Cultures: Hmong

            Yesterday I read, a little, about Hmong culture. I knew nothing about this Asian group of people and I´m glad I had the chance to compared it to my own local experiences in Venezuela and I also pondered with another social group I´ve briefly experienced for nearly 3 months, in the jungle: Pemon people.

I´m not an anthropologist, but I like to compare cultures to those I have read on the Bible and I´m sure you would enjoy traveling its pages when you see Hmong people have clans like Jews and some of their traditions look like Jewish liked to live.

Regarding emotional detachments, I also liked this part I read: “At some point during the wedding, an elder would come ask the bride if she has any old gift(s) from past boyfriend(s). If she does, she must give them those gifts and they will return the gifts to her past boyfriend(s). ” 

I smiled at this! :)  Have you left certain things really passed and left? Have any of you kept things you don´t want to leave totally out, in the past?

I´m glad older cultures knew it!

You cannot walk a new life looking at things back, same way Lot´s wife tried to do.

I´m OK if you keep those lessons life gave you to get more wisdom and to avoid more hurting experiences in your life but, are any of these holding you back to those emotional bonds you would let somebody feel down?

It´s obvious your past belongs to you! But, if you and I keep on living in the past, you wouldn´t be enjoying your present and, perhaps, you could let another feelings down.

Recently I learned there were several things I needed to get rid off. Some pictures can be gotten off with some feelings and I also prayed to be set free from unnecessary emotional bondage, because some of these were hindering my way to be united to someone God would send for me (to be mingled and utterly melted in marriage).

Hmong culture knew it!: “There is a saying that if a bride does not give her past boyfriends' gifts back, if he still really loves her and dies early, he'll come haunt her babies, which will make her babies cry a lot.”

Do you want your children to cry?

Do you want your loved ones to suffer, within a new promissory relationship?

Do you want to be left behind by present and its possible reality?

It might sound like a myth, but emotionally the ghosts of your past can hurt you, your future groom or bride, and your children. Hmong people knew it somehow: “The bride's maid's job is to make sure the bride does not run off with a man as, historically, many girls were forced to marry and would flee with their boyfriends.”

If you have enjoyed reading the Bible, you may cheer at those things I have cheered: How come these distant cultures have too many things in common? Humans are the “same” everywhere, I may say.

Benjaminites were not allowed to marry girls from their tribes... They were in trouble to be married (Jdg 21:7) and the same “love” story is widely spread on earth (Jdg 21:16, 18-23).

If you read about marriage and their culture, you might laugh at this: “Deu_25:5  When brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother must marry her and sleep with her. He must do his duty as her brother-in-law.”

Hmong people seemed to be doing the same! (Traditionally, when a boy wants to marry a girl, he will make his intentions clear, and will "zij" ("snatch") her during day light or night at any opportunity that is appropriate. This is traditionally only a symbolic kidnapping. ). Just compared it to that in Jdg 21:16, 18-23.

These people are allowed to be exogamous their own clan but, when some of them died, they played that caring role Jewish did. (When a husband dies, it is his clan's responsibility to look after the widow and children. The widow is permitted to remarry, in which case she would have two choices: she may marry one of her husband's younger brothers/ younger cousins (never to the older brothers) or she can marry anyone from an outside clan (besides her own)).

Hmm!

Hope this tiny-culture journey serve to know we all need the same.

A. T.