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Author Topic: hmong funeral question  (Read 2216 times)

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IsaacsLove

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hmong funeral question
« on: January 11, 2012, 12:37:18 AM »

Does anyone know if the flower that is placed on the table for a ritual at the last night of the funeral is given to the guy performing the ritual?

I am not talking about the sympathy floral arrangment on a tri-pod placed next or in front of the casket.



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NkaujZooKiss

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Re: hmong funeral question
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2012, 04:48:09 AM »
NO, before the ritual (hais xij) begins if U are the Nyab, U are suppose to set up the blessing table. Lay over the cotton table cloth, place a bouquet of flowers in the middle and then place and light 2 candles on each side. After the ritual is over, U (the Nyab) will take everything with U, that is to kept for koom hmoov!
I hope this helps answer your question.



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yaweh

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Re: hmong funeral question
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2012, 10:44:31 AM »
the issue of flowers....the true meaning...

the younger generation do not know of the smybolic meaning of the flowers.  in fact, most elders are not aware of this either mainly becuase only about 10% of all mong still use them.  the flower during lub rooj xaiv is not "los txais koob moov"...

whenever hmoob muaj ib rooj plaub (whenever there is problem between two parties), hmong always use flowers, as a symbol of "lus xaiv"...for hmong, when someone is "sueing" someone else, during the "xyuam phiaj" ritual, two flowers will be presented, along with wine, ntxuag, and money as the payment.  the meaning of the flower is the desire to have the "problem" solved so that the situation could be "as clean as the flowers"....there are some other explainations out there, but this is the one i was taught.

the funeral table (lub rooj xim) is nothing more than "ib lub rooj plaub" between the dead person and others...or between the dead and the ones sitting at the table...or it could be problems arising from the way the funeral is being performed...wh atever the case is, lub rooj xim or rooj xaiv literally means "problematic table"...and the flower is also used as a similar function in this case.  when a person dies, all "his/her" problems must be solved first...so that the soul can be clean of these "dirt" and have a clean reincaration/rebirth.  any others who have problems (usually money, materialisitic posessions etc..) with the dead must also present his/her case during this time, so that the soul could rid itself of these earthly problems before he make his journey....in other word, the soul must be as clean as the flowers before his/her journey.

after all the problems are solved...the "blessing part" comes into play to the descendants of the dead...

yaweh



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