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Lub
hauvpaug hab tug caag ntawm Moob tes muaj ib paab xwb, tabsis
thaum Moob hab Suav ua tsuvrog tes Moob tawg ua-saab ua-sua ua
ntau paab ntau pawg lawm. Txij ntawd lug, Moob has ntau hom
lug hab muaj ntau paab, xws le Moob Dlub, Moob Yaub Tshuab hab
lwm yaam Moob kws peb tub paub tsi tau has tas puab yog hom
Moob dlaabtsi. Tabsis lub suab has tas “Moob” (Mong) nuav
yog ib lub suab kws meej tshaaj rua suavdlawg. Lub suab kws
has tas “Hmoob” (Hmong) nua tsuas yog has tau meej rua ib
paab kws puab tau txa lug ntawm cov lug Moob xwb. Lu-lug
“Moob” (Mong) yog tug caag tag tag kws yog lug ntawm hom
lug kws cov Moob Leeg tseem siv najnub nua.
Qhov tseeb ntawm cov “Moob Leeg” hab “Hmoob Dawb”
mas nwg yog tuab cov tuabneeg.
Suavdlawg siskoom sab lug tivthaiv tuav lub npe "Moob."
Suavdlawg lug tawmtsaam tuab tug yeebncuab ua ntu zug lug tsi
has nthwv rog twg.
Vim txuj
kev ua tsuvrog, Moob txhaj tau hu sav lug ua ob lub npe, los
yog ua ob paab tuabneeg.
Ib txha Moob txhale tau txa hab hloov puab cov lug Moob
lawm. Thaum puab txa lawm, puab hu puab tug kheej ua "Hmoob"
hab puab has tas puab yog "Hmoob Dawb" (Hmong Der),
txhais has tas yog tug tsim muaj txim.
Lub
hauvpaug thaus muaj lub npe "Hmoob Dawb" ntawd tsi
yog sistawg losyog tsis muaj kev tsi sishum ntawm Moob. Nwg tsuas yog ib txuj kev cawmsav ntawm ib pawg
tuabneeg Moob xwb. Pawg tuabneeg Moob nuav muaj ib tug muam
kws muaj txujci zoo. Nwg txhajle nrhav kev lug cawm cov
txivneej ntawm pawg ntawd vim lub sijhawm ntawd, Moob hab Suav
ua tsuvrog sistua luj heev. Thaum kws Moob swb Suav lawm tes,
Suav txhaj caum Moob tua. Suav yuav muab cov txivneej Moob tua
kuas tuag taag. Pawg Moob ntawd tug muam txhaj tau muab lub
tswvyim has tas, “ca muab mej cov lug hloov ib qho mivntsiv
kuas txawv hab muab mej cov roogtsho hloov, mas kuv txhaj yuav
has tau rua cov Suav has tas mej yog cov tuabneeg dlawbhuv.
Mej txhaj tsi zoo le paab Moob kws nrug Suav sistua.” Puab
txhajle hloov puab cov roogtsho hab puab cov lug. Txij
thaum ntawd lug, pawg Moob nuav cov quaspuj txhaj hloov lug
naav tab dlawb hab rig sa sev nrug. Cov txivneej txhaj hloov
lug naav taugrig tuablu lawm. Pawg Moob nuav txawm hloov lug
has cov lug kws suavdlawg has tas lug "Hmoob Dawb" (Hmong
Der) hab puab siv lu-lug "Hmoob"(Hmong) najnub
nwgnuav. Qhov povthawj kws qha zaaj lug nuav kws muaj tseeb
mas yog najnub nwgnuav cov Moob Dlawb tseem saib puab tug
“muamphauj” (pujnyaaj) rua lub saamxeeb luj heev. Yog has
tas tug nug tau taag simneej mas tug muam yuavtsum yog ib tug
tseemceeb ntawm tug nug lub nteeg. Vim muaj puab tug muam cawm
puab, puab txhaj tau dlim txuj kev tsimtxom ntawm Suav zag
ntawd. Yog muaj tej yaam tsi zoo mas cov Moob Dlawb txhajle hu
puab tug muamphauj tuaj rawm kuam txuj kev tsi zoo ntawd pluj
moog es txhob muaj tshwmsim rua tej xeebleej xeebntxwv tomqaab.
