Maragtas : the datus from Borneo (the earliest known Visayan text) by Filipiniana Online

WITH THE COMPLIMENTS

HER

MAJESTY'S AMBASSADOR

1479 117

BRITISH EMBASSY, MANILA

MARAGTAS: THE DATUS FROM BORNEO (Tbe Earliest Known Visayan Text) by DR. MANUEL

CARR BON

Page

Editorial Explanation (T.H.) Foreword for the Sar{/lllok Museum JOlirlUli (M.L.C.) ... Preface to 1943 Text (G.Y.S.C.) ... Translator's Preface (M.L.C.) Introduction to Original (1901) Author's Forew rd (p. A. Monteclaro) THE

MONTECL~RO

52 55 56 57 -59 60

TEXT

Chapter I:

The Negritos <Chief Polpulan and His Son Marilrudo ... .. . ... ...

Chapter 11:

llhe Arrival of Bomean Datus in the in the Island of Panay and the Causes of Their Departure from Borneo

Chapter III: The Transfer of the to Barrio Sinugbuhan Chapter IV:

Bomeans

The Conference of Seven Datus. Sumakwel, Bangkaya, Paiburong, Lubay, Durnalogdog, Durnangsol and Pahuhinog regarding the necessary steps to be taken for the Improvement of the their Land

The Datus' Powers, Laws and Orders路 Chapter V: Appendix : The Maragtas Code Bibliography

83 88

98 99

*A last chapter on "The Arrival of the Spaniards" (mainly a long list of the conquerors by name) is not relevant here; as also an epilogue note by Montcclaro on the Spanish period.

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EDITORIAL EXPLANATION

This is probably about the most important document so far published in the Sarawak MuseU/II Journal. And one of the more important lately in South-east Asia. As the story is rather com路 plicated. I ask to be excused for intervening shortly, to clarify before handing over to my generous and learned colleagues ill the Philippines. But before I say another word I must thank Senor Manuel L. Carreon and his associates for allowing us the privilege of publishing here the Maragtas version preserved by Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro, a native of Miag-ao, Iloilo (Panay, Philippines), the recorder-loosely described by translation and generally as "author" hereafter-in the lIongo Visayan (Hiligaynon) dialect, who explains in a title-page footnote to his vernacular version:The word "Maragtas" has, to the present, been often hcard from the old people since the founding of the Island of Panay in such statements as: "I have read from the "Maragtas", w!tich in Spanish means "historia" (or history) - PAM. Monteclaro recorded tbe whole from two "manuscripts" in 1901. as explained in !tis own Foreword (see p.60). It is, of course. well known that originally these traditions were recorded in archaic script on bark and otherwise; as well as by early wonl of mouth, chant and so on. No such text can today exactly be described as "gcniunc". But there can be no doubt that this one is far the "best" known at present-and considerably "better", in several ways. than that of Father San taren, also first published in this loumal (No.7. pp.22-53). The "original" version as transcribed by Monteclaro in 1901. was first published, in the vernacular. 1907 by the Kadapig Sallg Baltw~ ("Advocate of the Town"). printed by "E1 Tiempo". In thc vernacular periodical "Makillallgalingol1" ("Our Own") this text was republished on September 24, 1929. This vernacular edition had an introduction by Salvador Laguda, here rep~nted. (p.59), as well as Monleclaro's own foreword (p.GO). This publication in local (and now barely available) ver路 nacular sources, though doing much credit to t1Iose responsible, left the material unknown to scholars.

MANUEL L. CARREON

The text lay virtually unnoticed until. in 1942. Manuel L. Carreon learned of it. as explained in his "Translator's Preface" (see p.57). Dr. Carreon fully explains what then happened. I should only like to emphasise that tbe project was brought far forward under the influence and encouragement of the Japanese during tbeir unbappy occupation of the Philippines (and Borneo). Tn 1943 Dr. Carreon completed his translation with the able aid of Mr. G. Santiago-Cuino and Mrs. Catalina Mioten (both from Iloilo). But in those tormented days. nothing more came of it. I have asked Dr. Carreon to explain why. as a special Foreword.

This Journal gOI inlo the act in our general effort to think not only of and in Borneo. but from Borneo outwards. The need for light from adjacent lands is a burning need indeed. I had read of these very old Philippine texts. supposed to be the oldest in the islands butside China. For several years. encouraged by correspondence with Professor Otley Beyer and others. I sought to find actual e amples-relevant to Borneo. Though repeatedly referred to. take for granted and e en cited in contradictory senses in different studies. they seeme<! to be based mostly on hearsay. Eminent authorities-who shall here be namelessquoted each other or some vague basic reference. evidently without genuine root research (a habit very much commoner among writers in this part of the world than is generally realised). Patience is generally rewarded. Anyway. you cannot proceed without it (in Asia). When the Philippines Studies Programme based on the University of Chicago. U.S.A.. early in 1955 circulated a cyclostyled version of an actual Maragtas. I asked and obtained permission through Dr. Fred Eggan. to put this on available permanent record in these columns. It was thus published in the last but one issue. in full. as "Father Santaren's text." The SantaTen text was transcribed in 1858. also in noilo Province. Panay. The document has the disadvantage of being directly translated (into Spanish originally). and not preserved in the original vernacular. It is also much less full than the Monteclaro version. and-now we can compare the two-clearly subject to ~xtensive later corruption. particularly in the direction of Mohammedan emphases.

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In the introductory notes by Dr. E. D. Hester of the University of Chicago (S.M.l .â&#x20AC;˘ VII, 7. p. 23) "mention" was made of another version of the Maragtas by "the late Pedro A. Monteclaro." and of a reference tin F. Zaide. "The Philippines since pre-Spanish Times." Manila. 1949. p. 71. footnote) to a typescript translation of the Montec1aro version made in 1943 by Manuel L. Carreon. Zaide does not quote or discuss either the Monteclaro vernacular 01' Carreon English text. Dr. Hester and others were evidently of the opinion that all this material was lost when the Philippine National Library was shelled and burned in the Battle of Manila. As I myself saw the wreckage while il was still warm in that terrible shambles of Manila late in 1944. it was easy to accept this. However. I had a corrective to such pessimism. Just before he died, the aged Dato F. Douglas, grand old man of Malaya. knowing my interest in such things, sent me a typescript he had been given some years before. This proved to be a carbon copy of Carreon's translation. I now appeared to be in the extraordinary position of holding the only known relic of the Monteclaro text in translation. Fired by the interest arising from our publications of the Father Santaren text and by the many gaps it so evidently left (some of which were indicated by Mr. R. A. Bewsher. S.M.l. VII. 7. p. 48-53). I then proceeded to track down the copyright holder for this MS. The results are as told by Dr. Carreon in his special Foreword. dated December 8, 1956. as printed here (p.55).

In consequence of correspondence with Dr. Carreon and the others he mentions. the carbon typescript has been checked. the new Foreword added. and the whole passed back to Borneo from the Philippines in a very happy reversal of the route taken by Datu Puti and his fellow Borneans some 700 years ago. It IS a real privilege for us to be thus able to put on proper record. for the first time. this fascinating document. Dr. Carreon is a great scholar and administrator. as Senior Project Coordinator of the National Economic Council of the Philippines; as Chairman of the Division of Government. Foreign and Education Relations in the National Research Council; and as Professorial Lecturer in Education and Psychology in the University of the Philippines. Yet he has found time, at fairly

MANUEL L. CARREON

short notice, to have the whole thing rechecked as it follows. What follows, then, is as now received from him afresh and revised. I have altered only to add the latest references to the Bibliography (which is post-Monteelnro) and to clarify the "Table of Contents" and move it to the start (as above), in order to make the slightly complex arrangement of contributions more clear: also trivial literal errors. So, now, we go into Dr. Carreon's version, as revised from the 1943 typescript, with the addition of the special foreword wrillen by him at our request. May this also be a mild memorial to the late Dato Douglas, a European who loved South-East Asia and was honoured by tbe same title as that held by the pioneers who are the stuff of this Visayan-Bisayan proto-history.

T.H. Kuching, 15 .u .5? MARAGT~S

Translated from the Vernacular Version of Pedro A. Monteelaro by MANUFL

CARREON, A.B., A.M. , PH.D.

assisted by

SANTIAGO-CUINO AND CATALINA MIOTEN

FOREWORD FOR THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL The English translation of Maragtas from the vernacular version of Pedro A . Monteclaro is a piece of work conceived during World War II as a humble contribution to available literature on the pre-Spanish Philippines. The translation has remained in manuscript form with only a limited number of copies sent to a few Filipino historians and historical writers, outside of a copy given about two or three years ago to an American Fulbright student at the University of the Philippines. A summary of this translation in much condensed form was also published in the July and August, 1944 issues of the Philippine Review.

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On July 25, 1956. Mr. Tom Harrisson, Government Ethnologist and Curator of the Sarawak Museum, addressed separate letters to the Director, Bureau of Public Instruction: Director. Institute of National Language: and the Director. Institute of Science and Technology, Manila, all of which have been referred to the writer for reply. inquiring on the possibility of publishing this translation in the Sarawak Museum Journal. It is a source of deep gratification for the translator to learn of the interest this modest work has attracted not only in the Philippines but also in the United States, Malaya. and Borneo. Having been since its establishment in 1934, a CharIer Member. and since 1946, Chairman of the Division of Government. Foreign and Educational Relations. National Research Council of the Philippines. the writer undertook this translation largely in the interest and promotion of research. It is, therefore. with great pleasure that first permission is being granted to Dr. Harrisson to publish this manuscript in the Sarawak Museum Journal. with the hope that this English translation of Maragtas, an account' of the early immigrants from Borneo to the Philippines before the coming of the Spaniards. would add to the available literature in English on the history of South and Southeast Asia. Manila. December, 8, 1956.

MANUEL

CARREON.

PREFACE TO 1943 TEXT The MARAGTAS of Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro. although written in Iraya-Hiligay language. is no doubt one of the outstanding contributions to pre-Spanish Philippine Culture. It relates that unique Civilization of the earliest inhabitants of Panay Island. In other words. this is a compilation of historical events tha t occurr-ed since the days of Marikudo. Chief of the aboriginal negritos down to the foundation of a Kingdom under the supreme leadership of Raja Datu Sumakwel. scion to the Bomean rulers who came to that part of the world after the fall of Majapahit. But history like this must be studied. interpreted. and revised through general scholarship in accordance with the light of science. MARAGTAS is a Bisayan corrupted word from the Sanskrit. meaning "Great Country" or "Great People".

MANUEL L. CARREON

This present translation of MontecIaro's MARAGTAS by Dr. Manuel L. Carreon, is the first of its kind. It depicts the liberal-minded ness of the translator, whose painstaking rendition into English is an admirable attempt. GUI.

