Taw Kev (Hmong Instructions to the Dead)

***AS A GENERAL RULE, PLEASE DO NOT READ THE HMONG PHRASES BELOW OUT LOUD IN YOUR HOUSE*** YOU CAN READ IT QUIETLY IN YOUR HEAD WHILE AT HOME, BUT DO NOT SAY IT OUT LOUD. THEY ARE ACTUAL PHRASES USED IN THE TAW KEV RITUAL MEANT ONLY FOR THE DECEASED."

The term "taw kev" simply is translated to "point the way." During traditional Hmong funerals, a series of 33 poetic ritual verses are chanted directly to the soul of the deceased. This tends to be one of the first things to occur in the Hmong funeral. These poetic verses contain detailed instructions for the journey to the world of the ancestors. The main purpose of the "taw kev" is to slowly instruct the soul of the deceased from this world back to the soul land; awaited and welcomed by their ancestors before them.

The "txiv taw kev" is the appointed person to sing these poetic verses to the deceased. This appointed person must have extensive knowledge and many years of experience. "Txiv" is the term for father, "taw kev" is the term for point the way. This process can take many hours. The "txiv taw kev" is known for his poetic ability and memorization, as they chant these verses by heart, slowly guiding the deceased from their Earthly home to their final destination with the ancestor. Family members of the deceased are present and sit alongside the "txiv taw kev," telling him where the deceased has lived, so that he can instruct the deceased to trace their steps back.

An important tool the family must prepare for the funeral ritual is called the "txhib ntawg." Similar to divination bull horns that Hmong shamans use to communicate with the spirit world, the txhib ntawg is a divination tool specifically used to communicate with the deceased. It is cut directly from 100% bamboo and can range from 4 - 6inches in length. Elders prefer to have a txhib ntawg with a knot in the middle. The txhib ntawg is split directly vertically in the middle. The txiv taw kev uses the txhib ntawg to communicate with the deceased during this process. They'll toss the divination bamboo onto the floor. It is interpreted by how it lands.

First. The taw kev process first begins with storytelling. The "txiv taw kev" will first ask the deceased if they are truly dead or are they pretending. If they are alive, they must wake up and rejoice with their family. But if they are truly dead, then they must turn an ear and listen to him taw kev "point the way" through 33 verses to his ancestors, turn an eye and face his family mourn for them (the deceased). The tsiv taw kev will say, [DO NOT SAY OUTLOUD]

"Koj tuag daj los tuag tiag, tuag tseeb los tuag cuav. Yog koj tuag daj ces sawv lis tsees los nrog zaj zim zeb nyob ua noj es, yog koj tuag tiag ces qos ntsej, qos muag sis nti, txiv yawg txiv qas tsi yuav hu 33 zaj nkauj dab lus lim taum xa koj mus cuag pog cuag yawg es."

The txiv taw kev will toss the divination bamboo and the deceased will confirm they are in fact departed, and will turn an ear to listen, and turn their eyes to face the mourning of their family.

The Creation Story. The very first verse or part of the taw kev tells the deceased of our creation story. The creation story tells of Niam Nkauj Iab (has feminine traits) thiab Txiv Nraug Oo (has masculine traits). They conceived two sons, Tub Hlob (older son) Tuam Sis Tuj and Tub Yau (younger son) Tuj Lim Nplus. The older son Tuam Sis Tuj will step into the skies and breathe life into it, the younger son Tuj Lim Nplus will step into the land and breath family into it. The txiv taw kev will say, [DO NOT SAY OUTLOUD]

"Tuam sis tuj hlob tiav txuj, Tuam sis tuj yuav los kav lub ntuj. Tuj lis nplus hlov tiav ci, Tuj li nplus yuav kav lub teb."

The seed of life and family is referred to as noob neej, nooj tsav. The txiv taw kev will say, [DO NOT SAY OUTLOUD]

"Tuam Sis Tuj thiab Tuj Lim Nplus mus tsim noob neej, nqaij yog nqaij ciab zib txhav yog txhav plhaub mag."

After the entire creation story is told, this then is followed by instructing the deceased to follow the chicken. In Hmong funeral ritual, we believe that the chicken/rooster guide the deceased to the afterlife. The family prepares a chicken, and the deceased is instructed to follow this chicken. [DO NOT SAY OUTLOUD] "Koj qaib seev yees ua koj ntej, koj seev yees lawv koj qaib qab. Neb sua roj, sua neev mus txog nkawm niam txiv dab rooj txag....etc" says the txiv taw kev.