Has txug paab Moob kws
tseem has losyog tseem siv hom lugcaag, losyog hom lug
hauvpaug mas puab lub npe sav lug hu ua "Moob Leeg"
(Mong Leng). Tsi yog has tas puab muaj "leeg" es
puab txhajle hu puab ua Moob Leeg, tabsis vim puab yog paab
kws tsi muaj kev cawmdlim, puab txhajle yuavtsum tau "leeg"
rua Suav has tas puab yog cov tau nrug Suav sistua ua tsuvrog.
Pawg Moob nuav yog pawg coob hab puab yog cov kws raug
Suav tsimtxom luj heev rua lub sijhawm ntawd vim pawg Moob
nuav tuav puab lub npe, puab cov lug hab puab tej roogtsho hab
puab tsi muaj tug pujnyaaj (muamphauj) lug cawm puab. Txij
ntawd lug, puab txhajle muaj lub npe has tas “Moob Leeg”
vim puab leeg rua Suav has tas puab yog cov kws nrug Suav
sistua ua tsuvrog. Najnub nwgnuav, cov Moob Leeg txhaj tseem
tuav lu-lug "Moob." Puab txhajle tsi ua kevcai
le cov Hmoob Dawb (Hmong Der) hab muab puab tug pujnyaaj saib
hlub le cov Hmoob Dawb (Hmong Der).
Txawm has tas paab Moob Dlawb dlim zag nuav, Suav yeej tsi
tseg txuj kev tsimtxom Moob le. Txawm yog puab yuav has lug
txawv, naav roogtsho txawv, los puab yeej tuav teg ua-ke nrug
Moob Leeg ua tsuv ua rog tawmtsaam yeebncuab hab sispaab ua
ntu zujzug lug txug najnub nwgnuav. Moob tau swb tsuvrog rua
Suav ntau zag. Tomqaab nuav, Moob txhaj muaj zag tsuvrog kws
hu ua “Peb Moob.” Qhov nuav txhais has tas yog peb paab
Moob lug sissau uake tua Suav. Peb txhaj najnub has tas "peb
Moob."
Peb cov Moob kws nyob rua Suavteb, Maajteb, Thaibteb,
Nplogteb, Nyaab-laajteb, hab cov tebchaws saab nubpoob los kuj
muaj Moob Dlawb hab Moob Leeg tuabsi. Ib paab yuav coob tsi
tshaaj ib paab npaum twg, tabsis taagnrho Moob nyob rua huv
nplajteb nuav mas, cov Moob kws has hom lug Moob Leeg yog cov
coob dlua.
Zaaj lug nuav tsi yog sau lug qhuas losyog thuam ib leeg
ib tug twg, tabsis yog sau lug qha keebkwm ntawm peb ob lub
npe "Moob" hab "Hmoob" xwb. Zaaj
lug nuav tsi yog nyob nyob xaav tau es laam tau laam sau,
tabsis yog sau lawvle tej lug cojqha kws tej laug yeej ibtxwm
has txheej dlhau txheej tam dlhau tam ua ntu quaszug lug txug
najnub nwgnuav.
Tej zaaj lug zoo le nuav, yog has tas tsi muab sau ca tes tsi
ntev yuav pluj moog. Vim le nuav, kuv txhajle muab zaaj lug
nuav sau ca rua suavdlawg tau nyeem. Yog kwvtij Moob leejtwg
muaj tej zaaj lug kws zoo los yijmeem sau tuaj rua peb
suavdlawg tau nyeem es sub peb txhaj kawm tau peb le teejtug.
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In the
beginning, there was only one group of Mong, but when the Mong
and the Chinese fought against each other, the Mong were
scattered and divided into many groups.
Since then, the Mong began to speak different languages and
form various groups, such as Mong Dlu, Mong Yao Chua and other
Mong that may be unknown to us today.
