The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 Part 7

8. Letters from Father Mateo Gisbert.--Ut supra, pp. 117-128, 137-145.

9. Letter from Father Pablo Cavalleria.--Ut supra, pp. 27-35.

10. Extract from a letter from Father Pablo Pastells.--Ut supra, pp. 336-349.

11. Letter from Father Jos Mara Clotet.--From Cartas de los PP. de la Compaa de Jess (Manila, 1891), ix, pp. 170-184; from a copy in possession of the Library of Congress.

12. Present beliefs and superst.i.tions in Luzn.--From the December 9, 1905 supplement of El Renacimiento; from a copy loaned by James A. LeRoy.

APPENDIX: SOME LATER ETHNOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE PHILIPPINES

Preliminary note.

Superst.i.tions and beliefs of the Filipinos. Toms Ortiz, O.S.A., ca., 1731.

The people of the Philippines. Joaquin Martinez de Ziga, O.S.A., 1803.

Jolo and the Sulus. Charles Wilkes, U.S.N., 1844.

Letter from Father Quirico More. Dvao, January 20, 1885.

Letter from Father Pedro Rosell. Caraga, April 17, 1885.

Letters from Father Mateo Gisbert. Dvao, January 4, February 8, February 20, July 26, December 24, 1886.

Letter from Father Pablo Cavalleria. Isabela de Basilan, December 31, 1886.

Extract from a letter by Father Pablo Pastells. Manila, April 20, 1887.

Letter from Father Jos Mara Clotet. Talisayan, May 11, 1889.

Present beliefs and superst.i.tions in Luzn. Jos Nuez, Manila, December 6, 1905.

Sources: The material for this appendix is obtained as follows: No. 1, editorial note. No. 2, from extracts given by W. E. Retana, in his edition of Ziga's Estadismo de las Islas Filipinas (Madrid, 1893), ii, pp. *14-*21, of Toms Ortiz's Prctica del Ministerio (chapter i, 4, pp. 11-15), a MS. conserved in the library of Eduardo Navarro, O.S.A., at Valladolid. No. 3, from Joaqun Martinez de Ziga's Historia de las Islas Philipinas (Sampaloc, 1803), ii, chapter ii, pp. 19-38, from a copy belonging to Edward E. Ayer. No. 4, from Charles Wilkes's Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition (Philadelphia, 1844), v, pp. 343-390 (mainly verbatim), from a copy belonging to the Wisconsin Historical Society. Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, from Cartas de los PP. de la Compaa de Jess (Manila, 1887), vii, pp. 76-91, 198-216, 117-128 and 137-145, 27-35, and 336-349, respectively, from a copy belonging to Edward E. Ayer. No. 10, from Cartas de los PP. de la Compaa de Jess (Manila, 1891), ix, pp. 170-184, from a copy belonging to the Library of Congress. No. 11, from a copy of the supplement of the Manila periodical El Renacimiento, of the issue of December 9, 1905.

Translations and Compilations: These are made by James A. Robertson.