This represents the qaib hauv ncoo. The chicken will be killed in front of the deceased, cooked, and boiled, then placed by the head/pillow of the deceased to eat and use in the spirit world as their guide. The txiv taw kev will say, [DO NOT SAY OUTLOUD]

"Muaj ib tug qaib hlob qaib tsis paub npe, qaib mus rheeb tsev, muaj ib tug li coj los ua koj tus qaib mus qhia koj kev. Koj tig ntsej, tig muabphlis ua qaib kais, li coj los ua koj tus qaib npog tais, koj tig ntsej, tig muag los saib koj qaib zag, koj qaib ces yog qaib liab, kuv muab phlis ua qaib zoo, yuav coj los ua koj tus qaib hauv ncoo, nov tos."

Second. After the creation story, begins the journey. The txiv taw kev will instruct the deceased to ask their household spirits for permission to leave their house. Hmong culture believes there are household spirits and spirit protectors called, "nkawm niam txiv dab rooj txag" and "dab vaj dab tsev." When a person leaves this world, their spirit begins back at their current home. This is the first place their soul will be after death (excluding violent deaths). The txiv taw kev will say to the spirit of the deceased, [DO NOT SAY OUTLOUD]

"nkawm niam txiv dab rooj txag qhib ncauj qhib lus los hais tias: koj yog hauv tsev tib neeg, koj yuav ntim lub txiaj saub zam lis yeev los mus ua dab tsi?"

-Your household spirits will question you (the deceased) and block the doorway preventing you from going out. They will say to you: you are human, where then do you leave to? -

The txiv taw kev will instruct the spirit of the deceased to say, [DO NOT SAY OUTLOUD]

"mob tuaj los nej tsis thaiv, tuag tuaj los neg tsis ntis, ua mob sis ntxiag tuaj nruab siab, ua noo sis ntxiag tuaj nruab plawv, qaug ib teeg sawv tsis ciaj neeg, qaug ib tsuag sawv raws tsis tau luag."

-You (household spirits) have not protected me from illness nor death. Illness and death have flooded Earth. As I fall, I am human no more but of spirit, and so I must leave the house and be on my way."

The txiv taw kev will also instruct the spirit of the deceased to say that they tried calling the shaman to heal them, but the shaman is of far away land. They tried to find the medicine healer to rid them of the sickness, but the medicine remains on top of far mountains. For this reason, I am of human no more but of spirit, and so I must leave the house and be on my way.

The spirit of the deceased is given permission to leave the house.

Third. Next, the txiv taw kev will instruct the spirit of the deceased to go pass the spirit / protector of the land (upon which they live in). The Hmong believe that each land has its own spirit or protector, and the deceased must be carefully guided back and given permission to leave. For example, if they live in Anchorage, Alaska, the txiv taw kev will instruct the deceased to give thanks to the spirit landowner of Anchorage, Alaska, and ask them to grant permission for him (the deceased) to pass by. The family of the deceased should prepare spirit money (joss paper) on behalf of the deceased to give to each spirit landowner they pass through. As they pass through each destination they once lived, the txiv taw kev burns the spirit money to them. The txiv taw kev will say to the deceased, [DO NOT SAY OUTLOUD]

"koj ua neej nyob koj noj tsuag luag ib tsug zoov, haus tsuag luag ib ntsug dej. Koj yuav mus ua luag tsaug dej, tsaug taws tsaug teb, tsaug chaw, luag li tso koj kev, koj li tau kev mus cuag koj poj koj yawg."

-You are born of human that feasts on their land and drink their water. You (deceased) must thank them for their water, their fire, and their land, so that they will grant you permission to leave the land and join your ancestors."

The spirit of the deceased is given permission to leave the land (and each land, thereafter, depending on where they have lived). If the deceased lived in 20 different cities/states, the txiv taw kev must guide the deceased back through each of the 20 destinations, in chronological order from most current to oldest, and give thanks to each spirit landowner. The purpose of this is to pay respect for the land they once lived and feasted on, understanding that the land we live on is temporary and do not belong to us. The last destination they must go to is the birthplace (I'll share this for another blog post).

These are the first three instructions the dead are guided through. Each part is very extensive and detailed. Each step, each word, is carefully memorized and thought out to ensure a smooth journey for the deceased. The txiv taw kev cannot make a mistake or rush through any part without careful consideration. If the txiv taw kev makes a mistake and does not realize it or correct it, they can become seriously ill. This will cause the deceased to get lost, unrestful, or cause illness, misfortune, or even haunt their family and/ or the txiv taw kev. The taw kev serves as an instruction to the dead, slowly guiding them backwards to rejoice with their ancestors in the land of the ancestors.

Again, as a general rule, refrain from saying the phrases out loud. These are actual phrases used in the taw kev ritual meant for the deceased ONLY and should only be said out loud when you're not in your home or someone else's home. If you say these out loud in your home, it can attract spirits nearby. They'll think you're "pointing the way" or taw kev for them.

I'll work on part 2. If you all want to know more, I'll continue working on explaining the next steps in the taw kev process.

TFL Hmong Shaman