Nevertheless, the articulation of the term “Mong”
is still the best pronunciation for everyone. The
pronunciation of the word "Hmong" (Hmoob) is just
for one group that had outshooted or transformed from those
speaking the Mong language. The term "Mong" is
the original or proto root word for the Mong language that the
Mong Leng still use today.
The truth behind the “Mong
Leng” and the “Hmong Der,” is that they are one group of
people. Everyone was united with one goal in mind, which
was to protect the name "Mong." Everyone
fought against the same enemy from era to era regardless of
the wars they were involved in.
Due to the wars, the term
Mong evolved into two names or two distinguishable groups of
people. A Mong group transformed itself and changed
their language. After
this transformation, they called themselves "Hmong"
and stated that they were "Hmong Der" (Hmoob Dawb),
meaning the innocent one.
The cause for having the name
"Hmong Der" was not due to conflicts or problems
within the Mong. It was a means devised by a Mong female
to save one group of Mong only. She sought ways to save
the men of her group. During that time, the Mong and the
Chinese fought a major battle. When the Mong lost the
battle, the Chinese went after them. The Chinese marked
all the Mong men for extinct-ion. The sister of this
group came up with an idea that "they needed to change
their language and costumes to make them different from the
proto-Mong; in that way, she could justify to the Chinese that
her group was the innocent one.
They looked different from the Mong that fought against
the Chinese." Therefore, they changed their
costumes and language into something different. From
that time on, this group of Mong began to wear white skirts
and pants with sashes when they dressed. The men changed
from wearing full-length pants and extended crotches to
fitted pants with short crotches. This group of
Mong began to speak the language called Hmong Der ("Hmoob
Dawb") and use the term “Hmong” ("Hmoob")
as we know today. The truth behind this story is firmly
supported, evidenced by a funeral ritual still practiced by
the Hmong Der today. The
Hmong Der still highly regarded their "sisters,"
sometimes referred to "aunts"
with great respect. When a brother dies, the sister
plays an important role in his funeral ceremony. It is
because at one time in history a sister had saved their
ancestors from Chinese persecution. When there is a
misfortune in their families, Hmong Der will call on their
sisters or their aunts to dwarf off or drive away the
misfortune, so that the misfortune will not occur and do harm
to their future generation or their descendents.
As for the Mong who have kept
their original or proto language, their name has come to be
known as “Mong Leng” (Moob Leeg). It was not that
they had "leng" [meaning they have
"veins," but the word “leng” in Mong means
“admitting”] so they called themselves Mong Leng.
They were the ones who had to admit that they had
fought against the Chinese.
They were the majority who faced the consequences and
who were persecuted very harshly by the Chinese during this
period because they hold on to their name, their language and
culture, and their costumes.
This group did not have a sister or an aunt to save
them at that crucial time.
Since then, they have called themselves “Mong Leng”
because they admitted to the Chinese that they were the ones
who had fought against the Chinese. Today, Mong Leng still hold on to the term “Mong.”
They do not practice the funeral rituals like the Hmong
Der who have regarded their sisters or their aunts highly
during the funeral ceremonies.
Even though Hmong Der had
escaped persecution that time, the Chinese never ceased to
persecute the Mong as a people. Despite their different
languages and different costumes, both groups remained
committed to fight their enemy and helped each other until
this day. The Mong had fought many wars with the
Chinese. One time, the “Three Mong” [groups]
combined their forces to fight against the Chinese, so the
term “Three Mong” emerged, and later became the term “We
Mong” [because “peb” also means “we”] that still in
use today.
There are Mong living in
China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and other
western countries. We have both Mong Leng and Hmong Der.
One group may not have more population than the other,
but when comparing all the Mong population combined in the
world, the Mong who speak Mong Leng are the majority.
This story is not written to
compliment or offend anyone, but it is written to dispel the
truth behind the two names “Mong” and “Hmong.” This
story is not coming out of the blue, but it is written to
record the story that has been retold time after time by our
ancestors who have passed on this story to us from
grandparents to grandchildren and from generation to
generation until today.
Such a story as this one, if
not preserved and written down, it may disappear.
Given this reason, I decided to write this story down
and share it with you. If there is anyone who knows any
story about the Mong people, I encourage you to write and
share it with us so that we can all learn from our past
history.
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