SANT1AGO-CUINO.

Manila, September 19, 1943.

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE (1943) In connection with a study of pre-Spanish Philippine culture, a Spanish version of the Maragtas Code was brought to the attention of the undersigned in September, 1942, by new Assistant Director Segundo M. Infantado, Bureau of Information and Public Security. This code was translated into Spanish from the original in old Filipino writing by Mr. G. Santiago-Cuino, of the Institute of National Language. Subsequently, with the assistance of Mrs. Emma A. Bitan, stenographer-typist detailed in the Committee on Cultural Relations, Department of Education, Health, and Public WeUare, the undersigned undertook an English translation of the Maragtas Code. This edition is included in this study as the pendix (p. 98). The Maragtas Code is believed to antedate the new wellknown Code of Kalantiaw, which was promulgated in 1433. According to Santiago-Cuino, the earlier code was issued sometime in 1200. After a careful study of the genealogy and contemporary rule of Datu Makatunaw in Borneo, Dr. Gregorie F. Zaide, historical researcher and an associate of the undersigned in the Office, agrees with Soncuya that this code was promulgated in 1212. The Maragtas Code then antedates the Kalantiaw Code by at least two centuries. In an effort to stimulate local research on pre-Spanish Philippine culture, the Research Commission on the Philippines, through Dr. Masamiti Rooyama and Mr. Hirosi Sugoo, got hold of Pedro A. Monteclaro's vernacular version of Maragtas and requested the undersigned to study the possibility of an English translation. With the initial assistance of Mr. G. Santiago-Cuino, who has made for some time a painstaking study of the original Maragtas manuscripts, and the valuable service of Mrs. Catalina S. Mioten, stenographer-typist on detail from the Bureau of Public Welfare, the present work has been undertaken. Both Mr. Cuino and Mrs. Mioten, hailing from Doilo, read, speak, and write the

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Hiligaynon (Dongo Visayan), in which Monteclaro's version is written.

Through the kindness of Director Jaine C. de Veyra, Institute of National Language, and Dr. Jose P. Bantug, another colleague in the Office of the undersigned, two Spanish translations of the Maragtas manuscripts by Father Temas Santaren, were consulted and compared with the Monteclaro edition in the vernacular. A check of the present translation with a rough draft of an English translation by Cirilo Dolar in the possession of Dr. Zaide, was also carefully made by the undersigned . The typing and indexing of the material in this study was started by Miss Adelaida B. Zamora and completed by Miss Rosalia M. Yabut. Through the courtesy of Director Celedonio Salvador, Bureau of Public Instruction, Messrs. Jose Enriquez, Salvador Tapia, and Joaquin Lectura printed the title page. Director Pablo Lucas of the Bureau of Printing was generous enough to offer the services of his Office for the stapling of the material. Mrs. Trinidad Tarrosa Subido, one of our outstanding local poets in 'English, kindly consented to translate in verse the Negrito song in Chapter 1. To all who have made possible the initiation and completion of this study, the undersigned is profoundly grateful. MANUEL

CARREON.

Manila, August 19, 1943.

THE 1901 ORIGINAL MARAGTAS KON or HISTORY

0/ the Island of Panay from the First Inhabitants and the Bomean Immigrants, from whom the Bisayans Descended, to the Arrival of the Spaniards by PEDRO ALCANTARA MONTECLARO

Native of Miag-ao, Doilo, from Sources Gathered from the Old People.

MANUEL L. CARREON

INTRODUCTION TO ORIGINAL The following account or history called Maragtas and written by Mr. Pedro A. MontecIaro describes different ways of life of the first inhabitants of Panay Island. According to the autbor, this Maragtas should not be con路 sidered as containing facts all of which are accurate and true, because many of his data do not tally with what we hear from old men. We cannot, therefore, consider this Maragtas as reflecting all the incidents which happened in Panay Island. Although there are passages in this Maraglas which are interesting to hear. we cannot consider all of these as accurate statements of fact. However, this Maragtas is of great importance as a collection of many different passages which heretofore have been scattered. The scattered sources from which this work is written came from friars who tried to keep a record of what they had done and seen in this Island. These sources bieh may be noted, in some chapters and the data which the authQr gathered from those in possession of a few records of the past have, after tireless efforts, been preserved. Maraglas is a survey and description of the beginning of about one million Filipinos, eight hundred thousand of whom now live in Panay Island, and about two hundred thousand, attracted by the fertile land of Negros, migrated to that Island a few years ago.

Reading this work of Mr. Monteclaro will enable us to learn the origin of the many people now living in Panay and Negros; and the thousands and thousands of offsprings and descendants now inhabiting Panay and Negros. This Maraglas also describes the hardships and difficulties undergone by our ancestors in their wars against the Moros from Mindanao. who oftentimes came to disturb their tranquility.* MontecIaro's description of the customs, habits, and beliefs of the natives is especially interesting. 'Perhaps included in the original manuscripts but not in the present version.-M .l.C.

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Besides the values already discussed, what makes this account a work of beauty and historical value is that it is so far the most complete record made of events from the past to the present. Maragtas should, therefore, be read by all who can, in order to acquaint themselves with the history of our ancestors; their ways of living. habits and customs, powers, and orders. This Maragtas may well serve as the torch that gives additional light to those whose knowledge is limited.

In other words, Maragtas is one of the best guides to lead many of us to the many forgotten facts of our history which long years of oblivion erased from our thoughts. SALVADOR LAGUDA.

AUTHOR'S FOREWORD TO THE READERS With great reluctance I wrote this Maragtas, a history of the first inhabitants of the Island of Panay. lest I be branded as makakas (bold). For this reason I would have desisted from writing this history were it not for my burning desire to reveal to the public the many data which I gathered from the sources on the first inhabitants of the Island of Panay; the arrival of the Datus from Borneo; their possession and settlement of our land: their spread to different parts of the Island; and their customs and habits until the Spaniards came and ruled the whole Philippines. In order that the readers of this Maragtas should not accuse me of having merely composed this book from imagination. I wish to mention the two manuscripts upon which I based my work. One of these was given to me by an eighty-year-old man, who said that it was handed to him by his father, who in turn got it from his father. the old man's grandfather. This old man was the first teacher of the towo. The long years through which tbis manuscript must bave passed wore out the paper so mucb that one had to exercise utmost care in handling it. What made it worse was that it was written only in black dye and smeared with the inflammable sap of trees, which burned and made useless parts of the paper. I found in a bamboo tube, where my grandfather used to keep his old papers, the other manuscript. This

MANUEL L. CARREON

manuscript, however, was not very legible and was so brittle that I could hardly handle it without tearing it to pieces. Having located one manuscript and concluding that there must be avail路 able another copy elsewhere, I decided to ask different old men and women of the town. My search was not in vain because later I came across in the street the afore-mentioned old man, who even went to the extent of giving me the manuscripts dealing with what happened in the town of Miag路ao from the time of its foundation. As a remembrance of the town of Miag.ao, I copied these records in a book on June 12. 1901 , hut did not publish them then for the reasons I have already stated. Besides I was waiting for some one better qualified to write a history of the island of Panay from the first inhabitants. I should like my readers to know that my purpose in writing this Maraglas is not to gain honor for myself but to transmit to others what I have read from the manuscripts which I have collected. l.'EDRO ALCANTARA MONTECLARO.

ThE

MONTECLARC!) TEXT

MARAGTAS CHAPTER I The Negritos Chief PoJpulan and his Son Marikudo In the southern part of the town of San Jaoquin, Doilo, Panay Island, there was a small barrio* called Sinugbuhan, where lived a datu (clUef) by the name of Polpulan together with his son, Marikudo and other Negritos. It was named by the Negritos "Ransohan nga daku" (big place of abode), where others who lived in Aklan (now Apiz) came to consult their Chief.

When Poipu Ian was already old, he was succeeded by his son, Marikudo as Chief. Marikudo was elected by the Negritos to succeed his father because of his bravery and agility in running in the forest when chasing a deer, which he could capture without the help of a dog or hound . Logs on his kaingin, * too heavy to *Kaingin is a jungle路cleared farm for shifting rice cultivation, similar to the Borneo ladang. Barrio is the Philippine term for a small settlement or village communj(y.-T.H.

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be moved even by four or five men could be easily lifted by him. He was not afraid to roam in the forest where dwelt fairies, talayang (a mythological animal), bawa (elf) and other talunanoll (phantoms that are found in the jungles). Besides this skill, he was an expert archer. Before Marikudo received his powers as Datu, the Negritos agreed in a conference that he should get married first, because according to their customs, they could not bestow any power to an unmarried man. Accordingly, he was asked to choose hi s bride, who once chosen, could not decline. Among the many maidens, he pointed to a certain lass by the name of Maniwantiwan who descended from a poor family. Marikudo's choice hurt the feelings of other girls of influential families.

Farming and Other Means of Living. During the dry season, the Negritos cleared the land which was fertile, and when the leaves of the trees they cu t down had dried up they burned them to make the soil more fertile. With the onset of the ainy season they tilled the soil and usually they reaped a good ha vest. unless it was destroyed very badly by wild pigs and other anjmals from the forest. The food that they considered most delicious was taken from the deer, wild pig, lizard, fox, fish from the river, and shells. The men and women worked together for their livelihood . The men used to bum the trees and clear the land (kaingin), hunt for deer and wild pigs, catch fish and gather shells in the river. The women used to plant and harvest rice, prepare the food, dig out root-crops, and get edible foods from the mountains for reserve in case of shortage of their harvest. But when the wife gave birth, all the difficulties of earning a living were shouldered by the )lUsband. In return for all the sacrifices of the husband, the wife had to take care of and clothe the baby, as we see nowadays a Negrito wife holding the baby while her husband walks leisurely by her side when on a journey.

The Garments They Wore. Before the coming of foreigners to their place, men and women were naked, but when the Borneans came with clothes on, the Negritos became conscious and ashamed of their naked-

MANUEL L. CARREON

ness. It was then that the men began to wear a piece of cloth as covering bahag (loin cloth) and the women covered themselves from the waist to the middle of their thighs with the breast exposed. Those who could afford to barter a ma/lla (paradyeng in Visayan or rapis in Tagalog) covered themselves with this. but those who could not afford used only ginit (fiber-like sheath of trees usually found on coconuts). leaves and the soft sheaths of trees. but later they preferred the skin of the deer and the fox. until they learned to make a blanket out of buri (native palm) fibers which they called bang/o. Their Native Dialect.

The dialect spoken now by the Negritos resembles that which they used in ancient times. However. there are slight changes due to their frequent contacts and conversations with the Visayans. Formerly they spoken a pure egrito language. Their Habits. and Customs.

