PebHmong Discussion Forum
General Category => Hmong Culture & History => Hmong Stories => Topic started by: Gutts on November 27, 2010, 08:33:29 PM
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In a dinner conversation with my brother & parents the other night, they mentioned being witness to "dlaab ntaws tsaus" back in Laos. (I believe that's how you spell it.) I was curious to what it was, because it was the first I've ever heard of it.
From what my mom was explaining, it was a series of unexplained lights / torches that was usually seen in the near distance on the surrounding mountain sides. My mother was saying that it usually begins with one light appearing, then more and more will flicker on across the spectrum of the mountain side, and then return to the original location where the first light was spotted.
My brother (mid 30's) claims to have seen and remember it as well. Both my parents confirm it exists, and confirm that their parents before them have seen it.
It's probably something that hasn't been documented by western society (I haven't researched it, but did come accross the "mekong lights"), but it's pretty intriguing.
Have you guys ever seen or discussed such a thing with your parents, or those who lived in Laos?
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dab taws ntsau?
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I don't know what it is. And I don't know if it's true. But, yes, there are sparks like that.
Back in Phabkheb, I was a little kid. We lived on the plateau of a hillside over a huge river. On the other side of the river valley was a Roob Phuam Coos--a large mountain-like hill stretching several miles. At night, we would see such sparks on that hill. The sparks did not go all across the hill. But there were units of sparks that would spread out in all directions, then would run right back to their original spot.
Many have called it dab taws tsau. But others have called it dab ntxaug. Those who claim to know have said that the original spots were just tiny red mice under some kind of elephant grass roots. Many claimed they have dug up those grasses and have found a mouse under them some times. At night, that mouse would then spread those sparks to mark its territories as it was foraging for foods or it was just playing around. Something like that.
I have always thought someone was just playing with firecrackers. Why? At that time, the war was already coming to an end. The Hmong people there have already had access to modern shelled powders, grenades, and other ammos that would have been used to form sparks like so. Someone might have just been playing with them on the hill I was looking at at night. That was my thought.
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I don't know what it is. And I don't know if it's true. But, yes, there are sparks like that.
Back in Phabkheb, I was a little kid. We lived on the plateau of a hillside over a huge river. On the other side of the river valley was a Roob Phuam Coos--a large mountain-like hill stretching several miles. At night, we would see such sparks on that hill. The sparks did not go all across the hill. But there were units of sparks that would spread out in all directions, then would run right back to their original spot.
Many have called it dab taws tsau. But others have called it dab ntxaug. Those who claim to know have said that the original spots were just tiny red mice under some kind of elephant grass roots. Many claimed they have dug up those grasses and have found a mouse under them some times. At night, that mouse would then spread those sparks to mark its territories as it was foraging for foods or it was just playing around. Something like that.
I have always thought someone was just playing with firecrackers. Why? At that time, the war was already coming to an end. The Hmong people there have already had access to modern shelled powders, grenades, and other ammos that would have been used to form sparks like so. Someone might have just been playing with them on the hill I was looking at at night. That was my thought.
So does it look like flares? Fire works? Torches? It would be interesting, to see if this sort of thing was witnessed by our parents parents. I'd ask next time & will provide an update.
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So does it look like flares? Fire works? Torches? It would be interesting, to see if this sort of thing was witnessed by our parents parents. I'd ask next time & will provide an update.
They are independent red sparks. They jump out some distance and then roll back to the original spot at the same time.
From the distance, I could not tell if they were flames.
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I not sure but i saw it in my own eyes back in laos, it only happened where the cemetery was, i believed it.
no question.
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According to my elders, these are mices without their fur. Kinda like baby mices (nas liab). As Reporter stated, some call it Dab Taws Tsau and others know it as Dab Ntxaug. It is said that if anyone or villages that have these dab ntxaug around are at great risk of death as these mouse-like creatures would appear to be naked baby mices out in the open. If they are bothered or harmed by an individual, then that individuals family befalls great death. There have been stories told of families that has lost everyone due to these dab ntxaug.
These dab ntxaug usually reside in huge dirt mounds like ant hills according to elders. At night as you all have mentioned, one spark starts then it triggers like a wild fire. Usually from a distance, these light are like flames, and when it starts to propagate itself, it would catch on like wildfire and spread all over the place. When it wants to retreat, it would just die out instantly like when it first started and ends up usually at the same spot.
During the times in the refugee camp in thailand, I've only witness it once. I don't believe this phenomanon has been investigated by westerners yet. It would be interesting if this was caught on video and see how these flames propagates.
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Iono bout such things, but back when I was little and we used to walk around in the evenings when it got dark, we'd pick up a couple of rocks and bang them against each other to make sparks. Thought that was cool, but from a distance, it looked like something flashing. Especially when there were 4 or 5 of us doing this. I'm sure someone probably saw it and thought we were ghosts or something.
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Iono bout such things, but back when I was little and we used to walk around in the evenings when it got dark, we'd pick up a couple of rocks and bang them against each other to make sparks. Thought that was cool, but from a distance, it looked like something flashing. Especially when there were 4 or 5 of us doing this. I'm sure someone probably saw it and thought we were ghosts or something.