PRELIMINARY NOTE

In this series, ethnological material will be found in the following volumes of those hitherto published: II, pp. 68-72, 109-113, 122, 125, 126, 197-199, 201, 202; III, pp. 34, 54-61, 74, 97, 141-172, 181, 197-204, 286-288, 297, 298; IV, pp. 26, 27, 67-70, 98-101, 105; V, pp. 34-187 (Loarca's Relation); VI, pp. 140, 141, 145-147; VII, pp. 173-196 (Plasencia's Customs of the Taglogs); XII, pp. 212, 213, 217-220, 235-244, 249-251, 261-275, 293-296, 302-310; XIII, pp. 56-58, 200-203 (Chirino's Relation); XIV, pp. 156-159, 304, 305, 307; XVI, pp. 69-135 (Morga's Relation), 221-223, 235, 321-329 (Customs of the Pampangos); XXIX, pp. 281-301; x.x.x, pp. 190-193; x.x.xIII, and part of x.x.xIV (Pigafetta's Relation); x.x.xIV, pp. 185-191, 204, 215, 225, 226, 278, 279, 292-294, 318-321, 376-380, 386-388; XL, Appendix. Ethnological material is included in the following books, which we are unable to reproduce because of the limits of s.p.a.ce, although we have used some of them extensively for annotation. Delgado's Historia (Manila, 1893; though written about 1754) part i, book iii, pp. 249-392, contains a portion of San Agustin's famous letter (see VOL. XL, pp. 187-295) and whose comments on which we published in part; also in appendix added by the editor, a portion of Loarca's Relation. Le Gentil's Voyage (Paris, 1781), as follows: chap. i, art. ix, Of the genius of the inhabitants of the Philippines, and of the peculiar punishments, which the religious inflict on women who do not attend ma.s.s on days of observance, pp. 59-63 (following in great part the account of San Antonio--see VOL. XXVIII, Appendix--); art. x, Of the language and characters used by the natives of the Philippines, pp. 63-65; art. xi, Of some manners and customs of the Indians of the Philippines and of their marriages, pp. 66-74. Concepcin's Historia (Sampaloc, 1788-1792), i, chap. i, nos. 7-21, pp. 10-32; part 2, chap. i, nos. 309-320; iii, chap. ii, nos. 5, 6, pp. 27-37, nos. 10-13, pp. 46-55; v, chap. ii, no. 1, pp. 20-23. Mas's Informe de las islas filipinas (Madrid, 1843): i, no. 1, Origen de los habitantes de la Oceania; no. 2, Estado de los Filipinos la llegada de los Espaoles (contains nothing special); no. 5, Poblacion (containing a great portion of San Agustin's letter, with commentary, most of which is incorporated in our VOL. XL). Mallat's Les Philippines (Paris, 1846): i, chap. iii, pp. 43-74, Condition of the country before the discovery; ii, chap. xx, pp. 89-129, Physical characteristics and customs of the savage races; chap. xxii, pp. 131-145, Customs of the children of the country, of the mestizos and the Chinese. Jagor's Reisen in den Philippinen (Berlin, 1873): chap. xiv, pp. 118-132, Manners and customs of the Bicols; chap. xvii, pp. 161-175, The Isarog and its inhabitants; chap. xxii, pp. 227-238, Manners and customs of the Visayans. In the Ethnological Society Transactions, new series, vol. ii, session 1869-70 (London, 1870), appears (pp. 170-175), an article by Jagor, ent.i.tled "On the natives of Naga, in Luzon." Cartas de los PP. de la Compaa de Jess de la misin de Filipinas, eight vols. (Manila, 1879-1891). Of this series Pardo de Tavera says (Biblioteca filipina, p. 87): "It is an important publication, in which is found not only information concerning the spiritual administration of the missions, but also remarkable information concerning the geography, history, ethnography, linguistics, fauna, and flora, etc., of Mindanao, which is the chief point of the activities of the Society of Jesus." In the following selections, we have used the volumes for 1887 and 1889. Retana's Archivo (Madrid, 1895), i, no. x, Short notice of the origin, religion, beliefs, and superst.i.tions of the old Indians of Bicol by Fray Jos Castao (written expressly for the Archivo, 1895). Algu's Archipilago filipino (Washington, 1900), i, tratado ii, "Ethnography," pp. 151-238. This is translated in Report of the Philippine Commission for 1900, iii, paper no. vii, pp. 329-412. It follows on the whole the beaten lines, and much of it is unreliable. By far the most valuable material that has yet appeared on ethnology in the Philippines are the comprehensive reports which have been issued since American occupation by the Ethnological Survey, of the Department of the Interior. These have been frequently referred to in this series, and are as follows: The Bontoc Igorot, by Albert Ernest Jenks (Manila, 1905); ii, part i, Negritos of Zambales, by William Allen Reed (Manila, 1904); ii, parts ii and iii, The Nabaloi Dialect, by Otto Scheerer, and The Bataks of Palawan, by Edward Y. Miller (Manila, 1905); Relaciones agustinianas de las razas del norte de Luzn, compiled by father Fray Angel Prez (Manila, 1904; Spanish edition)--containing among other things a number of letters written by Augustinian missionaries of the eighteenth century;--iv, part i, Studies in Moro History, by Najeeb M. Saleeby, a native Moro (Manila, 1905). With these reports must be cla.s.sed History of the population, in Census of Philippines, i, pp. 411-491, by Dr. David P. Barrows, at the time of its writing chief of the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes, but at present (1906) superintendent of education in Manila. Dr. Barrows's article is followed by a compilation (pp. 492-531), ent.i.tled Characteristics of Christian tribes; and another (pp. 532-585), ent.i.tled Characteristics of the Non-Christian tribes.

SUPERSt.i.tIONS AND BELIEFS OF THE FILIPINOS

[The following interesting account is from the Prctica del Ministerio by Toms Ortiz, O. S. A., [26] and is translated from W. E. Retana's edition of Ziga's Estadismo de las islas Filipinas (Madrid, 1893), ii, pp. *14-*21. Retana found a copy of this important MS. at the Augustinian convent at Valladolid in the collection of father Fray Eduardo Navarro, where it still exists and where we ourselves examined it not long since. The following selection is from chapter i, section iv, pp. 11-15.]