The Negritos were respectful to one another. especiaUy to their Chief. thelr parents. and their elders. They were afraid to steal things that belonged to others. They were afrllid to enter the farms of others. They were helpful to their kin who were in distress. especiaUy those who were short of goods. The unmarried Negrito men were careful not to dishonour the girls. otherwise they would be severely punished. But a man was given the right to maintain two wives provided he could support them and their children. The Chief strictly investigated the economic situation of the man who could have two wives. who were treated equally and made to live together in one house. Their house or hut was built close to the ground with the top either small or big and in the middle of the house was their stove placed close to the ground. They always had fuel of wood in their stove and the fire was never put out even at night time. not even when they were sleeping. The embers were kept burning to make their feet warm. Because of this. there were no flies in the house; but if by chance flies entered the house. they immediately flew to other places.

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When the woman was about to give birth, her husband would bring her to a place where she wished to deliver. Usually, she was not accompanied by a midwife. Only her husband watched over her and if it happened to be raining, he would first make a shed for her, so long as she could not deliver in their own house. The child was oftentimes named after the tree that grew beside her at the time of delivery. For instance, if the tree was lumboy (in Tagalog dllbat), the child was named Kalumboyan, and if it was kadadyaiigan (kind of wild plant), the child was named Kabadyaiian . There were many and varied kinds of leaves and roots administered to the mother after delivery, but the best of them all was the huban (swaddling band of strong vine to hold the young to the mother monkey's breast). Once the mother could drink from this boiled solution, she could return to her house and resume her household duties as if nothing had happened to her. The tal owing was their marriage procedure:

After the conference and agreement of the elders of the bride and bridegroom, they were brought to a hill accompanied by their relatives and there the bride-elect was made to run a distance of a hundred meters ahead of the groom who would run after her and once he caught up with her, they were considered already married. Then they would go back in hand together to join in the feast and merry-making prepared for them, if their parents could afford it. If anyone of them got sick, the healer or medicine man would carefully determine first in which forest the patient had loitered and what he did there, as they believed that such phantoms as fairies, etc., when angered or hurt, caused the sickness. Thus, to appease the anger of these forest creatures and to heal the sick, the healer offered food to them at the place where the patient went.

As soon as the patient died, they buried him right away with his favourite clothes on, as it was their belief that the dead would often times come back for these clothes. They buried the dead in the farm of his parents if the deceased had no farm of his owo. The corpse was buried in a standing position with the head exposed above the level of the

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ground. They placed a salakllt (a big native hat) on the head for three days, after which they covered it with earth, and made it protrude like a small hill. Their sobs and lamentations were followed by mournful music produced by a lal1luy (flute) made of plain bamboo with three holes to regulate the tune, which made their grief greater. The dead was believed to stand guard over the farm in which he was buried.

The Exchange of One Thillg for Another. Buying and selling as we know it today was not practised by the Negritos during the early days. They changed one thing for another. as there was no money in circulation among them. They had a place of exchange to which they carried with them the tusks of pigs, horns of deer, shells crabs, shrimps, tagahu/llok (a variety of tree used for native medicine), solid bamboo, violet. ginger, etc. Th,ese they gave in exchange for the things they did not have.

Powers, Laws. and Orders. The Datu settl d their disputes, imposed punishments, and J issued orders. This power could not be transfelTed to others except to the Datu's offspring. but they always chose the bravest one, even though he might be the youngest. The Datu had four old men as subordinates, to assist him in deciding cases and to attest the Datu's orders. The place where they held their jury had no seats, and so they had to sit on the floor, including the Datu and the four subordinates. The offences which they considered the gravest and pwtishable heavily such as by hanging, burying alive, or drowning in the sea, were robbery, seducing the unmarried woman and adultery. The killing of a person by another as a result of a fair figb t to test bravery and skill, was not only not punished but even COOl-

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mended. The winner in such a fight would be entitled to marry a beatuiful daughter of a respected family. But if the killing was due to treachery. the act was punishable by death. Their Beliefs. The Negritos worshipped no God. as according to them. they had not seen Him or no one had come down from heaven to tell them. But they worshipped [aiullanon (phantoms of the forest). who. they believed. gave them sickness. Thus. every year after their harvest. they had to contribute food as offerings to those phantoms so that the Negritos would not get sick and their harvest would not be destroyed. The trees they believed to be the habitat of these phantoms were the bl/bug and ill/10k , and so they were always careful not to make kaingin among these trees. especially if there was a [uburan near them. (Tuburan is a small shallow well naturally made. but believed by the Negritos to have been made by these phantoms). [This is the translation in verse of the Negritos song we often hear nowadays . Negritos. we indeed may be. Belonging to the black race. Bnt. as native to this place. Like precious diamonds are we. Ours is double ancestry. I And we older are Than Visayans. older far Than the Spaniards are we. 2 Spaniards in Manila. Priests in Dong-Dong, Crushed to bits our bell. Cracked apart our agong ..... .3 Ringing bell Sounding gong4) I Many of tbem were half-breeds. descendants of Borneans and Negritos.-P.A.M. 2This expression is proof that the Negritos were the first inbabitants of Pana y Islaod.-P.A.M. 3Agoog is the native gont;. In a Spanish version of tbe same song by Pacifio Victoriano. instead of tbe bell. budiong (trompeta de concha) is used.-M.L.C. 4Translated by Trinidad Tarrosa Subido. (See p.S8}-T.H.

MANUEL L. CARREON

CHAPTER II The Arrival of Bornean Datus in the Island of Panay and the Causes of their Departure from Borneo Because of the tyranny and cruelly of Datu Makatunaw, the Chief of all the Datus of Bornay (Borneo), who abused the wives and seized the property of other Datus as he did with Datu Paiburong, whose clothes and gold furniture he grabbed, the following Datus fled from Borneo together with their wives and slaves; Datu Puti with his wife Pinangpangan; Datu Bangkaya with his wife Katurong; Datu Paiburong with his wife Pabulanan; Datu Sumakwel with his wife Kapinangan; Datu Paduhinog with his wife Ribongsapaw; Datu Lubay; Datu Dumangsil; Datu Dumalogdog. and Datu Balensuela. l These were the Datus that came from Borneo to escape from the wickedness and cruelty of Datu Makatunaw. Secretly and quietly. they saiJed in thir biniday tboat) together with their wives. slaves. and ther tbings which they could carry. They sailed along the lsi nd of Paragwa (palawan). whiCh was connected with Borneo until an earthquake and the eruption of volcanoes separated the two. While they were reconnoitering the coast of Paragwa. they stopped their billiday in the middle of the sea to look for a place where (0 land. It so happened tba t they sighted tbe Island of Panay. so thither tbey sailed until tbey reached a place near Sirwagan River. It was said they had with them a man who bad once been to this place.

The Sinvagall River and Andona Lake. Sirwagan River was located in the soutbern part of the town of San Joawuin. lloilo province, and in the northern part of Barrio Sinugbuhan. where lived Chief Marikudo. wbo was tbe Datu of tbe Negritos. Andona Lake lay between Sirwagan River and Barrio Sinugbuhan. Where it met the river, the lake overflowed its banks during high tide. and so when the Bomeans landed in this place they pulled their biniday (boat) into this lake by means of a rope I Balensula

(Soncuya); Balen,usa (Santarcn).-M.L.C.

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and tied it so well that the flood would not carry it away. At this lake the Borneans saw a Negrito catching fish and inquired from him where his Chief lived. H6 told them that his Datu lived in Sinugbuhan, in the Negrito dialect. which was understood by one of their own men because he had already been to this place before. The Meeting of the Datus of Borneo and Datu Marikudo in the Barrio Sinugbu/ran.

When the Datus of Borneo arrived in the barrio (village) of Sinugbuhan. all the Negritos. because of fear. fled except Marikudo. As the only one left. Marikudo got his bow and arrow. bravely faced the newcomers. and asked them what they wanted. Datu Puti. the Bornean leader, answered that they wanted to buy the land. the very land on which they were standing, the place which was called the barrio of Sinughuban if it could be sold to them. Datu Marikudo asked them to wait for a few days for his answer, as he was going to have a consultation with the old men in the barrio. Meanwhile. the Borneans could return to their omes and Marikudo would just notify them. Conference of the Old Men and their Datu Marikudo.

After the Datu of Borneo had left. Datu Marikudo right away sounded the agong (gong) and mangmang (cymbals) as a sign for his people to gather. It did not take long before aU the Negritos came. men and women. young and old, to learn what those people who had just left wanted. Datu Marikudo told his people that those were the Datus of Borneo who had come to make friends with them and to settle on their land if they would agree. He said he called for them to gather in order to know their opinion as to the answer he was to give to the newcomers. One of the old men speaking for the rest replied: "We do not have any objection to the sale of any part of our land since we can not cultivate all of it because of its vastness. and we leave the sale in your hands." Datu Marikudo informed the Negritos that the land the newcomers were interested in buying was their own barrio. where they were then living as it was near the sea. The old Negrito, answered lhat it was better to live in the mountains as the nearby land where they were then living was almost completely cleared into

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kaingin and besides, to live near the sea would subject them to newcomers who might rob them of their secret sayings. After the conference and agreement on the sale of the land, Datu Marikudo said that he was going to notify the Datus of Borneo a few days later and that the Negritos had to prepare a feast for the visitors. He instructed his men to go hunting for deer and wild pigs, to catch crabs and fish in the river and also to gather shells to serve to the visitors on the day of their arrival. He said he would be the one to furnish the visaya (rice) a variety of white rice apparently to agree with the light complexion of the Borneans.' He asked those who knew music to bring their musical instruments as they would be dancing on that day. Second Meeting of Datu Mari kudo and the Dalus of Borneo and the Merrymaking. When all the preparations were ready for the feast arranged by Marikudo, he summoned all the Datus of Borneo who dwelt at the mouth of Lake Andona near their biniday (boats). He sent word through his messenger that they had to bring their wives and slaves with the~ as his meo were all gathered to make friends with them. \ Without more ado, the people from Borneo with their wives and slaves dressed up in their costly garments and went to Sinugbuhan. The men carried with them their kampilam, karis (kind of Visayan bolos), and the women carried with them things they could give to the Negritos as a sign of friendship. When the Borneans arrived. the Negritos were already waiting for them under the kadapdapan tree, the branches and leaves of which were so abundant that the food could be spread and served on banana leaves underneath the tree. Because there were no chairs the Negritos were just sitting on the ground as was their custom, and therefore the newcomers had to follow suit, but their women (wives of the Bornean datus), becanse of their costly clothes did not follow this example. Observing the Bornean's hesitance, the Negritos claimed that the Visayas (as they called the Borneans, perhaps because of their lighter complexion) were awkward in their way of dressing and could not even bend their knees. And as a result there was some ill feeling between the two peoples, ITranslator's interpretation. According to Director Jaime C. de Veyra, visaya rice is considered tbe best rice.-M.L.C.

