Chai Khue Xiong is a Hmong elder who knows Hmong tradition very well and shares his insights with SBS Hmong about the 12 zodiac animals which each rotating to represent each Lunar New Year. But what are their significance towards Hmong traditions.
'According to elders who passed down this knowledge to Hmong community, thee are many nations like Lao, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese are those who belief in the 12 zodiac animals that representing each Lunar New Year.'
Long time ago almighty god wanted to choose some animals to represent each Lunar Year, and if he only chooses domestic animals it would not fair toward wild animals - this incidents was involved for both heaven and underworld. Therefore he chose half of domestic animal and the other half wild animals in total of 12 zodiac animals to represent each Luna New Year.
'Nowadays, Hmong reside in the United States thus they know how to make the Lunar New Year Calendar as other nations. But Hmong elders in Australia can't do that yet,' says Mr Xiong.
'These zodiac animals are very very important - When we mention about Hmong, and according to our history, our ancestors and Hmong heritage as well as Hmong traditions that has been passing down from generations to generations - the 12th month of Hmong will end and starting on January when the moon waxes - that is when Hmong recognises as New Year. This year for instance is the Water Tiger who replaces the Ox from the previous year. And so Tiger will takes control of this whole year,' says Mr Xiong.
'According to what my teacher taught me about these 12 zodiac animals -if Tiger represent this Lunar New Year then the next zodiac animals along with Tiger will also represent this Lunar New Year.'
'Tiger will have a control on the first month until the 30th of January, then the next animal in line will represent February and will rotate to the next animals until it covers the whole year.'
'If there is someone who is sick and ask me to check (saib yaig), I would quickly calculate the time and the day in which that person get sick, whether it is a crescent or waxed moon day, at what time that person get sick, what zodiac animal is in control at that time or that day. When we mention about these 12 zodiac animals, at 6 am in the morning there will be first animal who controls that hour and the next will control from 7 am for the next hour and it will rotate like this for all 12 animals who control each hour until their turn is over and then the cycle starts again. And if some one ask us to saib yaig and we can calculate the time correctly according to that particular day or month, then we will know that that person just catch a cold or but if that person get severe illness that require medical attention
If you can calculate the situation correctly on that particular day or that particular month, and if someone want us to ''saib yaig'' or doing Hmong rituals to see what is wrong or what could happen, when we check we will know that it is just a flu. And if that person is really sick and should seek medical treatment, when we check we will know that we need shaman and we need medicine to treat that person, and should be treated by health professional.
If there is something gone missing, when we calculate the time, we can say that it could be a man who might find it and if you ask that person s/he will return that item to you.
That is because when we calculate the time, we will know what animal is representing today, what waxing day is the moon, we know that which time is Yin or Yang. So when we calculate the time where an item is lost or misplaced, and the person who might get that item is a lady, then soon after that the owner will get their item returned.
By word of mouth about what we predicted and calculated are corrected, and when someone lost their items (things of value) they can find it or get it back. Therefore Hmong belief in the calculation of time that we correctly predict what could happen.
One of my uncle who was no long with us is someone who I really trust when it comes to calculating auspicious time. If someone come to ask him for help, he could tell that if the person who is really sick that need help has already passed away while other people are on their way to ask him for help. He would say to those came that he could not save their loved one and please return home. And when they got home. that sick person has already passed away exactly liked he said. So this uncle of ours is very good at what he did - like a fortune teller.
When we mention about Phou Nhai region, there is one Hmong Her elder who is as capable as our uncle when it comes to calculating auspicious time. So I asked this person and he said to me, 'Son you have studied the 12 zodiac animals already so you just calculating time base on those animals. So I just calculating auspicious time base on these 12 zodiac animals. So it is exactly the same knowledge that our uncle taught my father.
Because since the time of dawn that Hmong existed, and Chi You the Hmong great king are throned, god had given Hmong this knowledge and said to the Hmong that Hmong only need to check the moon. When the 12th month in Hmong calendar ends January would normally start. That is how Hmong used to practice.
'Personally, I think Lee Chai is one of very few Hmong that can be trusted on this matter like us. And he is the best person who actually preserve Hmong history. Other than that even though they know, they might not be about to tell a Hmong history in detail like our elders used to,' says Mr Xiong.
As I remember growing back in our homeland, many nationalities like Hmong, Chinese, Laos are those who have traditions related to these 12 zodiac animals.
But besides those mentioned above, is there anything else that involves with the auspicious time or ill-omened time as well?
Mr Xiong says that yes it is related too. If you start with an auspicious time after calculating the good time for outing, you will not experience any bad incidents. But if you going out on a bad timing, even though you persuade 4 or 5 of your friends to go somewhere together, during half way to your destination while you are having lunch, one of your friends will decide to return home. So Hmong people really believe in the power of these zodiac animals that control particular time.
Our great grand parents used to practice it but since Hmong migrated from China to Southeast Asia and our elders are no longer with us, we kind of lost our mother tongue and the knowledge. Until Yang Song Lue, the Hmong 'mother of writing' create Hmong alphabets for Hmong people, then Hmong once again have their own language. But because Hmong has no written system since then Hmong uses other nations' languages, their heritage and then doesn't appreciate Hmong traditions as important.
rau hnub zwj Teeb (Thursday) thaum 6 pm AEDT thiab hnub zwj Hnub (Sunday) thaum 11 am AEDT los yog koom tau ntxiv ntawm ,, , thiab los yog download kom koj mloog tau SBS Hmong.
