Hmong Ritual Divination Horns – Two Pairs

Hmong shamans are able to communicate with spirits both through ritual chanting and through certain ritual instruments. Notable among them is the kuam (koua) augury horns, used solely when a shaman in the human world, Yaj Ceeb, converses with spirits and souls in the spirit world, Yeeb Ceeb. Due to the horns’ ability to convey the same message to both realms, they are also given the ritual name, yaj kuam yeeb kuam (yang koua yeng koua).

Kuam are made from a single male buffalo, bull, or mountain goat horn, which has been split lengthwise down the center. This creates a matching pair in which each half displays a flat inner surface and a convex exterior.

In certain cases, shamans carry out communication with the spirits using two sets of kuam for greater clarity. These horns must come from two different buffalos and, so that they are clearly recognizable, often display distinctive coloring, usually light and dark.

The kuam perform several important functions during the Hmong healing ceremony, ua neeb (ua neng). In the course of the opening and closing soul-calling rituals, hu plig (hou pbli), a shaman stands at the central door of the house holding the animals that will be sacrificed in one hand and the kuam in the other. The shaman rhythmically taps these horns against the doorframe as he chants, letting benevolent spirits and straying souls know their destination and requesting they enter the home.

Additionally, the kuam serve as a divination instrument, a conduit for a shaman to consult directly with spirits. As he poses “yes” or “no” questions to the spirits concerning the state of the souls, a shaman throws the kuam on the ground at the altar or central door. He interprets their orientation where they land, which signals a point of agreement or dissent with the supernatural beings, or a need for clarification between these two worlds.

The kuam is also a tool of defense. A shaman dips the butt of the horns in the blood of a sacrificial animal and stamps the back of a patient’s shirt three times. The horn tips are likewise daubed in blood to mark his palms and feet. Together, these create a force field that shields the person’s body and souls from harm.

Recording
Hu plig, soul-calling ritual, sacred song and tswb neeb (Hmoob Dawb)

Rhiav Lis, Ban Nam La, Luang Nam Tha Province, Laos, July 2005

Ethnic Group: Hmoob Ntsuab (Hmong Njoua) – Blue Hmong

Local Name: Kuam (koua) or yaj kuam yeeb kuam (yang koua yeng koua)

Type: Divination Horn (Dark pair)

Class: Struck Idiophone (beater or clapper)

Tuning:

Age: Early to Mid-20th c.

Materials:
Light horn: Bull horn
Dark horn: Buffalo horn

Dimensions:
Light horn: 14 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm / 5.5″ x 1.4″ x 1″
Dark horn: 15.5 x 5 x 1.5 cm / 6.15″ x 2″ x 0.6″

Location:
Ban Huay Kham
Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Owner:
This pair of kuam divination horns (light and dark), part of a full ritual shaman set, was passed to Hmong Shaman Ba Ja (1908 – 1993, aged 85), from his father.  Ba Ja then passed the set on to his son Dong Pia, 64 years, who passed it to his son, Daw Paw, aged 41.

Catalog Number: 5414