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especially when the Negrito women said that the Visayans were not friendly to them as the latter would not even sit near the former. But when the Visayan women began to give the Negrito women presents consisting of bead necklaces. wooden combs. and handkerchiefs, the Negrito women were appeased and each of them began to show a kindly attitude. The Negrito men were especially happy when they received kamangyan (sap of a tree lIsed for medicine), axes, and knives in unique shapes. The Borneans gave Marikudo one karis (kind of bolo) which was copper-plated and his wife, ManiwantiwaD, a red necklace made of bigger beads with a medal attached to it. After the eating and drinking, those who had their musical instruments began to play and the Negritos performed their native ali-ali dance and sang the songs which greatly delighted the people of Borneo. After the dance, the beating of the drum announced that another show called sinulog was about to start, and immediately tile performers got their bolos to demonstrate a fight, (Sinulog is a kind of Negrito performance in which two men with bolos stage a fight). The duel appeared so real that some on-lookers had fo climb trees with fear. Their musica~ instruments were composed of lantuy and lipano wind instruments made of bagakay (kind of bamboo) with only three holes, a drum, gurong-gurong (castanets) and subing (string instruments).

One Saduk and a Necklace of Gold, the Purchase Price of Panay Island. After the feast, Datu .Marikudo told Datu Puti that there was no objection to the sale of the Negritos' land, as all of his old men were in favour or the sale, and he asked how much Datu Puti wanted to pay for the land. In return Datu Puti inquired about the extent of the land offered for sale and in reply one of the old Negritos who had made a survey of the whole island, said: "Friend, if you go around the whole island passing by the coast, starting from your farm where yO'll have just planted your seedling, by the tiDle you reach your starting place, your rice will be ready for the harvest." When Datu Puti heard this, he sent his slaves to his boat to get a saduk or sa/akot (a big native hat), and a batiya or batya (a native wash basin), all made of gold, and offered these to Datu

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Marikudo in payment for the Island of Panay. Marikudo upon seeing these, was so dazzled by the brilliance of the gem that he snatched tile gold hat and put it on his head and danced with joy. When his wife Maniwantiwan saw him. she said that the sale would not go through unless she was given a necklace like the one worn by Pinangpangan, wife of Datu Puti, even though she would not get the basin. Upon the advice of her husband. Pinangpangan without hesitation took off her necklace and gave it to Maniwantiwan but in addition to tile land she requested Maniwantiwan to give her one labwlglls (a big basket used for storing palay)* of crabs. one hog with long tusks and a wild deer with slanting eyes. Maniwantiwan agreed to this but she asked for some time to produce these. She then put on the necklace and danced with Marikudo. 1 The Negritos who had seen the dazzling brilliance of gold were happy. and believing that the people of Borneo had paid a very high price for their land, they told their Chief that they would be willin to leave behind to the Domeans as a part of the land, their cottages and plants in the kaingin. And so, after they had taken all their belongings, the Negritos Jeft for the mouth of the river called Dalanos and others went to Kabadyangan. The people from Borneo went back to Lake Andona and waited until the Negritos had left Sinugbuhan.

CHAPTER III

The Transfer of the Bomean Datus to Barrio Sinugbuhan Soon after the Negritos evacated Sinugbuhan, the Datus of Borneo sent their slaves to set fire to the dirty houses or cottages in order to kill the germs of the kabuymv (a kind of skin disease with which most Negritos were supposed to be afflicted) so tbat they (the Borneans) would not be contaminated. To produce *padi, un husked rice (in the Philippines the 80rnean spelling means "a priest" (p.I92) )-T.H. lOne saduk or salakot made of gold was valued bas-ing (one bas-ing was ten sikapat, one fourth of the standard coinage); one gold basin valued 1,000 bas-ing, and the necklace weighed less than the rest even if it was long enough to reach the ground.-P.A.M. and M.L.C.

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plenty of smoke, they put kamangyan (native incense or myrrh) into the fire. Only a few houses-that of the Datu and five of the common Negritos-were spared. After the lapse of three days of burning the houses, the Datus with their wives, slaves and families, transferred to Sinugbuhan. The only ones left were Datu Lubay, Datu Dumlogdong, Datu Paiburong, Datu Paduhinog, and Datu Domangsol including their wives and three slaves who went later. Nobody knew where the four Datus - Lubay, Dumalogdog, Paduhinog, and Domangsol- went; but Datu Paiburong with his wife and a slave went to live in a place called Lanag also in the island of Panay. The First Thing they did upon their Transfer to Sinugbuhan. After three days' stay in Sinugbuhan, Datu Puti conferred with his peoJ;>le to pray and call to their God BuJalakaw, to safeguard them and their settlement in the Island of Panay. Accordingly they sent for their padi (priest) by the name of Bangutbanwa, who came also with them from Borneo and whom they entrusted with the task of, asking their God whether it was proper for them to remain in this barrio of Sinugbuhan or if there was some better place where they could settle and multiply fast. The priest Bangutbanwa obeyed what he was ordered to do, and after praying to their Bathala (or God) Bulalakaw, he informed the Datu that the best place for them to live in was along the Lake near Sinugbuhan which was also adjacent to the sea; and so, Datu Puti ordered Datu Sumakwel to go out along the coast of that lake to locate a place where they could settle better and which was also near the mouth of the river. Datu Sumakwel complied with the instructions of Datu PUli and upon reaching Malandug (name of a barrio) which was along the coast, he spread out his salibut and caught much fish which he smoked and brought back on his return to Sinugbuhan. When he arrived there, he related to Datu Puti tbat Malandug was a good place because the land was level and good for fishing. Acting on this report of Datu Sumakwel, Datu Puti immediately ordered his men not to delay their transfer to Malandug, since he himself would be going back to Borneo with other Datus and slaves who might also be willing to go with him.

MANUEL L. CARREON

The return 0/ Dalll Puti to Borneo together with his Wife. Pinagpangoll and two DOlUS, DlImangsii and Baleml/ela with their male alld female Slaves. After the lapse of nine days from the day Sumakwel.returned from Malandug, Datu Puli called together all his men from Borneo who were staying in Sinugbuhan. When all were assembled, he told them that he was going to return to Borneo as it was a pity to think of those other Datus and their followers being persecuted and that he was the only one who could put a stop to Makatunaw's cruelty. He promised to come back someday to visit those who were left here after seeing to it thai Makatunaw's cruelly had lessened. Datu Puti further told them that Datu Sumakwel would be their head during his absence because Sumakwel was recognized to be the oldest among them, to possess good judgment, to be peaceful and more highly educated. Puri advised his people to be industrious, to cultivate plants which could be of use, not to be lazy in looking for seedlings of useful plan'ts that they could disseminate to other places. especially bamboos, coconuts, buri, allallaw, bagakay, and buill (native palms ana trees}. Since they wned this place already they would also b the ones to use ~ese plants. He reminded Datu Sumakwel of he cruelty of Datu lMakatunaw, which caused them to flee from Borneo and advised Datu Sumakwel to avoid the same, so that later, their descendants would come to speak of Sumakwel's peaceful rule in this barrio. All those who heard Datu Puri expressed their great sorrow and sympathy, as they were about to be separated from one whom they had looked upon as their father and who saved them from the ' wickedness of Makiatunaw. Everyone tried to offer presents as a send-off to their Datu Puti. It was already night and everybody was asleep when Datu Puli departed as he did not want to see the sorrows of his people. Only Sumakwel knew of Puti's. departure as he was the one who pushed the latter's boat from the shore. Datil Puti's Landing at Taol River: His Deparlllre atter Leaving Datil Dwnangsil and Datu Balensllela in Taal. When Datu Puti departed from Sinugbuhan, he sailed in his biniday (boat) toward the east. After they had been in the midst of the sea for more than one month, they sighted a big island which looked Iik~ a mortar used for poundin~ rice. With the help

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of a guide. they stopped their biniday along the sea coast from where they could see the mouth of the river named Katal-an. after the many trees called tal-an that grew along its banks. The river was so deep that they had no difficulty in anchoring. They landed to survey the place and after they had seen that the land was good and level. Datus Dumangsil and Balensuela decided to remain behind together with their slaves. It is said that male Tagalogs descended from these people who were once called Taga l/og (inhabitants of the river). Datu Puti with his wife and slaves continued their return voyage to Borneo and nothing was heard of them any more. The Transfer of Datu SI/l/lakwel and Dtl/lt Ballgkaya to Malandllg with their Wives. Kapinallgan and Kalllrong. respectively. together with their Slaves.

Just after the departure of Datu Puti. Datu Sumakwel ordered all the male slaves to go to Malandug and construct houses along the coast at places which he had previously marked when he went there. A few days later. he was notified that the houses were nearly finished. AJthough the houses were not ready. his people transferred there with all their belongings. As soon as Datu Sumakwel was settled in Malandug. he ordered his slaves to clear the land by cutting down and burning the trees (kaingin) so that they could plant rice during the rainy season. He had no other amusement in this place but to go out fishing. which netted sufficient catch for the food of his people. One year had passed since they transferred to Malandug. Sumakwel and Bangutbanwa went to the mountains to locate Madyaas Mountain where Bulalakaw. their Batlulla (or God) was believed to live. Sumakwel entrusted his fishing net to Gurungguring. Everything needed in the house during Sumakwel's absence until his return was also entrusted to this man. In the course of Sumakwel's absence. his wife. Kapinangan. and Gurungguring developed some relations. As a consequence. they committed a sinful act in violation of her fidelity to her husband while both Sumakwel and Bangutbanwa were passing the time in the mountains where they stayed for some time. Finally. Bangutbanwa revealed to Sumakwel that he had a premonition something was happening in their dwelling.

