The Spaniards called the ancient Visayans "pintados" (tattooed men). "Batuk" (which means the marking of snakes or lizards) was the general term for tattoos, or "patik" in some places.
Tattoos were symbols of male valor, applied only after a man had performed in battle with fitting courage and, like modern military decorations, they are accumulated with additional feats. Meaning, they are not performed all in one sitting but in installments.
labid - distinctive inch-wide lines, both straight & zigzagging up the legs to the waist.
dubdub - tattoos on the chest up to the throat.
daya-daya/tagur - tattoos on the arm.
bangut/langi - frightening mask made of the face (like crocodile jaws).
hinawak - men tattooed below the waist
lipong - tattooed all over (except under G-string).
The departing Visayan soul [kalag] was delivered to the land of the dead, "Saad" or "Sulad", by boat. In Panay, Magwayen was the boatman.
These "solanun" (those who dwell in Sulad) were simply those who went to the grave without sufficient gold and whose relatives could not afford the paganito to rescue them.
DAKIT. The most celebrated tree of the ancient Visayans was given much importance in tonight's episode on 'Indio'! Not known to most Visayans today (as well as to many Filipinos) that a 'dakit' tree was the ancient sanctuary of 'paganito' (sacrifices) and a "living temple" of Visayan rites, rituals and religious observances known as 'paglihi'.
Our ancestors have attributed "divinity" to this tree and they strongly believed that their 'diwata' (god) dwell in it and made it its grand abode (same as Magayon was left there to get her her strength).
It was not just a belief but a fact that this tree had healing powers. Its roots when mashed and mixed with coconut oil resulted in a fine ointment for healing wounds; leaves are also medicinal.
Other terms which are synonymous with 'dakit' are: nunok, "dalakit", danakit, daragit and baliti
.but many who courted Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan (BPSB) were greedy, and just wanted her gold, even when she got married to Humadapnon the suitors continued to court her and NYSD... while her sister was busy getting kidnapped, some tales say she was kidnapped every other day, some say every week, and Humadapnon ended up not being home at all trying to save his 3rd wife all the time. BPSD was busy protecting her husband's name and punishing people from trying to steal the gold at night when she sleeps. One day she got out of the nipa hut with all her gold in her magic dress and threw the gold up in the air, and they landed in the heart of all mountains, she then sarcastically told her suitors, "If you want gold, you need to work in the mountains for it!" One suitor was so angered by these words, that he threw a stone at BPSB, the goddess dodged the stone and gazed at him, the suitor was horrified and prostrated himself in front of her asking for forgiveness. The diwata waved her hand, and soon the man felt immense pain all over his back and skin, the burning sensation and the cracking of bones went on for days, and when it stopped, he found himself turned into the monster, some Aetas call " Bulawan nga Halo" or in Tagalog, Ang Gintong Bayawak, which is said to guard the entrance of caves where gold can be found or above sacred trees hunting for miners or trespassers for it's meal.
TUHAY (portrayed by Dominic Roco) is a native warrior in Indio who hates Simeon but will fall in love with Mayang (Sheena Halili).
In some parts of Samar, and probably in other Visayan islands, 'tuhay' means "virtuous". It is synonymous with "Tarong" (or tadong), a name used in the show for the role of Jomari Yllana (later by Dante Rivero).
Other meanings of "tuhay": all right, decent, ethical, honest, honorable, just, moral, nice, right, righteous, right-minded, straight, true, upright, good
Fine porcelain, along with gold jewelry and bronze gongs, constituted that heirloom wealth which Visayans called "bahandi".
Bahandi was required for status display, exchanged in marriages, shared among close relatives, held as collateral for loans, and loaned out itself to men who mortgaged themselves into bondage to obtain the bride of their or their family's
The full moon was greeted with a variety of names- 'paghipono', 'takdul', 'ugsar'- but most significantly as "dayaw" [at present it is kadayaw in some Bisayan Islands], perfect or praiseworthy, fit recognition of its spectacular shape and sunset-to-sunrise brilliance.
