Haux Haux: Meaning of the Huni Kuin Word of Affirmation

Haux (pronounced “haush”) is a word of the Huni Kuin people of the Amazon, also used by the Yawanawá and their neighbours. It means yes, I agree, so be it, in harmony. It is said to greet, to affirm an intention and to give thanks, and it is often said twice: “haux haux”.

How to say haux

Say it “haush”, with a soft sh at the end, like breathing out. In a circle it is often said twice, “haux haux”, by everyone together.

What haux means to the Huni Kuin

For the Huni Kuin, haux is more than a word. It is an affirmation of life and an agreement with the universe. It carries many meanings at once: “yes”, “I agree”, “so be it”, “in harmony”, and “well done”. To say it is to take part in the Huni Kuin way of living in balance with nature and with each other.

Haux in ceremony

The pajés, the healers, use haux as a greeting and a mark of respect, to confirm a spiritual intention, and to give thanks. It is traditionally said at the beginning and at the end of healing works and songs, greeting both the people present and the spirits who hold the ceremony. It is not said lightly: it carries the weight of a prayer.

Where the word comes from

Huni Kuin stories tell that “haux haux” was the first sound made by the jiboia, the great boa, from whom the people learned the medicines of the forest. That is why the word still opens and closes the songs. You can hear the boa called in chants like Eskawatã Kayawã.

Haux among the Yawanawá

Tashka Yawanawá describes haux as a powerful invocation, not simply a greeting. In Yawanawá healing practices the pajé says it when ending Sheyuki, a healing massage, blowing towards the sky: “Haux! Let the cure come!” After a night of ceremony, in Haux em Rakushakin, the pajé blows over the heads of children and elders with the same words, as a blessing of protection. During Vekushi, when the sacred sepa is burned to cleanse a space, the pajé says, “Haux! I come to cure!” And in Unimai, a healing prayer, haux marks both the beginning and the end: it opens the prayer and seals its intention.

Saying haux with respect

When I asked Pajé Tatá, the respected Yawanawá elder, what he thought of outsiders using the word, he laughed and called such people “puinki natu”: someone who speaks without really knowing what they are saying. His answer was warm, not angry. But the lesson is clear: haux is sacred to the people who gave it to us. Say it when you mean it, as a real yes, a real thanks, a real prayer.

Listen

Hear haux in the songs themselves: Huni Kuin: haux haux, chants from the villages, and all our medicine songs.

Frequently asked questions

What does haux mean? Haux is a Huni Kuin word meaning yes, I agree, so be it, in harmony. It is used to greet, to affirm and to give thanks.

How do you pronounce haux? “Haush”, with a soft sh at the end.

What does “haux haux” mean? The same affirmation said twice: a fuller yes, often said together by everyone in a circle.

Where does haux come from? Huni Kuin stories say “haux haux” was the first sound made by the jiboia, the great boa, who taught the people the medicines.

Is it respectful to say haux? Yes, when you mean it. The elders ask that it be said with understanding, as a real affirmation or thanks, not as a casual greeting.