PebHmong Discussion Forum

General Category => Hmong Culture & History => Funeral Rituals & Customs => Topic started by: Mr_Perfect on February 08, 2014, 05:43:01 PM

Title: hmong funeral question?
Post by: Mr_Perfect on February 08, 2014, 05:43:01 PM
I heard a few talking about to this need some expert to tell me...on the day heading to the cemetery before carrying the dead out of the funeral to the car does the head side goes out first or the feet side...anybody know??
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: Wi_sweetguy on February 08, 2014, 10:26:54 PM
My friend,

From what I know and have seen, the head goes in first.  When you take it out of the car and bring it to the site. The head should always lead.  The tricky part is how you set the coffin in the grave.  Many people have different way of beliefs and that is how they determine which direction to set the grave.  My had recent talk with my father when my uncle died and he said that you have to look at the Mej Thob and that determines where you set the position of the head facing east, west, south, and north.  This is how we determine where the head will be position and directed.  The head should always point the direction of the highest peak so they can over look.  I forgot about how the sun factors in the direction, but never put their grave under the tree or by the streets.  They will dislike that.  Lastly, before you cover the dirt you say a ritual telling the decreased his boundaries and some other stuff.  Interesting isn't it?
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: Wi_sweetguy on February 08, 2014, 10:45:17 PM
Also, I believe it's where the sun shine from.

You might be right.  I will double check for our interest.
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: Mr_Perfect on February 09, 2014, 10:53:22 AM
Thanks for the reply but my question was not how u put the dead inside the car it's BEFORE you carry it out of the funeral house to the car...is it the head side or the feet side
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: yuknowthat on February 09, 2014, 09:31:28 PM
Tig taub hau ntsia sab hnub tuaj....yog thaum coj mus zais, yog tawm rooj ces tau haus ua ntej..
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: Believe_N_Me on March 12, 2014, 02:14:18 AM
Tig taub hau ntsia sab hnub tuaj....yog thaum coj mus zais, yog tawm rooj ces tau haus ua ntej..

I believe this is correct.

Anyways, I normally don't stick around long enough to see the burial to completion. Up until recently I haven't had anybody real close to me die. However, there is something new to learn every time. The last one I went to was somebody really close. Before the lowering of the casket the male head of household took pliers in order to remove the metal braces that keep the corpse's mouth closed. Apparently, the Hmong do not believe burying their dead with non-biodegradable items because it confines the deceased and prevents them from moving forward to the spiritual afterlife. Has anybody of you been put to the task of doing this for your deceased love one?

There are those that claim they forgot to do this and their deceased one haunts them, telling them that they cannot speak in the afterlife.
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: Why So Serious on March 12, 2014, 07:19:14 AM
hmong funerals are so far off from it's original form... actually, a lot of our current hmong ways are so off from it's original form, it saddens me.

do you even know why we hit the drums at our funerals? why do we eat during our funerals? why do we wish that our deceased ones go on and not come back from the afterlife?
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: gold_spilo on March 12, 2014, 02:29:59 PM
Sorry to spoil but the head almost always goes first.because the guy driving the hurst??? Says so...
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: chidorix0x on June 24, 2014, 05:32:54 PM
hmong funerals are so far off from it's original form... actually, a lot of our current hmong ways are so off from it's original form, it saddens me.

do you even know why we hit the drums at our funerals? why do we eat during our funerals? why do we wish that our deceased ones go on and not come back from the afterlife?

LMAO!  (Obviously you must know MORE -- all the ORIGINAL FACTS/NORMS -- than all the elders, aka, Kav Xwm, Txiv Qeej, Xeev Txwj Laug, Txiv Coj Xai etc. etc. right?  Please kiddo.  That was a HILARIOUS oxymoron!)

Unless you are specifically referring to "Hmong-Christians" (wanna-bees), then I assure you, the traditional Hmong funeral recites is quite pristine, amidst all of the Western Christmas wrappings, bows, and pixie dust sprinklings.

Just take my word for it as I am sure I probably know more about this or anything Hmong-centric than you, or the lot of you PHers -- even some elders ...  :police: .
Title: Re: hmong funeral question?
Post by: chidorix0x on June 24, 2014, 05:41:58 PM
To ANSWER the question:
The "head" must always be first when exciting the funeral home.  This is TRUE for all Hmong; Green, White, Black, or Red -- at least for SE Asian/Western Hmong.  (Who knows regarding our Chinese amigo-Hmong, as they have had 1000+ years of Chinese assimilation.)

As for the burial site and how to position the body (head/feet); that is all dependent on the location or "Looj Mem".  The NORM however, despite the location, is that the head rest on the East, and feet towards the West.  This is so that as the sun rises, it will raise the head of the deceased, as if waking him/her up, or arising them from their sleep/death.  (Yes, this is the general/popular Hmong belief.)