The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 43, 1670-1700: 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 close of the nineteenth century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 43, 1670-1700: 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 close of the nineteenth century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
No. 39. The natives are accustomed to circumcise the boys; and
although they perform the circumcision by slitting the skin of the
penis lengthwise, instead of around, still it appears that that may
be accounted for by the fact that it is inferred that that ceremony
was introduced into Philipinas, by the Moros from Borneo, Mindanao,
or Holo, as was also the word biñag, which is used for "baptize,"
and to mean "Christian," and the word simba, which appears to mean
"adoration" among them. From this use they transfer it to their temples
and mosques, and the Tagálogs took it not to mean "adoration," but
"church," and afterward used it to mean "mass," which it never could
mean. Not only do they circumcise the males but also the women, girls,
or dalagas, [an operation] which they call sonad. It is reduced to
cutting the organ or opening it up somewhat. However, some of them,
and very reasonably, affirm that that ceremony in them in itself in
both males and females is rather the offspring of lust than that of
Judaism. They are also accustomed to measure or compare the weapons
that they make, for example, measuring the catan by spans and praying
at the same time the "Our Father." If the conclusion of the measuring
is reached at the same time or when they come to the word "forgive us"
they say that they cannot be punished, but that they may kill people,
etc. It appears that the custom has been introduced among women who
have recently brought forth of not going to church until the fortieth
or sixtieth day as they say of the purification of their bodies. In
that not only do they fail in the precept to hear mass but they also
perform a Mosaic ceremony.
No. 40. The Indians are generally corrupted by many errors, and it
would take a long time to mention them. Consequently, the ministers
will be very careful to uproot them, for although it does not cause any
great harm in some because of their ignorance and lack of intelligence,
in others they do cause great harm; for example Angel catutubo,
which literally signifies "that my guardian angel was born with me
or at the same time as I." In order to avoid danger, one should say,
Angel taga tanor, and the same thing in other languages.
No. 41. Finally, so many are the superstitions, omens, and errors,
that are found among the Indians that it would be very difficult
or impossible to mention them all. The above have been mentioned
so that the father ministers may examine others by them. It is to
be noted that there are sectarians and preachers of various false
sects among the Indians, especially in the distant provinces, either
because they had false sects formerly and have continued them, or
because they took them (and this is more likely) from the Joloans,
Mindanaos, Sangleys, and other heathen nations with whom they are
accustomed to have intercourse.
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