Hmong Shamanism

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Hmong Shamanism
By Vang Xiong
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Hmong Shamanism is a tradition which is very old
and passed down from generations to generations.
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Shamans are a key figure in the hmong culture and
religion. Only a few are chosen to be Shamans in
each of the Hmong families. Being a Shaman means
a big deal to those who still practice the old
ways of the hmong culture.
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These are the tools that a shaman uses to prepare
and perform at certain rituals and ceremonies.
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Here are some more equipments that a Shaman uses
during a ritual or ceremony
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Shamans arent made and neither are they born.
It is believed that during a persons life they
will be chosen by the spirits and will become
very sick. It is believe that you will dream
about riding horse and going over mountains, and
then your family will call forth a shaman. To
perform the first ritual to see if the spirits
have really chosen you to become a shaman.
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One of the rituals that a shaman would perform on
a person who has been ill is called, Calling the
spirit. It is believed that when a persons
spirit leaves their body the will become very
sick, and the shaman will come and perform a
ritual to go look for the spirit and call it back
into the sick persons body.
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Interview with Psychologist Dr. Don
As I interview Dr. Don, I asked him about Hmong
people becoming Christians, and what does he
think about if other people of different
backgrounds practicing Hmong Shamanism? Dr. Don
believes that it will be difficult for other
ethnic backgrounds to practice Hmong Shamanism if
they dont know the language or the culture very
well. But it will be more likely for them to
learn about Hmong Shamanism.
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The End