Miao Silver
Love stories of the Miao
Who are the Miao?
The Miao minority group live in the mountainous areas of southern and southwestern China. They are also named Hmong. The Miao are well known for their extraordinary handmade arts and crafts like embroidery, brocade, batik, and unique silver jewelry.
During holidays, the Miao would like to get together singing and dancing to express their happiness. While young people would use holidays to look for their mates.
Flirting
If a man shows interest in a girl, he will follow her and may suddenly give her finger a gentle pinch. If the girl has a good feeling about the man, she will look at him with a smile; or she just ignore him if she doesn’t like.
“Asking for candy” is an excuse for some men to flirt with girls.” He’ll ask a girl for some candy, and if she doesn’t like him, she will say, “my candy is all sold out, you can go to somewhere else to ask.” But if the girl likes the man, she would say in a low voice, “come with me.” Then she gets away. The man now goes together with her to the woods or riverside to hold a talk.
Dating
When going on a date, Miao lovers have their own signs to indicate the place and time to meet. The one who comes first will use some grass to form a knot and give a particular sign leading the other to the meeting place.
Each particular sign indicates something. A bee made of couch grass means: I am waiting here, will you come? A dragonfly made of a vanilla plant indicates: I will see you in the same place, come here soon please! A grasshopper means: sorry, I can’t come to meet you. A white flower pleated with grass signifies: I won’t see you anymore because you have never kept an appointment.
When another one reaches there, she/will use the same bundle of grass to make a second knot meaning “don’t bother us”.
After they have met for several times, this pair of lovers will choose some of their private things to send to each other. The man gives his waistband or tobacco pipe to the girl, while the girl gives the man her silver rings, hair pin, or a pair of embroidered shoes.
Marriage
When a Miao couple decides to get married, they will tell their parents, who then ask a matchmaker to fix the wedding date.
But if the parents have an objection to this, then a funny thing is about to happen. The man together with his friends will enter the girl’s home in the evening to ” rob” her and bring her back to his home. Three days past, the man’s family now send an old reputable man with a chicken to see the girl’s parents, and persuades them to agree.
On their wedding day, people burn a big fire at the gate of the man’s home to wish the couple will have a happy marriage life. During the night, a choir with both families will sing songs for long hours until daybreak.
The songs tell how the couple met and fell in love, the basic information of their parents, grandparents, and great-grand parents. They will also tell the stories about their ancestors who moved around China throughout history.
The bride and the groom are busy with preparing the sweet rice wine for their guests during the whole night.
In some Miao areas, married women can’t go back to their parents’ home until they have a kid.
I’m C. Liu and I have been studying interesting Miao culture for many years. I even have a website with some of the most beautiful examples of Miao silver jewelry available here. Miao silver really is the best kind of jewelry you can get: such pure silver is very hard to find in local markets, and their craftsmanship is unmatched.
Handmade Silver Necklaces and earrings From The Miao People
|
|
Detail of silver ornaments on festival dress of a Miao woman, Langde, Guizhou Photo Mugs Detail of silver ornaments on festival dress of a Miao woman, Langde, Guizhou province, China, Asia…. |
|
|
Traditional Miao silver dress ornaments, Leishan Festival, Guizhou Province, Photo Mugs Traditional Miao silver dress ornaments, Leishan Festival, Guizhou Province, China, Asia…. |
|
|
Holiday Dreaming … |
|
|
Long quan … |
|
|
The Silent Miaow: A Manual for Kittens, Strays, and Homeless Cats $12.00 A delightful manual which instructs stray kittens and homeless cats in how to obtain, captivate, and dominate the families of their choice. 200 black-and-white photographs…. |
|
|
ACT Assessment 5th. Ed. w/CD-ROM (REA) – The Best Test Prep for the ACT (Test Preps) $25.00 Master the ACT and get into the college you want… Our ACT test experts show you the right way to prepare for this important test and score higher. REA’s new and fully expanded 5th edition examines all ACT assessment subject areas including in-depth coverage of the ACT’s new Writing Test. The comprehensive review covers every possible exam topic: Reading, English, Math, and Science. Features 5 fu… |
|
|
The Kite Rider $1.24 Up and up the wind drew him. Haoyou looked about him and saw the wholeworld beneath him. And it was his. The Great Miao, master of the Jade Circus, offers Haoyou the amazing chance to escape his family’s poverty — by becoming a kite rider. Strapped onto a beautiful scarlet-and-gold kite, Haoyou is sent into the sky, earning money, freedom, and unexpected fame. Miao even plans for Haoyou to perfor… |
|
|
Miao Cat & Mousubi Mouse Silver and Black Buff Monster Version $74.95 Silver and Black Buff Monster Version of Zakkamono’s Miao and Mousubi. Miao with his constant companion Mousubi. They are sporting a new delicious design, done exclusively for Zakkamono, by none other then Buff Monster. There is no better time then the present to get a piece of good luck and fortune!!… |