Ancient Visayans had to celebrate the full moon because they believed "the diwata came to earth at that time" [same thing that was excellently
Nobody doubted that an eclipse (bakunawa) was caused by a huge sawa, python, trying to swallow the moon, and that it had to be frightened away by noisy pounding on mortars and house floors.
Tarong & Linang were seen tonight having their meal! The root crops on their table were bananas, camote, and corn.
Spaniards regularly praised the flavor and variety of Visayan bananas, which were staple food crops together with camote (sweet potato). Bananas were widely cultivated because its sugar content, before ripening, was all starch, and so provided a valuable staple of diet.
At the point of death, one last desperate rite was performed to call back the departed soul - the "Pag-uli". A coconut shell of water was placed on the stomach of the inert invalid and rotated to chants of "Uli, uli, kalag" (Come back, soul, come back) (Alcina 1668a, 3:220). In the case of a datu, some of his slaves were sacrificed in the hope they would be accepted in his stead by the ancestor spirit who was calling him away. Or an itatanun expedition would be sent to take captives in some other community.
os, DUNGAN* is a Kinaray-a word which is roughly translated as soul.
In other Visayan Islands, esp. in Samar-Leyte region, the term DUNGAN means "coincident, simultaneous, or synchronous". In Filipino, it's sabay.
Babaylans enjoyed much respect from Visayans and had the most important role in a community in ancient times. They were equivalent of our priests today.
They were "shamans or spirit mediums, given to seizures and trances in which they spoke with the voice of 'diwata' (god/goddess) or other spirits". Alabay is an apprentice to some older babaylan.
"Those who died in war, who were murdered, or killed by crocodiles, traveled up the rainbow to the sky; in the Panay epic Labaw Donggon, the rainbow itself is formed by their blood falling to earth. In the sky world they became gods...."*
Facial tattoos of the ancient Visayans were restricted to the "boldest and toughest warriors".*
Natural forces like celestial bodies were personified for reverence or worship by 16th-century Visayans.
Moon, especially the new moon whose regular waxing from a thin silver to full brilliance so strongly suggested "prosperity and fertility".*
"Panday sa puthaw" (workers in iron).
Smithing was considered the noblest profession, probably because only the wealthiest 'datus' had the means to import the raw material.
Binukot - meaning kept in a closed place. She is said to be very beautiful and fair skinned. She is kept from the public eye since early childhood and only members of the immediate family can see her. A binukot is not allowed to work or do household chores. Her feet are not allowed to touch the ground and she is not exposed to the sun. During her seclusion, she learns embroidery, traditional dancing and playing musical instruments. She also memorizes long tales making her a very good epic chanter. She is groomed to perfection by her family members so they can ask for a high bride price when she reaches the marrying age. She is auctioned to the highest bidder but he may not see her until after their wedding.
Animism - from the Latin word anima which means breath or soul. It is the belief in spiritual beings. Animists believe that spirits or souls exist; they picture souls as phantoms or shadows which shifts from person to person or from dead to living. They believe that spirits dwell within human beings, animals, plants,lifeless objects, mountains, rivers and other entities of the natural environment. It observes both the physical and spiritual world. In Animism, man is equal to the nature; therefore, he should treat other entities with respect.
Animism can be widely found on religions of indigenous people. It is the spirituality that existed before the advent of world religions. It share vital similarities with other religions such as the belief on the existence of the spiritual and physical world; prayers and offerings to communicate with the spiritual world; shamans or Babaylans to help communicate with the spirits; and the belief on a Sky God [ex. Kaptan of Visayas counterpart of Bathala of the Tagalogs, and Kanlaon] who is the creator and supreme ruler of all the other spirits.
Karakoa - a sleek warship used by the Pintados tribe of Visayas during Pre-spanish era. It is a double ended cruiser with an elevated fighting deck and catwalks on its outriggers. It could hold as many as six banks of rowers
Bagani means a formidable leader, a man of dignity, a warrior who killed more than one enemy, and a Hero.
It is a warrior class. A bagani has his own warriors called the maniklads. They fight for their community. To become a bagani one should be brave, physically strong and he should be a son of a former bagani. To become a bagani, he should kill atleast 5 men in a battle.
