The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine Tribe — John Shaqi
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)
When the child has been washed, it is placed on an inverted
rice-winnower, and an old man or woman gives it the name it is to
bear. The winnower is raised a few inches above the ground, and the
woman asks the child its name, then drops it. Again she raises it,
pronounces the name, and lets it fall. A third time it is raised and
dropped, with the injunction, "When your mother sends you, you go,"
or "You must not be lazy." If it is a boy, it may be instructed,
"When your father sends you to plow, you go."
Among the Tinguian of Ilocos Norte it is customary for the person
who is giving the name to wave a burning torch beneath the winnower,
meanwhile saying, if to a boy, "Here is your light when you go to
fight. Here is your light when you go to other towns." If the child
is a girl, she says, "Here is your light when you go to sell things."
In the San Juan district, the fire is made of pine sticks; for
"the burning pine gives a bright light, and thus makes it clear to
the spirits that the child is born. The heat and smoke make the child
hard and sturdy." Just before the naming, the rice winnower is circled
above the fire and the person officiating calls to the spirits, saying,
"Come and take this child, or I shall take it." Then, as the infant
still remains alive, she proceeds to give it its name. [59]
A Tinguian child is nearly always named after a dead ancestor; often
it receives two names--one for a relative in the father's family,
and one in the mother's. A third name commemorating the day or some
event, or perhaps the name of a spirit, is frequently added. [60]
Certain names, such as Abacas ("worthless"), Inaknam ("taken up"),
and Dolso ("rice-chaff") are common. If the infant is ailing, or if
the family has been unfortunate in raising children, the newborn is
named in the regular way, then is placed on an old rice winnower,
and is carried to a refuse heap and left. Evil spirits witnessing
this will think that the child is dead, and will pay no more heed
to it. After a time, a woman from another house will pick the child
up and carry it back to the dwelling, where it is renamed. In such
a case it is probable that the new name will recall the event. [61]
If a former child has died, it is possible that the infant will receive
its name, but if so, it will be renamed within a few days. In this
manner, respect is shown both for the deceased child and the ancestor
for which it was named; yet the newborn is not forced to bear a title
which is apparently displeasing to the spirits. Continued sickness
may also result in the giving of a new name. [62] In such a case a
small plot of rice is planted as an offering to the spirits, which
have caused the illness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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