to understanding birth, life, death, and reincarnation. These are 1) Ntsuj roj, ntsuj ntsha, 2) Ntsuj pa fuab xyw, and 3) Ntsuj xyoob, ntsuj ntoo / Ntsuj xub zeb, hlau xub ntoo. The proper acknowledgment and care of these souls are believed to be integral to maintaining spiritual balance and navigating the cycles of existence in Hmong culture. Furthermore, the transformation of the soul into a malevolent entity may result in haunting and turmoil within the family. Therefore, it is crucial for the family to address the fate of the soul through proper rituals and practices to ensure harmony and protection across generations.

TFL Hmong Shaman

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Lee, T. (2024). Exploring the Three Souls of Hmong Cultural and Spiritual Belief. Wix. https://tflhmongshaman.wixsite.com/tflhmongshaman/single-post/exploring-the-three-souls-of-hmong-cultural-and-spiritual-belief