Shong Lue Yang
Encyclopedia
Shong Lue Yang (September 15, 1929—February, 1971) was a Hmong
spiritual leader and inventor of the Pahawh script
, an semi-syllabary
for writing dialects of the Hmong language
, as well as the Khmu language
. He is honored as the "Mother of Writing" (Niam Ntawv) among the Hmong people.
Born in the village of Fi Tong, Vietnam
, near the city of Nong Het, Laos
, Yang grew up without learning to read or write, although he likely observed various writing systems. For much of his life, he subsisted as a farmer and basket maker. From 1959 onwards, he experienced a series of reported divine revelations during which he was taught the Pahawh script by a set of male twins. In his visions, he was instructed to teach the script to the Hmong and Khmu people. He believed that the groups who accepted the writing system would flourish and escape the hardships of time leading up to the Laotian Civil War. Afterwards, he assumed the title of "Savior of the Common People" (Theej Kaj Pej Xeem) and began teaching the script and his message of redemption across Laos.
Following initial successes, including the building of a school in the village of Fi Kha, Yang was targeted by communist forces for his association with General Vang Pao
and his troops. Later, he fell under suspicion of Hmong groups who supported the Royal Lao Government
(including members of Vang Pao's army) as well as Hmong who supported the communist Pathet Lao
. By the bribe and order of General Vang Pao, Shong Lue Yang was assassinated in 1971 by Nos Toom Yang in the village of Nam Chia shortly after producing the final version of the Pahawh Hmong script. However, Nos Toom Yang never did receive his reward of 3,000,000.00 Lao-Kip (approximately $158.96 during the year 1974; the reward ranges between $340.14 to $377.96 in today's value). In 1974, while attempting to collect the bribe from General Vang Pao in Thailand, Nos Toom Yang was killed by Thai officials ordered by General Vang Pao. Nos Toom Yang was handcuffed, blindfolded, and thrown into the Mekong River. Though Shong Lue Yang died, his writing system survived and was republished into many books; one of the books is "Mother of Writing," by William A. Smalley.
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
spiritual leader and inventor of the Pahawh script
Pahawh Hmong
Pahawh Hmong is an indigenous semi-syllabic script, invented in 1959, to write the Hmong language.-Form:Pahawh is written left to right...
, an semi-syllabary
Semi-syllabary
A semi-syllabary is a writing system that behaves partly as an alphabet and partly as a syllabary. The term has traditionally been extended to abugidas, but for the purposes of this article it will be restricted to scripts where some letters are alphabetic and others are syllabic.-Iberian...
for writing dialects of the Hmong language
Hmong language
Hmong or Mong is the common name for a dialect continuum of the West Hmongic branch of the Hmong–Mien/Miao–Yao language family spoken by the Hmong people of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, northern Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos...
, as well as the Khmu language
Khmu language
Khmu is the language of the Khmu people of the northern Laos region. It is also spoken in adjacent areas of Vietnam, Thailand and China. Khmu lends its name to the Khmuic branch of the Austro-Asiatic language family, which also includes Khmer and Vietnamese. Within Austro-Asiatic, Khmu is often...
. He is honored as the "Mother of Writing" (Niam Ntawv) among the Hmong people.
Born in the village of Fi Tong, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, near the city of Nong Het, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Yang grew up without learning to read or write, although he likely observed various writing systems. For much of his life, he subsisted as a farmer and basket maker. From 1959 onwards, he experienced a series of reported divine revelations during which he was taught the Pahawh script by a set of male twins. In his visions, he was instructed to teach the script to the Hmong and Khmu people. He believed that the groups who accepted the writing system would flourish and escape the hardships of time leading up to the Laotian Civil War. Afterwards, he assumed the title of "Savior of the Common People" (Theej Kaj Pej Xeem) and began teaching the script and his message of redemption across Laos.
Following initial successes, including the building of a school in the village of Fi Kha, Yang was targeted by communist forces for his association with General Vang Pao
Vang Pao
Vang Pao was a Lieutenant General in the Royal Lao Army. He was an ethnic Hmong and a leader of the Hmong American community in the United States.-Early life:...
and his troops. Later, he fell under suspicion of Hmong groups who supported the Royal Lao Government
Royal Lao Government
The Royal Lao Government was the ruling authority in the Kingdom of Laos from 1947 until the communist seizure of power in December 1975 and the proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic...
(including members of Vang Pao's army) as well as Hmong who supported the communist Pathet Lao
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
. By the bribe and order of General Vang Pao, Shong Lue Yang was assassinated in 1971 by Nos Toom Yang in the village of Nam Chia shortly after producing the final version of the Pahawh Hmong script. However, Nos Toom Yang never did receive his reward of 3,000,000.00 Lao-Kip (approximately $158.96 during the year 1974; the reward ranges between $340.14 to $377.96 in today's value). In 1974, while attempting to collect the bribe from General Vang Pao in Thailand, Nos Toom Yang was killed by Thai officials ordered by General Vang Pao. Nos Toom Yang was handcuffed, blindfolded, and thrown into the Mekong River. Though Shong Lue Yang died, his writing system survived and was republished into many books; one of the books is "Mother of Writing," by William A. Smalley.