The First Hmong Shaman: How the Shaman Got His Power
One of the most sacred Hmong myths explains the origins of shamanic power and the relationship between the human and spirit worlds. According to legend, there was once a man whose wife became gravely ill. Desperate to save her, he journeyed to the spirit world (yeeb ceeb), guided by a benevolent spirit. There he met the spirits of his ancestors and the king of the spirits (Ntuj), who showed him the sacred rituals, chants, and healing practices. The spirits taught him how to beat the drum to call spirits, how to swing the rattle bells (nyiaj cuam) to open gates between worlds, and how to sacrif