What is a Folktale?
 
    According to William Wells Newell, the definition of folklore is, "oral tradition and belief handed down from
generation to generation without the use of writing."  (Oring, 8)  This definition does not imply that folktales or
folklore are things of the past.  They are simply stories past down from one generation to the next.  these tales may change some from one telling to the next, but as the flood story proves, they continue to thrive even in the present century.

 

Hmong Folktale Traditions
 
    Over 100,0000 Hmong were forced to flee their homes and live in refugee camps in Laos as a result of the war between the North Vietnamese Communists and the South Vietnamese in the 1970's.  Many of these refugees eventually headed for America.  Although the Hmong were forced to take up residence in a culture far from their own, they continue to practice their traditions here in America.  "Traditional games, songs, food, and clothing are very much in evidence at New Year Celebrations...there exists a vigorous folktale tradition." (Bronner, 266)

    Up until the 1950's the Hmong had no written language (Vang, 4) and therefore, high value was and still is placed on verbal expression. (Bronner, 266)  The flood story, like other Hmong folktales was used to pass down information.   What did the flood story teach?
    The Flood story has several lessons to teach.  The first is the lesson of patience.  The elder brother wanted to kill the giant before he knew who the giant was.  The elder brother ended up dying, while the younger brother, who wanted to wait and see who the giant was, lived.  The first moral is to not pass judgment right away, but rather find out the entire situation.

    The second lesson deals with marriage.  According to Gary Lee, Cultural Identity In Post-Modern Society: reflections on what is a Hmong?, the flood story brings about the question as to whether the story is "an attempt to hide an undesirable group image (incest) or did the Hmong really originate from this brother-sister union?"  Is the story trying tell the Hmong to have incestual relationships or not?  In reality, "the Hmong condemn incest, and the closest form of marriage between relatives is with cross cousins.  The Hmong practice strict clan exogamy or marriage outside one's own clan, and would not allow any person to break this rule." (Lee, 2)  The best guess would be that the folktale is trying to teach that incest is bad, and that the only time it  would be permitted is if two rocks were rolled down a mountain and the next day they were back up top.
 
    The third lesson the lesson brings to light is the concept of hard work.  The brothers and sister worked very hard day after day and were rewarded for this by being told that the world would flood and what to do in order to save themselves.  So, work hard and someday you will be rewarded.
 

 

 
 
Works Sited
 
                            Bronner, Simon J.Creativity and Tradition in Folklore.Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press. 1992

                            Lee, Gary.Cultural Identity In Post-Modern Society: Reflections on What is a Hmong? Hmong Studies Journal. volume 1, Number 1(fall 1996)

                            Oring, Elliott.Folk Groups and Folklore Genres. Logan Utah: Utah State UP. 1986.

                            Vang, Lue and Lewis, Judy. Grandmother's Path, Grandfather's Way. Ranchocordova, CA: Zellerbach. 1990