>. I 



CH UAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



79 



e cow while the cow was stepping two steps, 

 he cow has been sacrificed.) Then the 

 ial son hfts up his head to the sky and 

 jhs saying, "Alas, the cow which we for- 

 erly had was very strong. Now he has gone 

 ) into the clear sky." 



he Winnowing Basket Is Ta\en off the Bac\ 

 of the Deceased Ancestor *^ (366) 



In most ancient times Ntzi' Niong Leo's ** 

 icken and his dogs slept until midnight, 

 en the chicken and the dogs arose and then 

 ent searching for dead men's souls. When 

 ey met a soul, they would bite it (and eat 

 The dead man's descendants prepared 

 me food and wine, and went to invite play- 

 s of the liu sheng and beaters of the drum 

 come. When they had come, they first 

 lied a chicken and a dog at the door (and 

 rinkled the blood on the doorsill) so as to 

 orcise unclean spirits. Then the liu sheng 

 as played, and the drum was beaten. Then 

 ale and female descendants went out to 

 elcome the dead person's soul back home, 

 'hen he arrived, they took the bamboo 

 sket off his back. After they had removed 

 is, the soul went laughing and smiling to 

 ':aven (the ancient level place of Ntzi), 

 !ere to see their ancestors. 



Haw\ Seized the Winnowing Basket of a 

 Dead Man's Soul and Flew Down to 

 Earth « (368) 



In ancient times there were two birds. One 

 as a la jin, a sparrow hawk able to soar 

 )out in circles. The name of the other was 

 ang \o, a hawk that could fly away out 

 sight. When these two birds had slept 

 itil midnight, they flew to the edge of the 

 ;y and the end of the earth. Then they 

 oked and saw a dead man's soul carrying 



bamboo winnowing basket on his back, 

 uck in the door of Ntzi' Niong Leo's palace 

 le was trying to go in). When these birds 

 w it, they were impatient and grabbed the 

 isket of the dead man's soul off (so that it 

 11 down). The dead men's descendants, 

 hen they want to take the baskets off dieir 

 icks, must first make offerings to these two 

 rds before they can do so. After they have 

 ken the baskets off, the dead people's souls, 

 ughing and smiling, go back to the sky to 

 eet their ancestors. 



*^ Sung at the Tso Chai ceremony. 



^* Ntzi Niong Leo (god, foundation, old) is 



iparendy another expression meaning Ntzi', the 



eatest god. 



*^ Sung at the Tso Chai ceremony. 



Maying an Offering of Food to the Ances- 

 tors*^ (372) 



When the weather is clear, the thorny 

 mushrooms grow on the trees. When it rains, 

 the shaking mushrooms grow on the maliu 

 trees. 



One year Na Bo Hmong's souls fell down. 

 After another year Ji Je Hmong's (Miao hus- 

 band) souls also fell down.^^ They left sons 

 at home and daughters on earth. 



The sons and the daughters thought of the 

 kindliness of their parents, and they could 

 not endure it in their hearts. Then diey 

 went to the creek to catch fish (with their 

 hands) and entered the forests on the moun- 

 tain to shoot wild animals. 



When they had gotten the wild animals 

 and the fish ready, they returned home and 

 made some clothing. Then the sons and 

 daughters sent word to invite their uncles 

 and cousins to come. 



When they arrived, they took halves of a 

 bamboo joint to divine before making the 

 offerings. Then they offered food to the de- 

 parted first forefathers, and invited them to 

 climb upon the bowls (of fish and wild- 

 animal meat) and eat. Then they invited all 

 the ancestors to come and climb upon the 

 bowls. When they had all climbed upon the 

 bowls (and eaten), it was finished. 



What the Liu Sheng Says When a Certain 

 Tune Is Played during the Tso Chai 

 Ceremony to Welcome the Soul of the 

 Dead (435) 



"De long,^^ I welcome you back home. 

 De long, I welcome you back home. I wel- 

 come you back. I welcome back your soul 

 so as to take the basket off your back. I wel- 

 come you back to remove the basket. When 

 you come to the middle of the garden, you 

 fear snakes. Upstairs you will not fear snakes. 

 Come and drink the wine that welcomes your 

 soul. Drink once. I invite you to come back 

 to visit. Drink the second time. I invite you 

 to come back to enjoy incense smoke. Drink 

 the third time. I invite you to come back and 

 receive the paper (spirit) money. Drink the 

 fourth time. I invite you to come back and 

 receive gold. Drink the fifth time. I invite 

 you to come back and sit inside the house. 

 Drink the sixth time. I Invite you to come 

 back and walk on the paths (near the houses) . 

 Drink die seventh time. I invite you to come 



4^ Sung at the Tso Chai ceremony. 

 ^■^ This means that these people died. 

 *^ The de is a dental T, and the two words 

 imitate the sound of the liu sheng. 