The term bagani is similar to bayani.
Alam nyo ba na noong unang panahon kapag nangangayaw (raid by sea) ang ating mga ninuno ay nagdadala sila ng isang epic chanter?
Ginagawa nila ito upang ipaalam sa mga makakasalubong nilang ibang mangangayaw kung gaano kahusay o kagaling ang kanilang pinuno at dahil diyan ay magdadalawang isip ang mga ito na sila ay galawin.
Divination (from Latin divinare "to foresee, to be inspired by a god", related to divinus, divine) is the practice of attempting to acquire hidden knowledge and insight into events—past, present, and future—through the direct or indirect contact of human intelligence with the supernatural.
Methods of divination:
1. Palmistry - divination by reading lines on the palm of a person.
*Paghihimalad - ang paraan ng pagtatagna sa pamamagitan ng pagbabasa sa guhit ng palad ng isang tao. Hindi lamang ang hinaharap ang malalaman kundi maging ang pagkatao nito.
Scene: Ang paghihimalad ni Amaya kay Silay.
2. Spirit possession is a paranormal and/or supernatural event in which it is said that spirits, gods, demons, animas, extraterrestrials, or other disincarnate or extraterrestrial entities take control of a human body, resulting in noticeable changes in health and behaviour. The term can also describe a similar action of taking residence in an inanimate object, possibly giving it animation.
*Hola / Hulak /Tagdug means Spirit possession
Scene 1: Ang pagsanib ng diwatang si Malanduk kay Punong Babaylang Hilway.
Scene 2: Ang pagsanib ng isang batang umalagad sa katawan ni Punong Babaylang Hilway.
3. Astrology - study of the positions and movements of astronomical bodies -sun, moon planets, stars. It is a form of divination based on the construction of a horoscope for an exact moment, such as a person's birth, in which various cosmic bodies are said to have an influence.
Scene: Ang lunar eclipse (pagtatangka ni Bakunawa na kainin ang buwan) at ang pagsilang kay Amaya, ang sanggol na may kambal-ahas.
4. Clairaudience (hearing/listening)- clair (clear) and audience (hearing)] is a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person acquires information by paranormal auditory means.
*Kakayahang marinig ang tinig ng mga umalagad / mga taong hindi nakikita o mga busaw
Scene: Ang kakayahan ni Alunsina na marinig ang mga tinig ng mga busaw.
5. Macharomancy (Greek makhaira, a short sword or a dagger, and manteia, prophecy; alternative spellings are machæromancy, machairomancy) is a form of divination by interpreting knives, daggers or swords, one of many methods of divination based on the use of weapons.
6. Abiyog – swing (ex. a bolo suspended from a cord)
*Pag-abiyog- paggamit ng isang sundang na nakasabit sa tuktok ng balay, kapag ang patalim ay umugoy ang ibig sabihin noo'y pagsang-ayon ngunit kung ito ay hindi gumagalaw nangangahulugan iyon ng pagsalungat.
Scene: Ang babaylang si Abyang habang nagsasagawa ng pag-abiyog.
*Abiyog at Hola
Scene: Ang pag-aanito ni Punong Babaylang Hilway sa diwatang si Malanduk upang ipagkaloob nito ang kaisugan kay Bagani.
7. Cleromancy - form of divination using sortition, casting of lots, or casting bones or stones, in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice, but are sometimes believed to reveal the will of God, or other supernatural entities.
*Pagtatali - pagtatagna kung saan gumagamit ng paro-bilog na bato o itlog, ilalapag nila ang bato at kapag ito ay panandaliang tumayo ng kusa ang ibig-sabihin ay sumasang-ayon ang tadhana ngunit kung hindi naman ito ay nangangahulugan ng di magandang kinabukasan.
Scene: Ang pagtuturo ng babaylang si Asinas sa mga alabay ng pagtatali.
8. Kibang (guibang) - move or wiggle. The occupants sit perfectly still amidships and the diwata (spirit) answers their questions by rocking the boat. If the baroto did sway, it meant good fortune; the greater the rocking movement, the better one’s fortune. As the baroto swayed, they would ask who was causing the boat to sway, a deity or an ancestor’s spirit. Where the boat swayed at the mention of the name, deity or spirit, there was their answer.