Those stone crystals you are talking about did not create large enough sparks to glow at such distances we are talking about. You couldn't even make fires of those rock sparks. :2funny: :2funny: We are talking about flame-like glitters.
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So its not actually ghost but just mice without furs?
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how can mice without fur cause red lights??
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So its not actually ghost but just mice without furs?
how can mice without fur cause red lights??
I wouldn't say they are ghosts, but some form of creature that posses some kind of power. Of all the stories heard, they are always in the form of naked mices when seen by people.
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This myth of "dlaab taws tsaus" is not really demons or evil spirits but "field mice". These mice glow in the dark like flames. AT night when alot of them come out in large group, their glowing body form a burning flames like a torch. Our OGs are so behind technologies and studies that they lack of understanding of these kind of phenomenum that's all.
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This myth of "dlaab taws tsaus" is not really demons or evil spirits but "field mice". These mice glow in the dark like flames. AT night when alot of them come out in large group, their glowing body form a burning flames like a torch. Our OGs are so behind technologies and studies that they lack of understanding of these kind of phenomenum that's all.
And you have proof of your assertion? What are these so-called mice called? Scientific, please (aka, Latin).
I have also heard of these stories from my dad. He also said one of his friends died as a result of trying to spook one since he thought they were girls making their way home from gathering wood. He came home and became ill several days later and died.
I would be interested in Beast Hunter, Nat Geo doing an investigation. Anyone care to put in an inquiry on my behalf?
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how can mice without fur cause red lights??
Some people say naked red mice...lol...
Well, how else would they have created red sparks if they weren't red, huh?
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Below are some glowing red mice. In our third world country "Laos", there's no electric lights or lamp anywhere near the jungle. At night on a full moon, one can walk through the jungle without lights by depending on glowing mushrooms or dead trees. These mushrooms and dead trees won't be so bright if there are street lights, but in the dark it can be real shiny.
The same way these mice works. At night when it really dark, as I mentioned above about third world country without street lights, you can easily see these mice's glow. As I mentioned on my above post that when alot of these mice come together, their body's glow will form a bigger light. Therefore, when our OG saw these red glowing flame in the forest or jungle, they think its a fire burning flame that they thought were carried by some sort of demons.
(http://images.forbes.com/media/2005/09/glowingmice_1.jpg)
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Well, I may have exaggerated a little there about walking in the jungle at night but the point I try to get accross is that Hmong villages in Laos back then are very dark due to the lack of electricity. Anything that glows in the dark can be very bright as I mentioned above at night. These glow in the dark mice can be very bright at night in those dark hmong villages and farms.
I remember the OG mentioned that they even saw these fire flames travel back and forth like these demon come out to play or celebrate. If you look at these mice in their perspective, you will see that at night these mice come out to eat hmong rice in the rice field and are running around back and forth everywhere. It just make perfectly sense to me that the glowing red flames our OG saw are just these glowing in the dark mice coming out to eat rice in the rice farm.
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The OG try to scare people off for not going out at night by telling them that those flames are demons coming out at night just like the movie "the Village".. Y'all have got to go see the movie "The Village".. so funny if you think about how uneducated our OGs are..
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Another assumption is that it's caused by methane gases. This phonomenon is actually more widespread than I thought and is given the name Will-o-the-wisp. There's even a video game character in Final Fantasy given to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o%27-the-wisp
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What I told you guys above is not an assumption, but have been proven by scientist. They set up cameras at night in those places and saw many glowing mice come out during those times.
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I wonder if it was like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98ss17HFKKU
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OK. Looks like many of you are speaking about what you "have heard." Let me demonstrate to you what I "actually saw."
Each night, I would look out our door from another mountain. The sparks were happening on Mount Phu Chong in the distance. Not sure how far but they were visible enough, I could see the flashes as deep glittery pinkish red sparks. The sparks shot out from one location in all directions in about equadistant from one another. All tossed out into a radius from their original position where they were once together. Then the sparks would roll back to the center where there first started out. They would shoot out again all at the same time. (See the picture of the fire cracker below for a simulation.)
(http://judys424.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/diwali-fire-crackers.jpg)
Of course, there weren't that many sparks. Just about 5 or 6. They looked round in the distance and not too big. Not even like a tennis ball. Maybe just a bit bigger than a regular marble.
The sparks were not big enough to create any kind of ray or any kind of light for any one to walk in the dark on.
The elders said those were dab ntxaug hunting for foods and playing at night. No Hmong was capable of creating those sparks, not even during the war era. Some elders said those sparks have happened long before the war, too, and that's how they have come to be known as dab ntxaug already.
I didn't see just one group. I saw lots of different groups in different locations on Mount Phu Chong. The groups didn't all spark out at the same time. There were no houses or thatches where those sparks were coming out of. No roads.
Some scientific mind should go and investigate. Just be sure to take a long a shaman's sword with ya!! ;D
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My stepmom says her & her mom has. They would run in crosses & x's & circles & etc. Its really weird.