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Because of this revelation, instead of continuing their journey to the Madyaas Mountain, they returned to Malandug as Sumakwel's thoughts and cares were centered on his people. As soon as they arrived in Malandug, Sumakwel resumed his pastime of spread ing out his fishing net into the sea, which seemed not to have been used since he left for the mountains. One day he caught plenty of fish which he asked his slaves to dry since all could not be consumed for a day's meal. He warned his slaves to watch it ca refully lest the dogs might carry it away or the birds might flyaway with it. To this warning the slaves answered in this manner: "Lord, our Master, when even the one you are keeping in the house is taken by others. how much more will be that which is spread out and exposed." This remark of the slaves worried Sumakwel. especially when he remembered the revelation of Bangutbanwa while they were in the mountains. And so he felt that there was something wrong transpiring in his house and with this feeling he planned to do the followtng:

One day he informed hls wife that he was going on a trip to a far place. He ~repared his meal, rice and fish. to bring on this proposed trip ana he made a ~ambo container for his water. In the evening bttfore his wife wen to sleep, he told her in advance that he wils not going to wake her up any more at the time he was going to leave the house, as he was going to start very early in order that he could return home early the next evening. And so when he woke up about the middle of the night. he very silently took off the bar of their front door and climbed the stairs of the papag (attic) that was right above where he and his wife slept, taking along with him his rice. fish. and water as a precaution against possible hunger. At daybreak. Kapinangan asked her female slave to call Gurungguring on the pretext that she had something to ask him to do for her and to tell him also that Sumakwel had gone to a far away barrio bringing with him his meal for the trip and was not expected to return until the following evening. Gurungguring. likewise anxious to take advantage of the good opportunity. did not lose time in coming to the house and upon arrival. he went straight inside the room where Kapinangan was lying. Then Sumakwel who was closely watching the two from above suddenly thrust his spear. penetrating Gurungguriog's chest through his back. Poor Gurungguring was not able to get up

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until he died. Kapinangan. not suspecting in the least that the one who hurled the spear was her own husband. uttered: '"How many times have I warned Sumakwel not to put the spear upstairs as it might drop and kill either of us. as it has now done to this pitiful Gurungguring; I wish it were Sumakwel, then I'll be greatly happy." These remarks were heard distinctly by Sumakwel. who felt like jumping from above with anger. but desiring to know what sbe was going to do further with the corpse. refrained from going down. Kapillangall's AmpllJalioll of GllrJmggllrillg's Legs ami Arms.

Kapinangan wanted to wrap the corpse of Gurungguring in the mat and planned to bury it in the forest. but she could not lift the body of the deceased. Then on second thougbt sbe decided to amputate the legs and arms. And so she got a knife and began cutting them up part by part and after she finished her job. she wrapped the body in one mat and the arms and feet in another mat and carried them one by one to the forest and threw them into the deep lake where no one used to pass. She wiped the blood carefully. In order that the slaves migbt not learn of what she did. sl e sent them away to the kaingin. But all was clearly seen by Sumakwel. who wen~ down from the papag after her second and last journey to the forest. It was about midnight when he appeared as if he bad really came from the mountains. He showed his usual goodwill to his wife and Kapinangan too behaved very nicely and sweetly that night and had her slaves prepare Sumakwel's food and even told him that she fell asleep in the hammock while waiting for him. The Rebuke of SlI/lUIkwel 10 Kapinangan made her suspeCI Ihat her Sinful ACIS had been discovered by him.

Tbe following morning. Sumakwel got up early and with sweet and loving words woke up his wife and told ber that he would be going out to the beach and that she should prepare rice for him to bring in going to the farm after he arrived. Affectionately commenting. she even asked bim to allow her to go with him to the farm to amuse herself. After Sumakwel arrived from the sea, he asked his men to help bim cast his fisb net into tbe water and after pulling it out at sunrise. they caught so many that they could hardly carry the haul.

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CARREON

When the fishes were already exposed on the sand, Sumakwel selected the big ones and brought them home. On reacbing the stairs of their house, he affectionately called his wife and said: "Darling, here are the good kinds of fish, and I would like you to cut, wash, and cook them well so that we can bave something nice to eat and be satisfied". Kapinangan replied that she did not know bow to prepare fisb as sbe was not accustomed to do so and besides they had also a slave to do that for her; why should she herself do it. But again Sumakwel told ber that be really would prefer to cat what she berself had prepared. Upon bearing this, Kapinangan became exceedingly mad, stamped ber (eet on tbe floor, and murmured saying that she could not cut the fisb as she did not know bow to do it. This made Sumakwel answer her tbus: "I am surprised that you don't know how to slice the fish when in (act you know how to slice the (eet and arms of a man."

When Kapinangan heard this rebuke from her busband, she at once took tbo fish, sliced and wasbed it properly. Until the fish was cooked and prepared, she never uttered a word and only bent ber head, as she was already suspicious that Sumakwel had detected ber imm mlity. When they were through with their meal. he rebuked her repeatedly saying: "You sliced the fish so well that the flesh was kept intact." SUlllaklVeJ's Order to have Kapillollgmr throwlI away ill thc Sea.

In order to give a lesson to other women wbo betray their husbands, Datu Sumakwel wanted to kill his wife in the open field so that the animals from the forest would devour ber body. However, he deemed it wise later to throw her into the sea instead, so tbat their land would not be stained with ber sin. Accordingly, he ordered his slaves to place her in a boat and take her to the middle of the sea to be drowned. His men obeyed him until they reached the middle of the sea, when they did not have enough courage to throw her into the water. Instead, they thought it better to bring her to a certain island where sbe would live in distress to pay for her sin. Upon ber return, they told Datu Sumakwel that they bad already complied witb his order. Slllllakll'cl's Voyage ill Search of Seedlillgs. alld his Mectillg wi,h Alayoll ill 'he Barrio callcd Dipolo. or Dampulo. Several years after Kapinangan's disposal, Datu Surnakwel still grieving over tbe blot left by what his wife had done, decided

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to undertake a voyage to amuse himself and at the same time to look for seedlings which could be planted in other parts of their Island. Accordingly, he asked his slaves to pound plenty of palay (unhuJled rice), to prepare the rice, fish and water, and to see to it that their biniday (boat) would be completely equipped as he intended to go on a long voyage. After everything was prepared and completed, he delegated Datu Bangkaya, his brother-in-law, to be the head of his people during his absence. Without delay he and his party sailed for no definite destination, drifted only by the wind, until they were blown violently to the shore of a certain plain which was unfamiliar to them. When they landed at the beach, they saw a woman looking out from the window of a house. This woman reminded Datu Sumakwel of his wife, Kapinangan. Likewise, the woman upon seeing Sumakwel was reminded of the past. Sumakwel continued his way further until he met a Negrito, whom be asked who the woman living in the house along the seashore was. e Negrito told him that she was the Negrito's mistress whom they called Alayon. Then Sumakwel asked him again from whom she descended, and the Negrito said that she just appeared in this place ullnoticed, and so they regarded her as their Bat/wla (doddess). In the meantime, AJayon herself sent her slave to the boat of Sumakwel to inquire from his men who their master was, and when the slave came back, he related to Alayon that the man wbo passed by her house a few minutes before was Sumakwel, their master. She realized then that he was her husband and became more careful not to reveal her identity. A few days later, Sumakwel sent word to Ala yon not to be surprised if his men stayed longer in her place as they were still looking for additional provision. In reply, she told the slave that if Sumakwel would care to stay in her house, not only he but also his party would be welcome. Since she had plenty of food, their stock of food would not be reduced. Upon receiving this friendly invitation. Sumakwel went to Alayon's house alone. Later she sent for his companions to come and stay with him also. However. none of them, not even the man who was one of those who brought Kapinangan to this place years before could recognize her because it was on a dark night when they brought her to this place.

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They could not account for the incomparable hospitality of Alayon towards them; there was abundant food and plenty of drinks. The bed of Sumakwel was well polished and ornamented with the long tusks of wild pigs and with the clean horns of deer and under tbe bed were various kinds of shells.

The Conference 0 / Sumakwe/'s Slaves to discuss Means their Master to Alayon.

Unite

After a few weeks of observation. Sumakwel's men believed that both their master and Alayon had fallen in love with each other. In a conference the slaves decided to tell their master that they would like him to marry Alayon because they believed that she was really meant for him. All then agreed to delegate Lubaw. who was the right-hand man of Sumakwel, to approach and talk to their master. In reply. Sumakwel told them that his grief over what Kapin3{lgan had done caused him to lose faith in women. This answer saddened them because their plan did not work. But again. they me to devise other means so that their plan would succeed. They th,en conferred with Daay. also one of their companions. who wa an expert in playing a musical instrument called lalltuy (flute and asked him to play a very sentimental tunc that would touch the hearts of the two lovers. Daay then prepared and about midnight he began to play with his flute a very sentimental and melodious tune with lamentation and grief. awakening Sumakwel and Alayon. who could no longer sleep. sobbing. touched by the music which seemed to have penetrated into their souls. It was about dawn when Sumakwel with tears in his eyes approached Alayon and inquired softly why she was crying. Alayon in a most endearing tone answered : "I heard that a man whom I hold dear will soon leave my place and the mere memory of this will bring me to my grave." When Sumakwel heard her lamentations, he told her that the man could not leave her place until the tears from her eyes would dry up. She then replied that the tears which she shed carne not from her eyes but from her heart. tears which she did not expect to dry up. He understood all she meant.. whicb understanding she had already detected from the beginning ; and asking one of his slaves to get the gold necklace from his box. he immediately placed it around her neck

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and his too, saying that the necklace would join their hearts together; and Alayon replied: "I hope this necklace will never be broken." Many of Sumakwel's companions were witness to this act and to Lhe marriage. They applauded with great joy because they succeeded in their plan. The Departllre of SU/llakwel and Alayolt from the Island of Dip% or Dalll[7l1/o.

Three days after the marriage of Sumakwel to Alayon, he asked his wife to go with him to his own land, which was wide and covered with vast forests while her land was sandy and full of clay and lime. Without hesitation, Alayon immediately called all her people and left to tbem wbat belongings she could not carry. She had them prepare plenty of rice and fish for the voyage as Sumakwel intended to drop anchor at every island they would pass to look for seeds and seedlings which tlJey could take and plant in Sumakwel's land in Malandug. Hardly had they reached the middle of the sea near Dipolo from where they came when they sighted a boat approaching them. When it came nearer in view, Sumakwel recognized it to be the boat of his brother-in-law, Bangkaya. Sumakwel then stopped his own boat. to which he asked Bangkaya to transfer and then in路 quired from him why he left their island. Bangkaya said that he was looking for his wife and also for the seedlings of good plants for their Island. While they were sailing together, they again sighted an island. Kamosel) , and there they landed. After they got seedlings of sibukaw (kind of tree), they continued on their trip to an island called Riri or Riri-anon, so named because there when a pregnant woman laboured in pain, the people cut open her side to bring out her child, not knowing how to massage or apply any other remedy to effect delivery. As a result of their ignorance, there were only a few inhabitants in this place, because in almost all cases a mother just died while delivering when the attending person was not an expert in operation on her. Upon landing in Riri, Sumakwel and Bangkaya proceeded straight to the mountains to get seeds and left behind them in the boat Alayon and two slaves. Later in the day, when the

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favourite rooster of Sumakwel crowed, its voice was recognized by Katurong, who was living near the seashore, having been used to hearing the crowing of her brother's rooster. And so starting immediately for the boat, she saw Kapinangan, who was now known as Alayon. Kapinangan also recognized Katurong, and so they greeted each other affectionately. Alayon was the first one to inquire how Katurong happened to reach this place. Katurong related how while taking a bath in the river of her former place, a crocodile took her away not knowing how she crossed the sea. When she reached this pface the crocodile also supported her without anybody seeing her. On her part, Ala yon narrated how she, herself, was also taken by a Karaw (mermaid) and brought to the island of Dipolo, from which they had come and where she found kind inhabitants, who took good care of her until Sumakwel found and married her again without in the least suspecting that she was Kapinangan, his former wife. When asked never to reveal Kapinangan's identity to Su,makwel, Katurong, under penalty of death, swore not to. The two women had undisturbed conversation since the two slaves were in the other boat. Katurong did not leave the boat anymore and waited for her husband, Bangkaya. The Meering 0/ Da/u Bangkaya and his Wife Ka/urong. It was noon time when Sumakwel and Bangkaya came back to their boat bringing with them various kinds of seeds and seedlings, and while they were yet approaching the boat, Katurong came running to meet them; filled as she was with great anxiety to meet her husband and brother once more, her tears were streaming down her eyes, her voice betrayed full sadness, she looked so sad that the doubts and anger of her husband due to her sudden disappearance from their island vanished, and instead tears of joy filled his eyes, especially when Katurong related to him her adventure.

