Ntxwj Nyug

One of the two lords of the Otherworld in Hmong belief. He judges the souls of the dead and determines in which form the soul will be reincarnated — vegetable, animal, or human. He guards the gates through which the souls must pass before they can return to the village of their ancestors. These gates are near his residence, at the top of a mighty mountain.

Ntxwj Nyug is said to be fond of feasting and for this purpose keeps a great herd of heavenly cattle (the souls of those who have been judged worthy of punishment).

The other lord is Nyuj Vaj Tuam Teem and together they control life and death. If a person's license for life has expired, a txiv neeb (shaman) may call upon Ntxwj Nyug to grant an extension of its term and if Ntxwj Nyug agrees, then that person's life is prolonged.

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