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|| 223 16 Funeral Chant Phase 7 and Kheng Performance U SEFUL tools are given to the spirit of Jerry Daniels in the final instructional section of the funeral ceremony; the soul guider separates himself from the spirit of the deceased; crying over the casket. Kheng [qeej] instrument performance; introduction to the bamboo kheng and the funeral drum; explanation of the “horse” carrier [nees]; the casket is turned; end of day one of the funeral ceremony for Jerry Daniels. HMONG CEREMONY CONTINUED Funeral chant phase 7 For the next challenge, Jerry’s spirit is going to climb a hot, dry mountain and cross a warm mountain meadow. The soul guider says to him, “When the spirits use their umbrellas to shade themselves, you use your own umbrella. Here is your umbrella.”1 The soul guider already made a small umbrella that he now gives to Jerry’s spirit to use to protect him from the sun and heat when he walks. He places the umbrella near the head of the casket. The soul guider instructs Jerry’s spirit that after he climbs the hot, dry mountain , terrible winds will blow. To protect him from the winds, Kia Moua has prepared a fan for Jerry. The fan is a short piece of red cloth that he gives him now. Sho, hey! You have left for good. You come to the mountain in the burning sky, The mountain wide open to the winds where the wild wind howls. All the others have coloured fans to ward off the clouds and the wind. You have no coloured fan. I put a coloured fan in your hand. The others will go before, you will follow behind. They will find their Ancestors, you will find yours too!2 The next challenge for Jerry’s spirit is to go to a hill where lots of caterpillars crawl on the ground. Some are hairy caterpillars and some are green caterpillars. 224 || Hog’s Exit Sho, hey! You are leaving for good. You come to caterpillar mountain, a mountain wriggling with caterpillars It’s like a field of grazing sheep. . . . It’s like a field of grazing goats. The others have hemp sandals to wear, you have none.3 The soul guider says to Jerry’s spirit, “When they use their sandals to walk on the caterpillars, you put on your own sandals so you can walk, too.” Usually the soul guider gives the deceased a pair of funeral sandals he has made.4 Kia Moua cannot put funeral sandals on Jerry’s feet; he can only say the words. Next, Jerry’s spirit faces the dragon and tiger: The Dragon and the Tiger of stone open their jaws wide, Stretch their claws to grab you, come forward to devour you, Opening wide their jaws they advance to swallow you. The others have hemp sticks to fling in their jaws and stop them up. You have no hemp sticks. Your hemp sticks are here in your hand. The others will throw theirs first, you do likewise. And the Dragon and the Tiger of stone will let you pass through to your Ancestors!5 The soul guider gives Jerry’s spirit a small yarn ball6 to throw into the dragon’s mouth to stop it from biting, and a stick to push into the tiger’s mouth to stop it from closing. Then he can go on. After passing the dragon and tiger, the soul guider instructs Jerry’s spirit to go to the crossroads: “When you get to the crossroads there are three roads. The top road is very clean; it is a business road. The lower road is also clean; that is where they market cows and pigs. The middle road is a path that is overgrown with weeds and bushes.” At the crossroads the soul guider gives a small crossbow and arrow to Jerry’s spirit. His spirit will carry that for protection because from this point on he will have to go alone.7 The soul guider gives these weapons and says to the spirit, “The middle road is where you will go. That’s the path you are going to take to reach your ancestors.” Houses dot the landscape; their jagged roofs point to the sky. You dare not enter. These are the homes of the Chinese and foreigners. Direct your gaze midway up the slopes There, you will see simple houses, roofed with just thatch and twigs; Sitting humbly above the ground, those are...

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