To the Hmong, the roof and rafters of a house
represent heaven while the floor stands for the
earth, the world of nature. Between the two is
the world of men. In Hmong belief, a variety of
spirits inhabits and protects the house. Each
must be treated respectfully. The number of
spirits varies by clan, but usually there are
seven. To honor the
spirit of the main door
lintel a red cloth is pinned over the
door to cover several coins placed
there. The cloth is replaced every New Year.
The
spirit of the main bedroom resides in a gourd maintained by the wife,
though the husband carries out rituals
related to it.
Some Hmong groups sacrifice a pig every 2-3
years to the
spirit of the central house
post.
Spirits of prosperity are located in a rice paper altar on a wall
opposite the main door. Blood and feathers
of sacrificed chickens are daubed on the
paper to appeal to these spirits of wealth
and riches thought to protect the entire
household.
Other spirits include the
spirit of the
main fireplace, the
spirit of the
secondary hearth, and the
guardian of
the loft. (Source: Robert Cooper,
The Hmong: A Guide to Traditional Lifestyles,
pages 107-108)
Pray:
- Heavenly Father, we pray that the Hmong
will hear about the sacrifice of Your
son, Jesus. Free them from bondage to
evil spirits and demands of sacrifices
to them. Overwhelm them with news of
Your love.
- For them to hear, messengers must go.
Send laborers to the harvest.
- Speed the development of training and
teaching tapes in various Hmong
dialects. Provide human resources for
taping and monetary resources for
cassette players.
- Smooth relationships with local
government authorities so one of the
Bible translation projects can proceed
without danger to Hmong believers
working on the project.