And so Sumakwel and his men joined in the rejoicing as they had found their lost one. To celebrate the happy event, they prepared a feast to which they also invited the old men of the Island, who explained their method of child delivery which caused many of their women's deaths. Bangkaya who was an expert in child delivery taught them a better method. It so happened that there was a woman who was about to give birth, and so Bangkaya

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attended the delivery of the child without much pain and difficulty on the part of the mother. From this time on, the natives followed Bangkaya's method and in gratitude they filled his two boats with buri and anahaw (native palms), seedlings of coconuts. bamboos, pineapples. hidyuk, (apikan. sibukaw and baga/..ay (kind of trees). After they gathered enough seeds and seedlings, Sumakwel and Bangkaya prepared to go home but on their way they passed ROIll-rom (Romblon), to plant the seeds of the coconut and buri (native palm). The Arril'al of SUIII((klt'el ((/1(1 Bangkaya in Malandllg.

The voyage of Sumakwel and Bangkaya lasted five new moons 1 as they stopped in many places, and when they arrived in Malandug, they found Datus Lubay, Dumalogdog, Dumangsol, Paduhinog and Paiburong already assembled waiting for them and for a conference with Datu Sumakwel on what they should do so that the place where they had settled would be developed and improved. They recounted to Suma,kwel how they had gone around the island by foot reaching as far as Halawud river in Aklan (Apiz) and the salty river2 Irong-Irong (iioilo)J. They proposed to Datu Sumakwel the spreading of their settlements to different places in the Island. In this way, they concluded that their people could multiply fast. If they would not do that, the Negritos in the North would out-number them, and thus, their settlement in this Island, which they acquired by barter, might be in danger. Datu Sumakwel told them that after a few days' rest from their long voyage they would gather again to discuss the excellent proposal to develop the vast and fertile land of Malandug. Sumakwel showed to them the seedlings which he and his party brought from their voyage and each and everyone of hi men was asked to select the seedlings that would suit best the soil where they were assigned to settle. I Five new moons is fivc months. Their way of counting months. One new moon is one month.-M.L.C. 2They later named this river Maasin from the word mâ&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ sin which means salty in the Vis.yan dialect.-M.L.C. Jlroog-Irong is now f1oilo which at first they called lIong-lIong, and since then it has been called T1oilo.-P.A.M .

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CHAPTER IV Tbe Conference of Seven Datus, SumakweJ, 8angkaya, Paiburong, Lubay, DumaIogdog, Dumangsol and Padubinog regarding the necessary steps to be taken for tbe Improvement of their Land. Datu Sumakwel ordered his men to prepare a good and abundant meal, after which the seven mentioned datus assembled in his house to discuss the necessary steps to be taken for the improvement of their land. The following steps were suggested and agreed upon: FIRST: That tbe Island be named Madyaas as in this mountain lived their Bathala (God) Bulalakaw. SECOND: That the Island be divided into three parts or districts: namely; /iafl/tik (Antique). A klan (Capiz), and lrong-Irong (noilo). THIRD : That the district of Harntik be headed by Sumakwel; Aklan by Bangkaya; and !rong-lrong by Paiburong; and that Sumakwel would be the head of all the other datus with power to impose penalties on them for the commission of acts against . their laws. The common natives who committed the same would be punished by the subordinate datus. FOURTH: That they would join in a voyage around the Island, and each datu had to bring his own group of men and slaves to secure seedlings to be planted in their own assigned territory. FIFTH: That Datus Lubay, Paduhinog, Dumangsol and Dumalogdog, would remain in Hamtik to confer with Sumakwel regarding the powers entrusted to him, and that Sumakwel would retain the full right to order the four mentioned datus to inspect the improvements in each district. But any two of these four datus would remain with Sumakwel to attest laws and orders promulgated by him.

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SIXTH: That the three datus, Sumakwel, Bangkaya, and Paiburong would take oath in front of the other four datus. Lubay, Paduhinog, Dumalogdog, and Dumangsol, and also in front of their padi (priest) Bangutbanwa. to do their duties to improve tbeir districts, and to protect their land from tbose who might come and grab it.

SEVENTH: That their men were not subject to pay any tax: but they were obliged to contribute for their Eathala (God) Bliialakaw once every seven years for the protection of tbeir land. After the gathering and agreement. they cemented their brotherhood by eating and drinking together. using coconut shells as their cups.

The Voyage of the Seven DOlus and Their Settlement in their Respective Districts. The following day. the seven dalus filled their boats with seeds and seedlings and took along all the men including those datus with no permanently assigned territory. A few men were left to take care of the farms, and those that were not badly needed were taken along by Sumakwel as his slaves. Leaving Malandug l â&#x20AC;˘ they went to Polandan 2 , where Sumakwel left a couple of married slaves with seedlings of coconuts, bamboos, and hidYllk (kind of wild tree) to be planted in that place. They continued on their way to Aklan which was the second district and where Bangkaya was assigned to be the Chief. They anchored their boat at the mouth of the Aldan River. wbere Datu Bangkaya with his wife Katurong, their son Balinganga. and all their slaves landed with seedlings of bllri. nipa. bamboo and coconut. These were the first inhabitants of Aklan (Capiz). Because Datus Bangkaya and Balinganga were pihil (one who could not pronounce the letter "r" when speaking), it is said that nearly all the people now living in Aldan, having descended from Bangkaya and Balinganga. were also pihil. IMalandug is between Jhe town of Hamtik and San Jose, which is now the capital of Antique province.-P.A.M. 2Polandan is now Pandan, a town of Antique.-P.A.M.

MANUEL L. CARREON

With the district of Irong-Irong still to reach, they turned their boat around and sailed until they came to a place where they left a couple by the name of Kururoku and Barbutak, who were the men of Datu Paiburong, with seedlings of palay, kapok, coconut and bur; to be planted. This couple became the first inhabitants of that district. They then continued sailing until they entered the mouth of the Halawud river, where all of them landed to survey the surrounding vast plain. Datu Paiburong said this was the place where they once lived after scattering and separating in Sirwagan. Here they found delight in catching crabs. which they found in abundance along the river side and of which the Borneans were fond. especially Alayon. the wife of Sumakwel. At this place Datu Paiburong left one of his slaves by the name of Saf111en and his wife. Bukaykay, with their two grown-up sons. who working on the wide and level land on both banks of the river, were able to harvest plenty of rice. They also planted coconut and pineapple seedlings in the same place. Sumakwel an Paiburong continued sailing towards the island and reached KamunsiJan, so called because of the many kamunsil trees (kind of tree. in Tagalog kamal/siles) that grew in this place. Datu Paiburong and his wife, Pabulanan, with all their slaves were left at Kamunsilan. where they planted many coconut and nipa palms. palay and tagum (kind of plant growing in groves). They distributed their married slaves and placed them under Solnap, who was considered the best among his men, in a barrio called Buyo along the Alimodian River, which flowed into the town of Sa log, formerly called Harog (now Jaro). It was called Harog because when the river had overflowed its banks. the land near its mouth was washed down by the water. After Datu Paiburong was already settled in the ioland place called Kamunsilan, Datu Sumakwel returned to Malandug. On his way home. he stopped along the banks and shores of different rivers and lakes in such places as Barok, Katigbawan (now called Tigbawan. a town in Iloilo province), Nanga. Bungol. Kalampitaw. Banuyaw. Kirayan. 19puro, Bakhanan. Naratan, Manara, Buyanan, and Bukaya. They also stopped at the bank of the Sirwagan River, where they first landed from Borneo, until they

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reached Malandug together with Datus Lubay, Pahuhinog, Dumangsol and Dumalogdog. When they came near an inland place, Dumalogdog tried to give a name to this place but he could only say "dao, dao, dao" and was not able to continue with what he wanted to say, and so the place was named Da-O. which is now the name of one of the mountains in Antique. This was the end of the voyage of Sumakwel around his place called Madyaas. From then on, he stayed at home, looking after the improvement of the whole island and sending only the four Datus under him out to inspect the outer districts when necessary.

Th e Datlls Assigned to the three Districts and their Descendants. Sumakwel begot from Alayon l the following children : Oumodan, the eldest; Basalan, the second ; Owada, the third; and Tegunuko, the fourth. Owada begot Kadene; Kadene begot Dumaay; Dumaay begot Dalanay who had many offsprings in Hamtik (Antique) and in the whole island of Ranay. Datu Paiburong begot from his wife Pabulanan two beautiful maidens called Dohay Tanayon, who was married to Datu Labawdungon; and the other was Dohay Solanga-on, who was married to Da tu Paibare, a new arrival from Borneo. Both datus were very brave. After hearing Datu Paiburong relate how wicked Makatunaw grabbed the wealth and even attempted to abuse beautiful wives of other datus, the two sons-in-law went back to Borneo to challenge Datu Makatunaw, killed him, and got back all the gold belongings which he grabbed from their father-in-law. Upon the datus' return, they left their place Katagman, and settled in Sinugbuhan, because the latter place was believed to be near Madyaas Mountain, where their Bathala (God) was said to be living. Datu Paiburong was left in Katagman. The Visayans of Doilo who descended from these two datus are considered the bravest in the whole island of Panay. IThis name was not changed anymore.-P.A.M.

MANUEL L. CARREON

The offspring of the other datus are not mentioned in the manuscript from which this Maragtas (history) is first taken. Nevenheless, it was from Datu Paiburong that sprang many .offspring, whom he distributed fast in many different places. Datu Bangkaya, who was assigned to AkIan, had a son by the name of Balinganga as already stated. He begot twin daughters whom they called Bulan and Adlao, meaning Moon and Sun. respectively. In commemoration of this event, the district of Aklan was named Kapid. which is the Visayan teIl\! for "twin". But when the Spaniards came. it was again changed .

