The Ifugao of the Philippines
THE WORLD AS WE PERCEIVE IT will always present psychological conflicts within us that will never be resolved by humans alone. A human's perception of the world will always be challenged by and within an antagonistic context that will not allow any serious consideration to be given to some basic and fundamental logics because we are all observing the world through different lenses. It is through this vulnerable aspect of the individual that ideologies, doctrines and dogmas are allowed to serve as the facilitators of his/her destiny.
These terms describe the weapons of choice used by the colonisers of this planet in achieving its agenda of world domination. A combined definition of these terms (ideology, doctrine and dogma) may give a clearer view of how destructive the application of these concepts really is when forced upon a people. The combined definition may read something similar to this: A system of ideas and ideals that form the basis of economic or political policy. A particular principle or position taught as a religion or government that characterizes the expression of very strong opinions as if they were true.
There has been no greater influence that has divided humanity than religion. Along with religion comes the concept of a supreme creator or God. But the confusion and psychological conflicts arise when one questions the legitimacy of a religion being born from the womb of the same ideologies, doctrines and dogmas that we just defined. When approached from this angle, it now becomes difficult or even impossible for any intelligent person that is honestly seeking the truth to allow these three political weapons to be used as a basis on which to place their education of the concept of God upon. To put it plainly, if the spiritual direction one's life is taking was not dictated or influenced by a cultural or ancestral context, one is at risk of finding himself looking for a God that does not exist. But by the time this is realized by the individual, he has already sacrificed and exhausted all of his energy, strength and vitality to the same government who introduced him and his parents to their religion from the start.
Therefore, within this column, we will attempt to engage the reader within the context of diverse traditional perspectives and practices in an attempt to explore and learn more about other cultures that are striving to maintain its ancestral connection and who are still seeking to be closer to the nature of the Gods.
In this issue of In Search of the Gods, we will make an effort to shed some light on the traditional spiritual systems of the Philippines as practiced by the fugao people.
This particular group, who reside in the mountains of Northern Luzon, is an independent and conservative people who have stubbornly resisted the cross and sword of the Spanish for hundreds of years. Progress and modernization may be the order of the day in the capital city of Manila (eight hours by road to the south) but the majority of the fugao retain their identity and live their lives in accordance with the values of their ancestors.
The Ifugao people are said to be the "children of the Earth". The term Ifugao is derived from the word Ipugua which literally means "coming from the Earth". The Spaniards, however, changed it to lfugaw, a term presently used in referring not only to these people but also to their province. Spiritual rites accompany every significant phase of Ifugao life and provide a means by which the unknown or unexplained can be approached and understood. Their practice is a vastly complex structure based on ancestor worship, animism and magic. The Ifugao pantheon consists of innumerable entities that represent natural elements, forces and phenomena in addition to ancestral and metaphysical beings. They believe that the Neteru (Gods) and other beings are approachable and can be influenced by the proper rites and behaviour to intercede on behalf of an individual or entire community. Generally, the Neteru are viewed as generous and benign beings who enjoy feasting, drinking wine and chewing betel nut-which the fugao themselves also enjoy chewing. However, the Neteru are quick to anger; and if ignored or treated badly, the Neteru can become ill-tempered and utter tirades capable of bringing misfortune and injury.
In Philippine mythology, the highest ranking Neter (God) of the ancient people is Bathala, who is also known as Maykapal or Abba. Interestingly this last name/sound
"Abba" means "Daddy", a sentimental way of saying "Father" in the first tongue known to man, the Medu Neter (language of Gods) as spoken by the Kemetic (ancient African) people around the globe. Bathala was known as the creator of all things: the sea, sky, Earth and all the planets. He dwelt in the highest realm of the sky. No one knows where
Bathal came from. It is said that one day he simply appeared and announced his authority over the world.
So great and powerful was he that no one questioned his demand for obedience and reverence. He is often imagined as very human-like.
Bathala welcomes gifts from people with deep appreciation and is pleased when they are helpful and obedient to his moral laws. He is lavish in his love towards those who keep his commandments and pay him homage. It is the people's dependence on Bathala to do all things for them that may be responsible for the "Bathala na" (let whatever happen) attitude of the traditional people of the Phillipines. Derived from the Sanskrit term "Bathara Guru" (the same Deity), the concept of Bathala, as with many beliefs in pre-Hispanic Phil-ippines, owes a huge debt to the Hinduism of the Srivijayan Javanese. Not surprisingly, all of these beliefs were soon changed after the Spaniards set foot on the islands. Spanish missionaries used Bathala as a way to convert the people to Christianity by associating this Deity with the Christian God. They also did this to other Deities by replacing them with saints. Since then, the name "Bathala" has been used to refer to the Christian God and is still used that way by Filipinos today.
What is most interesting about the lugao people is that the Neter Bathala was never acknowledged as their Chief Deity, nor was he included among their pantheon of Neteru (Gods). This observation opens the door of exploration even wider into the deeper history of these people. Could their spiritual practices have been influenced by the "Negritos" (Negritos are a short and dark skinned people so named by the Spaniards who are said to be the first inhabitants of the Philippines, and who possessed all of the characteristics of the Pygmy tribes of Africa).
The fugao do not consider any of their Deities as supreme, but generally refer to Mahnongan as the creator of all things, in turn making him their Chief Neter. Other major Neteru such as Liddum, Punholdayan, Hinumbian, Ampual, Wigan and Yogyog are invoked to intercede with Mahnongan or any of the other major Neteru who might have caused sickness or other sufferings. These invocations, which are always accompanied by animal sacrifices and drinking wine, are meant to "bribe" the Neteru and win their favour. The fugao believe that since certain Neteru cause sickness, the only cure is to have other Deities intercede for the sick person or people, thus making it necessary to offer sacrifices to the several Neteru involved. The Neter Liddum is regarded as the chief mediator between the people and other Neteru. It is because of this that, at every ritual performed, the Mumbaki (native priest) always invokes the power of the major and minor Deities, especially the Munontad (mediator between man and God) and Liddum.
Traditionally, the culture of the Ifugao has been intimately connected with the cultivation of rice. Twelve rice rituals performed by the Mumbaki define the Ifugao agrarian calendar. These rituals, conducted throughout the rice growing cycle, helped to maintain the balance the lugao had with their environment and to ensure a bountiful harvest.
The Ifugao are just one of many indigenous groups of people within the geographic area of that part of the world that we shall explore further. I would like to humbly remind those of you who may have had some exposure to traditional systems of spirituality, regardless of their origins, that it is by investigating the ancestral customs of different groups that we shall be able to see the connections among all of the groups. The day man stops his inquiry into the nature of the Neteru will be the day that man has abandoned every reason to exist. So we shall continue to explore, group by group, tribe by tribe and tradition by tradition, as we move forward in search of the Gods.
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