Scene: Ang pagsasagawa ng kibang ng mga babaylan bago mangayaw sina Rajah Mangubat.
09. Clairsentience (feeling/touching) from Latin word clarus, “clear,” + sentiens, derived from sentire, “to feel”. It is the ability to perceive the past or future condition of a subject by touching it.
Scene: Ang paghawak ng babaylang si Nana Sala sa lahat ng naninirahan sa balay ni Dian Lamitan upang malaman kung sino ang babaeng may kambal ahas.
10. Auspice - (Latin: auspicium from auspex) is literally "one who looks at birds", a diviner who reads omens from the observed flight of birds.
Scene: Ang pagdapo ng isang ibon sa baroto bago magsagawa ng pangangayaw sina Rajah Mangubat. Ayon sa mga babaylan, ito ay nangangahulugan na may isang bagong bayani ang kanilang makikilala.
11. Pyromancy - from Greek pyros, “fire,” and manteia, “divination”) is the art of divination by means of fire.
Scene: Ang pagtatanong ni Punong Babaylang Hilway sa mga busaw kung sino ang babaeng may Kapid Ahas.
Abba - God
Alabay - Babaylan apprentice
Alibugha - prodigal
Anito - sacrifice, formal act of worship conducted by a babaylan
Atubang - adviser, minister
Babaylan - shamans or spirit mediums, priestess
Baba - Father
Bakunawa - a dragon-like snake that rises from the sea and reaches up to the sky to brazenly eat the moon. It is considered
to be the cause of eclipses.
Bai - princess
Balay - house
Bana - spouse
Banwa - territory/community
Baroto - boat or canoe
Bata-bata - dolls made from wood
Batuk - tattoo
Bankaw - spear
Baladaw - short broad dagger
Binukot - young women(usually the daughters of a datu or rajah)who were kept inside the house away from public eye
Bingil - virgin
Bugay - dowry
Bugna - destiny
Bulawan - gold
Bunga - Betel nut
Busaw - engkanto / forest spirits
Datu - chief or a lord of vassals
Dada - auntie
Diwata - Gods/Goddesses
Gahat - to raid by land
Ginoo - prince
Gubat - general term for warfare
Iloy - mother
Haop - Datu's following (barangay)
Hara - wife of a Rajah
Hayohay - an uripon (slave)
Hilugo - blood price
Himalad – palm reading
Himaraw - gift
Husay - comb / hair accessory
Ilawod - downstream
Iraya - upstream
Kalag - soul
Kadatoan - from a lineage of a datu or any nobility
Kagon - Mediator
Kaponoan – most sovereign
Karakoa - warship
Kandu - poem
Kampilan - a heavy pointed cutlass or sword
Kapid - twin
Katipan - boyfriend
Ka-uban - companion
Kiral - lewd or a prostitute
Kalis - Kris(sword)
Kunggit - sungka
Lalangban - spiritual river
Paganito - an act of sacrifice
Pagka-bingi - virginity
Pag-unong - Suicide
Panday - blacksmiths,general term for carpenters,boat-builders and jewellers
Pangasi - Rice Wine
Putong - turbanlike male headdress
Rajah - ruler
Mabaw - illegitimate child
Magdaragat - sea man
Maiisog - brave
Mangayaw - to raid by sea
Mangkaw - marriage courtship
Saad - heaven
Sandig - warrior
Sandil - secondary wives
Silat - a kind of toothbrush made of vegetable husk for cleaning and polishing the teeth
Sulad - land of the dead / purgatory
Tagna - prophecy
Tanlag - conscience
Tala - star
Timawa - freeman
Tinubos - redeemed or ransomed
Tumao - Second degree royal lineage; lower nobleman or woman
Oyo - a polite term by w/c an older brother addressed his younger brother
Yoyo - uncle
Umalagad - ancestor spirits
Ungwento - ointment
Uripon - slave
Umbo - term for older sister