No. 31. Inasmuch as many natives, especially those of the provinces distant from Manila are much inclined to nonos or genii, to idolatries, maganitos, superst.i.tions, enchantments, charms, and witchcraft, which have as great a diversity as have the witches, and therefore they call them by different names, according to the various duties which they attribute to them; it is necessary for the father ministers, not only to preach to them continually, and to argue against, censure, and decry so pestilent abuses, but they must also be very skilful, solicitous, and careful in discovering persons infected with that mortal poison, and to apply to it the necessary remedy. In the confessions, for the same reason that but seldom will they accuse themselves all possible efforts ought to be made (without overstepping the boundaries of prudence) in order to see whether anything may be obtained; and he who has the good fortune to have any witch confess to him, will bear himself toward her as the authors teach. They ought also to charge the natives with their obligation to denounce to the ordinary,... etc.

No. 32. There are many abuses (or as they say ugales) which the natives practice against our holy faith and good customs, among others of which are the following. First, the above-mentioned idolatry of the nonos. In regard to this it must be noted that the word nono does not alone signify "grandfather," but that it also is used as a term of respect to the old men and genii. The Indians comprise these under the word nono, just as the Chinese do under the word Espiritus [i. e., "spirits"], and the Romans under the word "G.o.ds,"

which other called Lares, Penates, etc. With the above-mentioned genii or nonos the Indians perform many acts of idolatry frequently, such as for example, asking permission, relief, and aid from them, and that they do the people no harm, and that they do not prove hostile to them, etc. They make such requests on many occasions, and among others are the following. When they wish to pluck any flower or fruit from the tree, they ask permission from the nono or genius to pluck it. When they pa.s.s certain fields, rivers, creeks, or streamlets, large trees, sugar-cane plantations and other places, they ask permission and good pa.s.sage from the genii or nonos. When they are obliged to cut any tree, or not to observe the things or ceremonies which they imagine to be pleasing to the genii or nonos, they ask pardon of them, and excuse themselves to those beings by saying, among many other things, that the father commanded them to do it, and that they are not willingly lacking in respect to the genii, or that they do not willingly oppose their will, etc. When they are taken with the sickness that they call pamave, which they attribute to the genii or nonos (although they try to conceal this by saying that the country [has not?] agreed with them) they ask them for health and offer them food. They do that both on this, and many other occasions, in the fields, sugar-cane plantations, streamlets, at the foot of any large tree, more generally some calunpan, [27] and in various other places. This sort of idolatry is very deeply rooted and of long standing among the Indians. Consequently, it is very necessary for the father ministers to be very careful and make great efforts to extirpate it, and not avoid any labor or work until it is annihilated.

No. 33. Secondly, the Indians very generally believe that the souls of the dead return to their houses the third day after their death, in order to visit the people of it, or to be present at the banquet, and consequently, to be present at the ceremony of the tibao. They conceal and hide that by saying that they are a.s.sembling in the house of the deceased in order to recite the rosary for him. If they are told to do their praying in the church, they refuse to comply because that is not what they wish to do. Consequently, the minister will prevent the gathering at the house of the deceased after the burial, and will not allow the people to ascend into the house under any considerations, least of all on the third day. On the fourth day, in consequence of the said ceremony of the tibao, or because of their evil inclination, they light candles in order to wait for the soul of the deceased. They spread a mat, on which they scatter ashes, so that the tracks or footsteps of the soul may be impressed thereon; and by that means they are able to ascertain whether the soul came or not. They also set a dish of water at the door, so that when the soul comes it may wash its feet there. It does not appear that it would be much to say that those matters of the nonos or genii and the deceased were taken by the Indians from the Sangleys who are reared with various things [of belief]. [28] It needs a strong remedy nevertheless.

No. 34. The tigbalag which some call a ghost and others a goblin, appears to be the genius or devil, who appears to them in the shape of a black man, or in the shape of an old man (or as they express it in the shape of a very small old man), or in the shape of a horse, or of a monster, etc. That being inspires them with so great fear that they come to make friendship with him, and surrender their rosaries to him, and receive from him superst.i.tious things, such as hairs, herbs, stones, and other things, in order that they may obtain marvelous things, and that they may be aided by him in certain of their affairs.

No. 35. The patianac whom some also call a goblin (but it is only their invention, dream, or imagination) must be the genius or devil who generally plays with them as also with many others, when losing the faith, they espouse his cause, become familiar with him, or become subject to him. They attribute to this being the ill success of births, and say that in order to harm them and cause their destruction, he enters or hides in some tree or in any other place near the house of the woman who is about to give birth, and there they sing like those who wander about, etc. In order to prevent any harm from the patianac, the men take their position naked and with their privies exposed to the air; and arm themselves with shield, catan, lance, and other arms. In this condition they stand on the ridgepole of the roof, and also under the house, and in all places they slash and cut right and left with the catan and make various gestures and set movements for the same purpose. Others, in order to prevent said harm, generally move the woman who is about to give birth to another house, for they say that her house contains a patianac.

