Hmong Wedding/Funeral Songs Videos Project

It is the goal of the Hmong Cultural Center's Hmong Wedding and Funeral Songs Videos project to promote increased knowledge of and interest in orally recited Hmong Wedding and Funeral Songs and the Hmong Folk Arts Tradition among Hmong and non-Hmong children, youth and adults in Minnesota and the United States more generally.

All of the orally recited Hmong Wedding and Funeral songs presented here are performed as part of Hmong Weddings and Funerals and taught in classes at Hmong Cultural Center.  In the videos, the songs are orally recited and performed by instructors and students at Hmong Cultural Center. All videos were filmed by videographer Mitch Lee.

This project has been supported by Folk Arts grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the latter activity was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Hmong Wedding Songs Videos

Brief Overview of the Origin of the Hmong Wedding, Hmong Language Lecture by Shoua Sue Lee.

Zaj Npua Luam Xim = Food Offering to the Family. Performed by Tsav Yeej Thoj. This orally recited Wedding Song is performed at the Hmong Wedding Ceremony to invite the family and relatives to the Wedding Feast. The Wedding Feast involves the dinner of a pig. It is held in honor of the parents on the bride’s side for making the success of the wedding possible.

Laig Dab Su = Offering the Spirits of Mother Nature Lunch on the Way to the Groom’s House. Performed by Vam Xeeb Xyooj. This orally recited Wedding Song is performed as part of the Hmong Wedding Ceremony as the Hmong marriage facilitator, the negotiator (mejkoob) takes the bride to the groom’s house. A purpose of this wedding song is to offer the spirits in nature gifts for having made the good health of the couple and the wedding, more generally possible. The song is also intended as a way to ask the groom’s ancestors for assistance in helping facilitate a successful wedding process.

Zaj Qaib QhiaTsiaj = Offering of Chickens for Good Fortune. Performed by Shoua Sue Lee. This orally recited Wedding Song is performed during the Hmong Wedding Ceremony as a hoped for source of good luck and fortune for the couple. This song is performed at the end  process of negotiating at the bride's parents house.

Hmong Funeral Songs Videos

Tsav Txiv Qeej = Postponement of Qeej Playing. Performed by Vam Xeeb Xyooj. This orally recited Hmong Funeral Song is intended to announce the restarting of the Qeej instrument playing during the funeral ceremony after the oral funeral reciter has finished chanting songs. This song is recited in the early morning hours, perhaps around 3 or 4 AM, with the goal of waking up the designated Qeej instrument performer, who will be needed to finish playing the end series of important Qeej instrument songs in the funeral ceremony.

Qhia Kom = Guiding Information for the Family. Performed by Tswj Fwm Lis. This orally recited Hmong Funeral Song is intended to provide guidance to the family of the deceased at the funeral ceremony. The song offers instructions to the surviving family members to love and support one another. The song is intended to teach and guide the children of the deceased to live moral and productive lives in the future.

Thuam Txiv Xaiv = Comparing this Hmong Funeral Ritual Song to Others. Performed by Tswj Fwm Lis. This orally recited song performed in the opening part of the funeral ceremony is intended to provide the listener with information about how the songs performed at this particular funeral compared to those performed at other traditional Hmong funerals. The reciter modestly acknowledges in the song that he may not have the greatest voice or be the most talented performer but that he has been chosen by the immediate family to perform to his best ability.  

Tsa Rooj = Performing the Ritual of Raising the Table to Return to the Family. Performed by Shoua Sue Lee. This orally recited song is performed during the Hmong funeral ceremony as the table involved in the ceremony is raised for return to the family of the deceased. The song is intended to let the family of the deceased know that after the ceremony life will return to a sense of normalcy and that they will gain economic financial success; become prominent leaders and continue to cherish endless weddings and countless feasts in the years to come.

Tsaws Tim Txhuv Qe Rau Xyom Cuab = Bringing the Spirits from the Sacrifice of the Cow to the Children, i.e. the Cow Blessing. Performed by Txooj Ntxawg Yaj. This orally recited song is performed during the Hmong funeral ceremony with the key intention to request that the aunts and uncles and other relatives of the family of the deceased contribute funds as a way of bringing luck to the surviving children. The reciter also states in the song that the deceased parent’s spirit has accepted the cow and with this in mind they will receive great fortune and restore luck to the deceased’s children for years to come.

Tsa Txhiaj Meej = Raising the Door Spirit. Performed by Vam Xeeb Xyooj. This orally recited funeral song is performed to raise the door spirit to serve as a guard during the traditional Hmong funeral ceremony. The song is intended as a reminder to the deceased’s family that 13 days after the burial they should go seek a local shaman to perform a ceremony to protect the family from any outside evil spirits.

Tuam Rooj = Pushing the Spirit to the Afterworld. Performed by Shoua Sue Lee. This orally recited funeral song is performed during the Hmong funeral ceremony to push the spirit of the deceased out of the human world and to the afterlife. A purpose of this song is to tell the family that bad fortune will not likely reappear soon. From here on the family should be free worrying of any evil spirits.

Tsaws Plig Nyiaj Plig Kub = Offering Feelings of Goodwill to the Children. Performed by Shoua Sue Lee. This orally recited funeral song is performed during the Hmong funeral ceremony as a gesture of goodwill to the children and young people in the family of the deceased. The reciter of the song also encourages relatives and friends to provide funds as a way of bringing charm or luck to the surviving children.

Zaj Xa Tus Qauv = Ending the Funeral Ritual Ceremony for the Deceased. Performed by Tswj Fwm Lis. This orally recited Hmong funeral song is performed during the traditional Hmong funeral ceremony with the express purpose of ending the funeral ceremony. This song is intended to let the deceased’s loved ones know that their relative is now gone from earth and that his/her kindness will be forever lost and remembered.