The meaning of the "Dab Tsho"...can someone share the story?

[J.]

You know how in the back of the Hmong woman's costume shirt, the patterned flap that hangs behind her neck? There is a significance and story behind it.

[Reporter]

What is it?

Based on its name, I'm thinking it's the Spirit's Shirt. So it must have been made there so that no spirit can follow the human? If it tries to follow, it gets stuck there or something?

[Jubi]

Reporter, the legend that I've heard and what the mom has told me was, a long time ago, there was a great Hmong King. (Anybody can correct me on this story too.) But he knows that one day he will die and he will need a successor to take his place. He asked that if anyone can kill the enemy and bring back his head, then that person would become the new ruler of the Hmong people. But this was only suppose to be a test of loyalty, between the men and the women. None of the men would go out and kill their enemy. Instead a woman was able to behead and kill the enemy and bring back the head of the enemy to the Hmong King. The Hmong King ponders this. He concludes that women are indeed more determined than the men, they are also more devious and "phem" than the men. Women can kill. If she can be able to kill someone else with her own hands, she can kill her own husband as well. No man could take on the mission, but a woman was able to kill a man and bring back his head. So the Hmong King told his people that from now on, the Hmong women shall be branded as "monsters" or the evil ones. 

*shrugs*

I think it makes some sense.

[Amara]

Reporter, the legend that I've heard and what the mom has told me was, a long time ago, there was a great Hmong King. (Anybody can correct me on this story too.) But he knows that one day he will die and he will need a successor to take his place. He asked that if anyone can kill the enemy and bring back his head, then that person would become the new ruler of the Hmong people. But this was only suppose to be a test of loyalty, between the men and the women. None of the men would go out and kill their enemy. Instead a woman was able to behead and kill the enemy and bring back the head of the enemy to the Hmong King. The Hmong King ponders this. He concludes that women are indeed more determined than the men, they are also more devious and "phem" than the men. Women can kill. If she can be able to kill someone else with her own hands, she can kill her own husband as well. No man could take on the mission, but a woman was able to kill a man and bring back his head. So the Hmong King told his people that from now on, the Hmong women shall be branded as "monsters" or the evil ones. 

*shrugs*

I think it makes some sense.

This is the same story I've heard in regards to why Hmong women wear earrings.

[Moospej]

It was Yawm Saub not the Hmong King. Yawm Saub ask the Hmong man to behead their wife and he'll make them king but none of them did. Yawm Saub ask Hmong woman to behead their husband and he'll make them the ruler and without any hesitation the Hmong woman did. From that day on Yawm Saub thiaj li muab daim ntawv tua txiv rau cov poj niam Hmong coj nraum nrab qaub thiab muab lawv tho plob ntseg.

[yaweh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flimOCusDJQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbGJWsbYVGg

the story of lub dab tsho made its significance during tooj nchai siv yig and sub tuam's battle.  refer to the links above.  when siv yig and loob yeeg (sub tuam's son) were questioning each other on what their strength/power is based on, sivyig lied and said that his power is based on his "dab tsho," refeering to the the red/blue/black/green strings used to xaws lub dab tsho.  sivyig went on to lie that whenever loobyeeg and subtuam cut him, sivyig was able to "xaws" his body back--referring to the way he "xaws" his dab tsho....

the lie worked and sivyig was able to kill loobyeeg....an d eventually killed his father subtuam as well...further more, sivyig was practicing cannibalism (suggested by the story)...however, he fed loobyeeg's body to subtuam...and after he killed subtuam, he fed subtuam's body to subtuam's wife....due to this blasphemous act, mankind was cursed...and thus we have "vij sub vij sw"....hence mong thiaj li "lwm sub" and "tu sub"....

back to the dabtsho, ever since that time, mong wear their dabtsho face down...to hide man's "life" from pog sub tuam...and thus, wearing dabtsho face down became a "tradition/religious" practice ever since.

this story is long....and i'm just hitting the shell of it...for more info...ask your daddy.

yaweh