Origin of the NOllie of Each Districl. The first district. assigned to Sumakwel, was named Hamtik. because in Malandug where he first settled, there were many big black ants called hamtik-hamtik. Because of these ants, the people called the district Hamtik, which was changed by the Spaniards to Antique. and even to this day there is a town in that province which is called Hamtik (now part of San Jose) The second istrict. Aklan, got its name from the Iklan River. which flowed through that place. This name was later changed 10 Kapid as a remembrance to the twins delivered by the wife of Balinganga, but when the Spaniards came they changed the name to Capiz because they had difficulty in pronouncing the letter D at the end of the word Kapid l â&#x20AC;˘ Today. it is still called Capiz.2 The third district headed by Datu Paiburong was Irong-Irong. According to this Datu, his district looked like ilong (nostrils). Later the Visayans called the place nong-llong in their dialect but the Spaniards changed it to Iloilo. 'Datu Paiburong did not settle at the mouth of these rivers for fear the flood might carry his settlement away when the rivers overflowed their banks. lit seems believable that Capiz is derived from the word Kapid, as we often hear from the Spaniards that they could hardly pronounce tbe letter "d" at the end of a word like v,rdad, which they seem to pronounce verdos.-P.A.M . 2Lately. Capiz has been divided by law into two provinces: Capiz and Aklao. -M.L.C

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CHAPTER V The Datus' Powers, Laws and Orders

Datu Sumakwel who setttied in the first district, Hamtik. was the Chief of the whole Island of Panay. He was assisted by the four subordinate Datus, Lubay, Paduhinog, Dumalogdog, and Dumangsol, two of whom helped in the meetings and the otber two served as witnesses to attest the orders agreed upon and promulgated. Datu Sumakwel, Chief of all the Datus and head of all the districts, was empowered to impose penalties and had the power to execute the orders among his own men, with the assistance of these four subordinates. The rank as Datu, being hereditary, was handed down from offspring to offspring, including a son-in-law regardless of his economic status, rich or poor. Even if the heir came from a distant place, he would be given the powers of Chief of a district, provided Datu Sumakwel, who decided such cases with the advice of his four subordinates, was first notified. The most serious and most severely punished offence was laziness to work on the farm, and to plant what could be planted. Such an offender, when caught, was sold to the rich as a slave and trained to work in tbe house and in the field. If afterwards he reformed, he would be redeemed from the buyer and would be set free to work on his own farm. But if after setting him free, he would persist in being lazy and would only loiter around, he would be arrested again and cast to the mountain wilderness, where be could not communicate with anyone of them. Some outcasts came to live and intermarry with the Negritos, leaving half-breeds whose roving ways resemble those of the Visayans, with whom, however, they did not mix . Robbery of any kind, such as stealing plants of others was heavily punished by cutting the fingers of the thief. At the beginning, when they were still few, a man was allowed to have three wives, so that the people could multiply rapidJy but later only one who had the means to support more than one

MANUEL L. CARREON

wife and children was allowed the privilege. The poor were prohibited from having more than two children because they could not support them. As a result of this order. poor couples tried their best to work hard to improve their living conditions so that they could have more than the permitted number of children. which was two. the excess of which would just be put to death or thrown into the river. If a girl was dishonoured and gave birth. and the man concerned ran a way to evade marrying her. and could not be located. the child had to be killed since they believed it was hard for the woman to support tho baby without a father. Moreover. the parents of the girl would not take care of her any more. Their Chief would order the capture of the man at large and when upon arrest he refused to marry her. he was put to death first. then the child. and the two were buried together in the same grave.

Their Natil'e Language The language they spoke was Ilongo Visayan mixed with Hilliraya (Bongo Visayan dialect of the interior towns). as the Borneans who came to this place were themselves from different parts of Borneo. But later. they were classified and separatedthose who lived in Aklan spoke HiligaYllolt (pure Dongo Visayan dialect) and had difficulty in distinguishing the letter "rn from the letter ''I'' because their ancestors in Akian were Datu Bangkaya and his son. Balinganga. who were pihit (persons who cannot pronounce the letter "rn). Consequently. the pure Hiligaynon dialect was adopted and spread to Irong-Irong where many from Akian inter-married and vice versa. The Arrival of Other People ill this Island to Exchange the;r Goods w;th those of the People ;n this Place-Barter.

Oftentimes. the inhabitants of Sugbu (now Cebu) came to this place. bringing with them corn. tobacco. and wine made from the tuba (sap) of the nipa and coconut palms which they exchanged for palay. lagtang (sap of a tree). etc .â&#x20AC;˘ that they did not have. especially the barok (kind of tree). which they used for kindling fire and for plugging the leakage of their boats in spite of the fact that these boats were made from big. solid logs. After plugging the holes. they covered them with salung (a very thick sap of a tree also used as a native medicine) and zapug (lime) made from p;llagba (burned fine empty shells).

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Clothes They Wore. When the Borneans came. the men wore their hair long and clothes that looked like sakita (vest). cut short up to the shoulders. and without collars. They covered the lower part of their body with a piece of cloth resembling a tapis (native woven cloth) which were not sewed together but tied around the waist with a long woven cloth that looked like pano de manos (handkerchief). having face-like edges. Red was the color they liked best. They wore no hats but instead. they wound the tapis around their head four times. This. they called putong. The Bornean women also wore a sakita-like dress. which differed from that of the men in that it was cut long and had sleeves. Their tapis was sewed together and called palaifiong. Their hair was parted at the middle knotted on both sides. and looked like the horns of a calf. They bored holes through their earlobes. where they wore large earrings. On both hands they wore ornaments; on their fingers and toes. rings. and on their feet other adornments. Their lapis was made short in order to display these ornaments. The wealthy ones had their bodies adorned in gold. but those of only moderate means. used the bones of the shark. the hom of the deer. the tusks of the wild pig. shells. and shiny vines. In later years. their offsprings changed their ways of clothing. Although still wearing their hair long. the men had on them what they called lunaluna. with collars and with sleeves long but tight. The dresses were long enough to cover the thigh. Their pants were loose and long reaching as far as the feet. but without buttons. They used a piece of string knotted on both ends of the pants which regulated the waist line. In this way. they could untie the str-ing easily when they wanted to urinate pulling their pants to their feet and then squatting. Before silk came into use. their clothes were made of manta and sukatam (a kind of woven fibre of palm leaves). which was dyed black. Later. however. when silk was already available. the wealthy persons used silk clothes. and the pants were embroidered at the edges with a different color. They wore saluklll (big wide hat) made from the fine fibres of the bark of the nilu (kind of vine). They used already on their feet what they called

MANUEL L. CARREON

burangkul (big slippers with heels). The dresses of the women had different cuts; the neck had buttonholes. the sleeves were tight and had buttons as far as the elbow. Their tapis was already long woven with different stripes. considered to be the most expensive during those days. They no longer bored holes in their earlobes nor wore rings on their toes but only on their fingers except the thumb. The old as well as the young covered their heads with a long and usually white veil with the sides hanging down about three finger-widths (one and one-half inches)1 from the middle of the head towards the shoulders. Their Customs They were respectful and obedient to their Chief and parents, loving to their children and fellow men, helpful and devoted to those who were in distress. They were kind and fond of raising animals. especially chicken and gakit (ducks). which were rapidly increasing in number in this Island. Since instead of chicken and duck eggs, they ate [meat] only on special occasions. most of the time they ate vegetables and fish because they believed that eating meat would shorten their lives As a result many of them were said to have lived to the age of hundred years and a few to one hundred and fifty years. They were not selfish. but helped one another. If one lacked anything. he could borrow from another or, if the latter had means, could even get it free. If anybody got sick, his neighbours offered food to him. slept in his house. bringing with them whatever could entertain them while staying up at night watching the patient.

Marriage Rituals When they came to the house of the bride-to-be to arrange for final betrothal. the elders of the groom-to-be brought with them food and drinks. Immediately upon arriving at the foot of the stairs. the leader would thrust his spear on the ground and call in good poetical verse the host or hostess. As soon as the host would appear. a poetical dialogue, in which the vistors conITheir wa y of measuring during those days.-M.L.C.

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veyed their proposals in indirect terms, would ensue. If they were allowed to come up, they spread the mat which they brought and served at one time their food and drinks to everybody present including all the slaves, except the bride, who hid herself in the room, if any, or in the papag (attic), where food was brought to her. After everybody had finished eating, two old men, one representing the bride and the other the bridegroom, would discuss what dowry the groom could afford. Then the date of the wedding was agreed upon. On the wedding day, the bride-elect was fetched in a chair shaded by a canopy of cloth, if the parents of the bridegroom were rich, but if they were poor, only in a chair shaded by leaves of anahaw or buri. The bride seated in the chair was then carried by two men from her house to the house of the bridegroom, accompanied by dancers, who in their dance would pretend to spear the bride until the groom would give them money amounting to a sikapat (about twelve and a half centavos). Reaching the foot of the stairs of the bridegroom's house, the bride, shy, would hesitate to ascend the stairway. Then the bridegroom would approach her and try to persuade her to come up. But hardly reaching the midtlle of the stairs, she would again hesitate until the groom would Inorease her dowry. As soon as she entered the house, the padi (priest) would hand her one kabu (coconut shell used as a drinking glass), of wine, which the couple would drink in front of the witnesses as a sign of their marriage. After this ceremony, the padi would bless them saying: "May your children become rich, brave and wise and beautiful. and may they live a long life." Then everybody present would respond: "We hope so." In the afternoon, when the visitors were about to go home, the padi would get an empty plate, which the godfather and the godmother or sponsors would fill with visaya rice (white rice), and asked the bride and bridegroom to lay their hands on the rice. Afterwards, before leaving, each visitor would get a grain of this rice. Funeral Rites.

As soon as an agoDlzmg patient breathed his last. he was bathed and his whole body rubbed with the juice of sweet perfumed flowers. Then beautiful clothes and costly jewels were put on the corpse. In his mouth, they put a piece of gold or silver

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in order to prevent the body from decomposing since they did not usually bury their dead until after five or six days when they had finished reciting all their verses in praise of the departed. They recited those verses not only in a mumbling but also in a wailing voice. A specially hired person would sing versified songs in a mournful voice extolling the deeds of the deceased with the accompaniment of two or three iLmtuy to add pathos and sadness to the song. After five or six days, the body of the dead would be placed in the coffin made of solid trunk of a tree and filled with food as balon (reserve food, in Tagalog baon), so that, according to them, the dead would not be short of food in the life hereafter until he would meet his relatives who had died before him. If the dead h;ld means and had many slaves, one of them would be buried in the same grave with him so that he could have somebody to attend to him in the other life. The unlucky slave to be buried in the same grave with the master was selected by lot. If the deceased owned a boat, he would not be buried but would be placed in his boat with enough reserve food and plenty of rice, together with asia ve, and then set adrift. Mourning Customs.

