The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 05 of 55: 1582-1583; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 05 of 55: 1582-1583; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
The men are very fond of their wives, for it is the men who give the
dowry at marriage. And even if their wives commit adultery, action
is never taken against the woman, but against the adulterer. An
abominable custom among the men is to bore a hole through the genital
organ, placing within this opening a tin tube, to which they fasten
a wheel like that of a spur, a full palm in circumference. These
are made of tin, and some of them weigh more than half a pound. They
use twenty kinds of these wheels; but modesty forbids us to speak of
them. By means of these they have intercourse with their wives. [13]
The inhabitants of the mountains do not follow this custom; all,
however, circumcise themselves, saying that they do it for their
health and for cleanliness. When they marry, they are not concerned
whether their wives are virgins or not.
The women are beautiful, but unchaste. They do not hesitate to commit
adultery, because they receive no punishment for it. They are well
and modestly dressed, in that they cover all the private parts; they
are very clean, and are very fond of perfumes. It is considered a
disgrace among them to have many children; for they say that when
the property is to be divided among all the children, they will
all be poor, and that it is better to have one child, and leave
him wealthy. The Pintados are very strict as to whom they marry;
for no one marries below his station. Therefore chiefs will never
marry any but women of rank. All the men are accustomed to have as
many wives as they can buy and support. The women are extremely lewd,
and they even encourage their own daughters to a life of unchastity;
so that there is nothing so vile for the latter that they cannot do
it before their mothers, since they incur no punishment. The men,
however, are not so vile as the Moros. The Pintados love their wives
so dearly, that, in case of a quarrel they take sides with their wives'
relatives, even against their own fathers and brothers.
Chapter Seventh
_Which treats of the belief held by the natives of the Pintados
islands concerning the creation_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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