No. 36. Among other things they also attribute to the patianac the death of children, as well as to the usang. They refer to them in the following manner. They a.s.sert that the bird called tictic is the pander of the sorcerer called usang. Flying ahead of that being, the bird shows it the houses where infants are to be born. That being takes its position on the roof of the neighboring house and thence extends its tongue in the form of a thread, which it inserts through the a.n.u.s of the child and by that means sucks out its entrails and kills it. Sometimes they say that it appears in the form of a dog, sometimes of a cat, sometimes of the c.o.c.kroach which crawls under the mat, and there accomplishes the abovesaid. In order to avoid that harm they do certain of the above things. To the patianac travelers also attribute their straying from or losing their road. In order to keep the right path, they undress and expose their privies to the air, and by that observance they say that they make sure of the right road; for then the patianac is afraid of them and cannot lead them astray.

No. 37. The bongsol they sometimes a.s.sert to be various durojones which are caused by the sorcerer ganay, and which run all through the body of the bewitched, who generally remains some moments as if dead or in a faint, and at other times as though mad or raving from the sight of the ganay who appears to them in various shapes. In order to cure this sickness or enchantment, they summon another sorcerer, and he after the incantations or efforts, which will be told later, generally leaves the patient as he was before. Sometimes they say that that sickness appears to be natural or a stomach ache caused by the obstructions or durojones which grow in the stomach or in the patient's side or by shivers which move from one place to another, and from which the women of this country generally suffer. But when they are unable to cure the pain with the promptness that they desire, they generally say, especially the physicians, that the said sickness is bongsol, that is enchantment, and that it can be cured only by the one who is of the faculty, that is by one who is a sorcerer. They then bring a sorcerer, who performs the things that pertain to his faculty, and summons the first sorcerer who they say caused that sorcery. If the sickness is not lessened, the sorcerer finishes his duty by saying that the said first witch is very far away, and could not hear him; and consequently, it has happened that he has not been able to cure the said sickness. In such wise do they leave the sick person with his pains.

No. 38. The ceremony or superst.i.tion of bilao is ordered for the discovery thereby of any thief. It is reduced to placing in a bilao, sieve, or screen, some scissors fastened at the point in the shape of the cross of St. Andrew, and in them they hang their rosary. Then they repeat the name of each one of those who are present and who are a.s.sembled for this. If, for example, when the name Pedro is mentioned, the bilao shakes, they say that Pedro is the thief. They also are accustomed to light candles to St. Anthony of Padua for the purpose of discovering the thief of anything [that is stolen]. For this they kneel down to pray (and perhaps to utter and perform indecent things) and wait until the flame leans toward any of those about, for instance, toward Juan, and then they declare that Juan is the thief. It is very usual for the Indians to carry about them various things in order that they might obtain marvelous effects: for example, written formulas, prayers, vitiated or interspersed with words arranged for their evil intent, herbs, roots, bark, hairs, skin, bones, stones, etc., so that they may not be killed, or apprehended by justice, or to obtain wealth, women, or other things. [29] They are also very much inclined to believe in omens and in unlucky days, in regard to which they are wont to keep various books of ma.n.u.scripts which must be burned for them.

No. 39. The natives are accustomed to circ.u.mcise the boys; and although they perform the circ.u.mcision by slitting the skin of the p.e.n.i.s 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 biag, 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 Taglogs took it not to mean "adoration," but "church," and afterward used it to mean "ma.s.s," which it never could mean. Not only do they circ.u.mcise 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 l.u.s.t 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 ma.s.s 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 superst.i.tions, 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.

No. 42. When the moon is eclipsed, the Indians of various districts generally go out into the street or into the open fields, with bells, panastanes, [30] etc. They strike them with great force and violence in order that they might thereby protect the moon which they say is being eaten or swallowed by the dragon, tiger, or crocodile. And the worst thing is that if they wish to say "the eclipse of the moon"

it is very common in Philipinas to use this locution, saying "the dragon, tiger, or crocodile is swallowing the moon." The Taglogs also make use of it and say, Linamon laho bovan. It appears that the Indians learned all this from the Sangleys of China, where all the abovesaid is performed and executed to the letter. It is not right to allow them to retain these deceits of the Chinese, and not to teach them our customs and truths. All the above contents of this section is not universal in all parts. Consequently, although all ministers ought to be careful to ascertain whether they are or are not contained in their ministries, they ought not to go ahead to censure what they are not sure of, for that very thing would perhaps teach them what we are endeavoring to extirpate.

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES

[Joaquin Martinez de Ziga, O. S. A., in his Historia (Sampaloc, 1803), [31] pp. 19-38, devotes one chapter to the inhabitants of the Philippines. We translate from the copy belonging to the library of E. E. Ayer.]

CHAPTER II