The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 47, 1728-1759: 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 47, 1728-1759: 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
If they hear any crow cawing at night,
they say that it announces the death of a very near relative. If
any dog which belongs to them breaks any of its teeth or falls down,
they either kill the dog or give it to some one; for they say that
it announces some death to them. If the dog jumps out of the window
when it wants to leave the house, they also say that it announces the
same thing. If they dream that the clothing that they have is ragged,
they throw it away because they say that they will die. If they dream
that the house falls down on them and burns them, they destroy it,
for they also say they will die. The devil also has attempted to
discredit the holy rosary among them, and when they go hunting they
take it off, for they say that the dogs will bite the deer or wild
boar if they wear a rosary. Not one of these Indians eats if he is
alone, because they say that they will die. Consequently, what they
do is generally to make their food ready and carry it until they find
a company before whom they may eat. They have also dedicated some
places of the mountain and bamboos to the anito, and, consequently,
they cut nothing there, for they say that they will die and that the
anito will kill them, although they do not know to what anito it is
dedicated, or who dedicated the said mountain or district to such
and such an anito, and know only an old observance which they have
received from their ancestors. In their marriages they also have
their superstitions. After any marriage has been performed, husband
and wife go to the mountain to seek the salacsac or the pasimanuquen,
and if the bird sings well they return very happy; but if it sings
badly they return very sad. If it sings well they carry along the
road a bombon or pitcher of water, and by means of the said water,
which is drunk by all the bystanders, the two newly-married people
will have children. For the bird to sing well, it must sing on their
right hand and in the manner of the said bird which laughs. To sing ill
means nothing else than to sing on the left hand, so that the bird is
somewhat hoarse and sad. In such case they say that said marriage will
have a bad ending, and that one of the two will die in a short time. If
they do not see the bird, they say that they will have no children.
Of the customs of these Indians
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 47, 1728-1759: 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 — John Shaqi
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account