(The story of Siv Yis)

Siv Yis was a healer sent to the Hmong people.  His duty was to cure all the sick people.  He married a Hmong woman who soon gave birth to a son, but soon after, he left her and all people.  Heaven requested him to go back because diseases had approached the area.  After he stopped the diseases, he returned home.   Not long after he returned home, Heaven requested him again because the same problems appeared.  Once again he left his family and people.

Heaven, ungratefully, took the spirit of Siv Yis’s son and replaced it with the spirit of the chicken Siv Yis would be using to sacrifice, but Siv Yis had no idea.

For many months Siv Yis didn’t return home.  The relatives of Siv Yis approached him and exclaimed to him that his son was near death.  Siv Yis quickly packed his belongings and left for home.  As soon as he reached his home, he performed a healing ritual.  His son spoke to him miserably, “Father, don’t waste your time trying to help me because no matter what you do, I will never be cured.  My spirit was taken by heaven for you to use.  My soul is no longer with me. I will never get my soul back.”

Soon after the words of the Siv Yis’s son were heard, the son left his family and everyone else.  Siv Yis broken hearted cried for many days.  He sacrificed the calf for his son and continued to cry for days.  His broken heart seemed unable to be heal.

Siv Yis was called again from Heaven.  He left earth for a long time with no message sent to his family.  Unfortunately, a malevolent lord, Ntxwg Nyoog, kidnapped his wife.

Siv Yis left Heaven and then returned home.  He found his house to be damaged and all the animals were in bad shape.  He couldn’t find his wife, but he found footsteps of the malevolent Lord.  He followed the footsteps and soon saw his wife living with the malevolent Lord.  His wife saw Siv Yis and said to him, “Siv Yis, you left for a long time.  The malevolent lord had reached me and took me away to be his.  He is evil and powerful don’t come here, please go back.  If he sees you, he will tear you apart.”

Siv Yis refused to go.  His wife, frightened, for her husband’s life, told him that if he won’t believe her, then he should hide behind the bushes and watch the malevolent Lord’s actions.

Darkness fell and Ntxwg Nyoog appeared.  His lips and teeth were covered in blood.  Siv Yis was so scared that he finally gave up and ran home.  Siv Yis continued to go visit his wife.  Every time he went, he would try to kill Ntxwg Nyoog.  One day, his wife handed him an arrow made out of metal.  Siv Yis waited for a long time before Ntxwg Nyoog showed up. Siv Yis readied his arrow, set it at a target and boom! Siv Yis shot Nyoog.  Siv Yis grabbed for his wife’s hand and then they ran off leaving Ntxwg Nyoog. Their life went back to normal, but unfortunately Siv Yis’s wife couldn’t give birth to a baby.

One day Siv Yis and his wife decided to leave earth and continued their life up in Heaven.  Siv Yis concluded that life in earth contains too much drama and evil monsters.  He packed all of his shaman tools and everything a shaman needs.  When Siv Yis reached half way to heaven, he threw all his shaman things to earth.  With that he left a message:  “Living in earth; so full of depression…” whoever finds a tool of his will become a shaman.

(Interview - Wa Shoua Xiong 7/9/04)

Siv Yis (The first shaman) / Hmong Shaman / Tools / Ceremony /
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