The Inhabitants of the PhilippinesSawyer, Frederic H.
History
The Inhabitants of the Philippines
Sawyer, Frederic H.
Ethnology -- Philippines; Philippines -- Social life and customs
They believe in a future life, and are polytheists. They worship
the gods of the cardinal points: the god of the north is called
Domalongdong; he of the south, Ongli; of the east, Tagolambong;
of the west, Magbabaya.
This last god, Magbabaya, which means Almighty, has, however, two other
gods of equal rank: Ibabasag and Ipamahandi. The first is invoked for
the safe delivery of pregnant women; the second takes care of the
horses and cattle, and as there is hardly a Buquidnon who does not
possess some of these animals to assist him in his labour, Ipamahandi
is constantly called upon to help them when any accident happens.
Tagum-Banúa, the god of the fields, is prayed to for a good harvest,
and a feast called the Caliga, corresponding to our harvest festival,
is held in his honour. The Tao-sa-sulup, or men of the woods,
correspond to the Tic-Balan of the old heathen Tagals, and inhabit
the trunks of secular trees, especially the Balete, or rocky crags
or caves, intervening in the affairs of mortals to favour them or
upset them. Consequently they make sacrifices to these spirits to
propitiate them and gain their favour.
Tigbas is a much respected god, looked upon with special reverence
as having come down from heaven. He is represented by stone idols
on stone pedestals, only possessed by the principal dattos, who keep
them amongst the heir-looms of their ancestors, and only allow their
near relations or intimate friends to see them.
Talian is a small idol in the figure of a monkey squatting, usually
made from the root of the willow. This they carry about with them,
hanging from a cord round its neck. When on a journey, if they fear
an ambush, they hold out the cord with the little idol on it like a
plumb-line, and let it spin. When it comes to rest, its face is turned
in the direction where the enemy is concealed. They then carefully
avoid that direction, if they have been following it, by turning off
and taking another path. If one of them is ill, they submerge the idol
in a cup of water which he immediately drinks. Otherwise, by simply
touching the suffering part, they find relief, and even a radical cure.
The Busao, an evil spirit, must be kept in good humour, and to this
end they offer to it meat and drink, and sing and dance in its honour,
praying to it to deliver them from any calamity they fear.
The elders are charged with the duty of offering fruits and of
sacrificing the pigs and fowls to the deities. It will be seen what a
strong religious bias prevails amongst these people, who are convinced
that all the affairs of life are in the hands of Divine Providence,
and of the necessity of prayer and sacrifice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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