The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine TribeCole, Fay-Cooper
Religion
The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine Tribe
Cole, Fay-Cooper
Tinguian (Philippine people)
Concerning the time of their arrival in Luzon, and the course
pursued by them, we have no definite proof; but it is evident that
the Tinguian did not begin to press inland until comparatively recent
times. Historical references and local traditions indicate that most
of this movement has taken place since the arrival of the Spaniards,
while the distribution of the great ceremonies gives a further
suggestion that the dominant element in the Tinguian population has
been settled in Abra for no great period. The probable explanation for
this distribution is that the interior valleys were sparsely settled
with a population more akin to the Igorot than to the Tinguian,
prior to the inland movement of the latter people; that the Tinguian
were already possessed of the highly developed ceremonial life,
before they entered Abra, and that this has been spread slowly,
through intermarriage and migration, to the people on the outskirts
of their territory.
These ceremonies are still practised by some families now residing
in Christianized settlements in Abra and Ilocos Sur, while discreet
questioning soon brings out the fact that they were formerly present
in towns which have long been recognized as Ilocano. The relationship
of the Tinguian and Ilocano has already been shown by the physical
data and historical references; but were these lacking, it requires
but a little inquiry and the compilation of geneaological tables to
show that many Ilocano families are related to the Tinguian. It is
a matter of common observation that the chief barrier between the
two groups is religion, and, once let the pagan accept Christianity,
he and his family are quickly absorbed by the Ilocano.
Uninterrupted trade with the coast in recent years, Spanish and
American influence, have doubtless affected considerable changes in
the Tinguian. If, however, we subtract recent introductions, it is
probable that we have in the life of this tribe an approximate picture
of conditions among the more advanced of the northern Philippine
groups prior to the entry of the European into their islands.
NOTES
[1] The _Bontoc_ Igorot is taken as one of the least influenced and
most typical of the Igorot groups.
[2] On this point see _Cole_, The Distribution of the Non-Christian
Tribes of Northwestern Luzon (_American Anthropologist_, N.S., Vol. XI,
1909, pp. 329-347).
[3] These are Ballasio, Nagbuquel, Vandrell, Rizal, Mision, Mambog,
and Masingit. Kadangla-an, Pila, Kolongbuyan (Sapang) and Montero
are mixed Tinguian and Igorot.
[4] See _Cole_, The Tinguian (_Philippine Journal of Science_,
Vol. III, No. 4, Sect. A, 1908, pp. 197, _et seq_.).
[5] _Beyer_ (Population of the Philippine Islands in 1916, p. 74,
Manila, 1917) gives the population as 27,648.
[6] North of Abra it is known as the Cordillera Norte.
Public-domain text, read in full here on 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