As a sign of mourning, the parents, brothers, sisters and cousins of the deceased cut their hair, shaved their eyebrows off and put on white clothes with a leather bandage on the righthand sleeve. If the deceased died as a result of a combat, his men relatives would swear before the corpse that they would never end their mourning until they had taken vengeance on his enemy. If they could not find the killer, they would kill one of his relatives, in a binabaylan way (mountain people's way of killing), and would suck the blood of the victim. Only then would they end their mourning.

How They Named Their Children.

They did not follow so many rituals in naming their children. It was the parents who gave names to their children. If the child was a boy, they named him after a well-off ancestor, especially

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one who was brave and courageous. If the child was a girl. they would name her after a beautiful flower or a precious thing. Their Favourite Sport.

Their favourite game was cockfighting either between wild or between tamed roosters. having long tahud (spurs). They placed stakes on this kind of game sometimes amounting to a thousand or more pieces of rattan and sigid (a rattan-like material), and other things useful to them. There was more liveliness when visitors from Sugbu (Cebu) brought with them many roosters and things to bet. People from Hamtik (now Antique) and Aklan (now Capiz) also came and gathered in the bulaiigan (cockpit), at a certain place in Irong-hong where the boats of the people from Sugbu. Hamti1c and Aklan entered the river bringing with them things to be bartered. Their Religion.

The Bathala (God) they worshipped was Bulalakaw. whom they believed to be living at the summit of Madyaas Mountain. The first padi (priest) they brought with them to Panay was padi Bangutbanwa. Later came MangindaJon. Sokasia. then Soliran and Soli-an with different powers. Bangutbanwa had powers to increase the strength of their world or kingdom and the amount of harvest; Mangindalon had powers to heal and give sickness; Sokasia, powers in carpentry; Soliran and Soli-an, powers in marriage. Those who came next were Kabuskabos and Kasibu, whom they called Dangsi. and from whom descended Estella, a woman well known in the practice of witchcraft or quackery in the town of San Joaquin. lloilo province during the Spanish regime. Once in every seven years, all inhabitants of the Island paid tribute for the strengthening of their world or Kingdom. This celebration was attended by many people from the three districts (Aldan. Hamik, and lrong-lrong) as it was considered the most sacred. It lasted for seven days similar to that of the Holy Week of present-day Christians. They selected for this celebration a place where ran a spring of clear water. especially if the water flowed back to the moun-

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tains. Tbe place wbere they held tbis celebration was called Balabago or BI//I/bag-o, meaning renovation. Reckoning Time by tire HOl/rs

Buntang adlao Tig-ilitlog Tupungtupong Huyug adlao Tigbalahug Masirum Tig-iyapun Tigbaranig Unang pamalu Tigburugtaw

Naming tire Days

Tigburukad Damasun Dukutdukot Baylobaylo Danghus Hinguthingot Ligid-ligid

tire Day.

Rising of the Sun. Time when the hen lays eggs: before noon, about 10.00 a.m. Noonday: 12.00 o'clock. Past noon: 2.00 o'clock. Feeding time for the pigs: 4.00 p.m. Setting of the sun; getting dark. Supper time; 8.00 p.m. Time to sleep; 10.00 p.m. First crowing of the cock: midnight. Waking time; 4.00 a.m. Time when the cock flapped their wings; morning time when the sun began to rise.

tire Week

Monday, so called because it was tbe day when they used to begin working. Tuesday, meaning the day that followed. Wednesday, day when their work was in full swing. Thursday, bartering or marketing day. Friday, workers about exhausted in rushing up work. Saturday, day when tbey fished their work. Sunday, rest day.

COllnting the Months in SlIccession.

Ulalong Dagangkahuy Dagangbulan Kiling

January, they began weaving. February, best time for kaingin and cutting down trees. March, because they made spools of thread from cotton flowers in the moonlight. April, month of thunderbolts which they called kiling.

SARAWAIC MUSEUM JOURNAL

Himabuyan Kapay

Kidapdapun Lubadlubad Kangurulsol

Bagyobagyo Panglot nga diutay Panglot nga daku

May, month when there were plenty of worms called timbabuy. June, when they used their kapay (blanket) over their clothes to protect them from cold as June was a rainy month. July, when dapdap trees were in bloom. August, this was the month when food was scarce and people ate only once a day. September, month for borrowers or debtors to repent or regret they had to borrow as the following month was already harvest time when they had to pa y their accounts. October, because being ha rvest time. they cooked more than what they could eat and the left-over was called bagyo. November. because they felt chilly wirh a slight change in temperature. December, because it was cold.

The Illdustries alla Characteristics of the Inhabitants of each District.

The inhabitants of Hamtik multiplied faster than the others because many of the Borneans had been left in this place. These inhabitants engaged in farming. in sailing. and in hunting in the wilderness of the woods. They were the first to raise animals in herds. such as carabaos. cows. and horses; and also the first to build houses of wood since many trees grew near the seashore. They were the first to make bunallg (cotton threads from the flowers of tbe cotton plant); the first to learn how to weave and make use of looms. which Datu Lubay, the Chief. taught them how to use.

Also they were the first to become maninillOn (pot-maker). In their search for clay. they discovered pili (a clay-like but very sticky substance. similar to the sticky sap of a tree found underground), which they burned for lighting effect. They were, however, too lazy to study and so they lagged behind in education,

MANUEL L. CARREON

especially in the playing of musical instruments as compared to the other districts. They were humble and devoted to their kinsmen and brave in combat. The inhabitants of Kapid (formerly Aldan and now Capiz). were more inclined to the trades than to farming; also fond of sailing and fishing. they became the forefathers of good fishermen. They were so skilled in bringing their boats to any designated place that they were the first to manage bigger boats called arraez (sailboat). Interested in education, they were the first to acquire higher knowledge and skill, especially in musical instruments as com路 pared with t e other districts. They looked proud, showed no hospitality in manners nor cou ge to face their enemies.

their

They were the second to the H: mtik people in building houses of wood. which they constructed low. They were the first to manufacture wine. The settlers of lrong-Irong were interested in farming and in trading with strangers. They had little interest in intellectual pursuits and were more inclined to the possession or handling of arms and weapons. Taught by their brave Chiefs Paibare and Labawdungon, they were reputed to be the first blacksmiths of the land. They were the first to become wealthy because the river in Irong-Irong was the landing place of many boats from different places. They were friendly to strangers but when provoked they were quick to use their lumanab (bolos) which they always carried on their hips, and consequently there was always bloodshed in every fight.

SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL

APPENDIX THE MARAGTAS CODE (Transcribed from the original ancient Filipino writing into Spanish by Guillermo Santiago-Cuino and translated into Englisb by Manuel L. Carreon and Emma A. Bitan). The Code contains simple rules, imperfect but imposing, circumscribed almost in its totality to the duty of working as an indispensable obligation to tbe life of men. I. Deliberate refusal to worle in the fields or to plant anything for daily subsistence is one of the gravest of moral sins which deserves a severe punishment. (a) The lazy one shall be detained and sold to the rich to serve as asia ve and to learn the lesson of service and to work in tbe house and in the fields. (b) Later, when he has been trained for the work and he loves it, he shall be returned to his family. The price paid for him shall be returned and he shall no longer be considered belonging to the inferior class, but as a free man wbo has been regenerated to live by the fruit of his labour. (c) If mucb later it is found out that he has not reformed in everY way and he wastes bis time in idleness, he sball be arrested again by the community and sent to the woods. He shall not be allowed to associate with the rest of the community because he is a bad example. 2. Robbery of any sort shall be punished severely. The fingers of the thief shall be cut. 3. Only those who can support a family or several families can get married more than once and have as many children as they can. (a) The poor family cannot have more than two children because it cannot support and bring up properly in the community a greater number of children. (b) ~eleill~~d~":d ':':~o:~in~~ ~~ ..~~~~ted by their parents sball 4. If a man bas bad a cbild by a woman and he runs away from her because he does not want to marry her, his child by this woman sball be killed because it is difficult for a woman without a husband to support a child. (a) The parents of the woman shall disinherit ber. (b) The village authorities sball look for the man and when they catch him and he still refuses to marry, he shall be executed before the child of the woman he has abandoned. Father and child sball be buried in the same tomb. Promulgated about A.D. 1200 according to Santiago-Cuino 1, A.D. 1212 according to Soncuya, and the middle of the 13th century according to Beyer. [1 According to Santiago-cuino, this Code was promulgated by Datu Sumakwel, of Panay Island, and Maragtas means Great Country-M.L.C.; also on this, see MontecJaro as cited at p.52 above.-T.H.)

MANUEL L. CARREON

BWUOGRAPHY

Carreon, Manuel L.

All Introduction to Philippine Education, Vol. I ("In Pre'Spanish Times, under Spain and During the Republic"), Manila 1943.

Dolar, Cirilo and Zaide, Gregorio F.

Maragras (draft) Manila, 1941.

Monteclaro, Pedro A. -

Maragtas KOrl (Historia), 110ilo ist Edition 1907; 1910; 2nd 3rd .. 1929. (See Editorial above).

Perez, Father Angel

fcarrotes, Manila, 1902.

Sobral, C.

Boletill de la Sociedad Historico-Geografica d. Filipinas, Year I , No. 10, January, 1918.

Soncuya, Josu

Historia Pre-Hispana de Filipinas, La fsla de

~ana)',

Los BisQyQS y La Moltarquia,

MaDlla, 1917. 7. Zaide, G. F.

in "The Philippines since pre-Spanish Times", Manila, 1949.

Beyer, Otley H.

irl "The

San taren, Father

Philippine Saga", Manila, 1947. (Including a general summary of major early influence from Borneo ; and illustrations of Maragtas script). "Bisayan Accounts of Early Bomean Settlements in the Philippines; in Sarawak M usturn Journal, VII, 7, 1956: 22-42; (including notes by Dr. Fred Euan & E. Hester).

10.

Harrisson, Tom

"Bisaya"; idem: 43-47.

11.

Bewsher, R.A.

"Bisayan Accounts of Early Bomean Settlements"; idem: 48-53.

[It i. intended to compare the Philippine material on Datu Puti with that from Barneo, in an early i,sue.-T.H.

;';:';:";'::: l

11111II111111I1llIUf1IDIIIIIlIn] l

Rare 1060 OS 688 P2 C37 Borneo (the earliest known Visayan text) I byManuel L. Carreon

II E R I TAG [ Marag1as : the datus from I . I II M /II. M V