ch 2: customs of the tagalogs Flashcards
The Tagalog people were led by chiefs called?
datos/dato
or
datus/datu
Each dato ruled over a group of people called a?
barangay
often comprised of a dato’s family, relations, and slaves.
barangay
were mostly autonomous but would assist each other in times of war
barangay
three classes
(enumerate)
- maharlica (nobles),
- aliping namamahay (commoners),
- aliping sa guiguilir (slaves).
were exempt from paying taxes but had to support their dato in war and assist with tasaks like building houses and cultivating land.
Maharlicas
what happened to land according to the customs of the tagalog
Land was divided among the barangay, particularly irrigated land, while mountain ridges (tingues) were shared communally.
they had their own houses and property, but were required to?
work a portion of their master’s land
aliping namamahay
they had no property rights and served their masters in their homes and fields.
aliping sa guiguilir
Large houses of chiefs temporarily used as places of worship called?
Simbahan
There were no permanent temples
the primary organizational structure of Tagalog society.
Barangay
Governed them and were captains in their wars, and whom they obeyed and reverenced.
datos
The subject who committed any offense against the datos, or spoke but a word to their wives and children, was?
severely punished
This tribal gathering is called in Tagalo a
barangay
It was inferred that the reason for giving themselves this name arose from the fact (as they are classed, by their language, among the Malay nations) that when they came to this land, the head of the barangay, which is a ________, thus called became a dato
boat
“they corresponded to our knights”
datos (chiefs)
They did not pay tax or tribute to the dato, but must accompany him in war, at their own expense
Maharlicas
The chief offered them beforehand a feast, and afterward they divided the spoils
Maharlicas
The nobles were the free-born whom they call?
Maharlicas
when the dato went upon the water those whom he summoned rowed for him. If he built a house, they helped him, and had to be fed for it
Maharlicas
at the time of the rice harvest, any individual of any particular barangay, although he may have come from some other village, if he commences to clear any land?
may sow it
no one can compel him to abandon it
There are some villages in which these nobles, or maharlicas, paid annually to the dato a hundred gantas of rice. for example?
Pila de la Laguna
The reason of this was that, at the time of their settlement there, another chief occupied the lands, which the new chief, upon his arrival, bought with his own gold; and therefore the members of his barangay paid him for the arable land, and he divided it, among those whom he saw fit to reward. But now, since the advent of the Spaniards, it is not so divided.
They are married, and serve their master, whether he be a dato or not, with half of their cultivated lands, as was agreed upon in the beginning
aliping namamahay
They accompanied him whenever he went beyond the island, and rowed for him
aliping namamahay
The children, then, enjoy the rank of their fathers, and they cannot be made slaves (sa guiguilir) nor can either parents or children be sold
aliping namamahay
They live in their own houses, and are lords of their property and gold
aliping namamahay
Their children inherit it, and enjoy their property and lands
aliping namamahay
If they should fall by inheritance into the hands of a son of their master who was going to dwell in another village, they could not be taken from their own village and carried with him; but they would remain in their native village, doing service there and cultivating the sowed lands.
aliping namamahay
They serve their master in his house and on his cultivated lands, and may be sold
aliping sa guiguilir
The master grants them, should he see fit, and providing that he has profited through their industry, a portion of their harvests, so that they may work faithfully.
aliping sa guiguilir
For these reasons, servants who are born in the house of their master are rarely, if ever?
sold
That is the lot of captives in war, and of those brought up in the harvest fields.
aliping sa guiguilir
Those to whom a debt was owed transferred the debt to another, thereby themselves making a profit, and reducing the wretched debtors to a slavery which was not their natural lot
aliping sa guiguilir
The price of this ransom was ____________________________________, and from that upwards; and if he gave ten or more taels, as they might agree, he became wholly free.
never less than five taels
If any person among those who were made slaves (sa guiguilir)—through war, by the trade of goldsmith, or otherwise—happened to possess any gold beyond the sum that he had to give his master, then he?
he ransomed himself, becoming thus a namamahay, or what we call a commoner.
After having divided all the trinkets which the slave possessed, if he maintained a house of his own, they __________ even the pots and jars, and if an odd one of these remained, they _______________; and if a piece of cloth were left, they ________________________.
After having divided all the trinkets which the slave possessed, if he maintained a house of his own, they divided even the pots and jars, and if an odd one of these remained, they broke it; and if a piece of cloth were left, they parted it in the middle.
In these three classes, those who are maharlicas on both the father’s and mother’s side?
continue to be so forever
if one of them had children by the slave-woman of another, she was compelled, when pregnant, to give her master half of a gold tael, because of her risk of death, and for her inability to labor during the pregnancy. In such a case half of the child was free—namely, the half belonging to the father, who supplied the child with food. If he did not do this, he showed that he did not recognize him as his child, in which case the latter was wholly a slave.
If these maharlicas had children among their slaves, the children and their mothers?
became free
If a free woman had children by a slave?
they were all free, provided he were not her husband
If two persons married, of whom one was a maharlica and the other a slave, whether namamahay or sa guiguilir, the children were divided: how?
- the first, whether male or female, belonged to the father, as did the third and fifth; (odd)
- the second, the fourth, and the sixth fell to the mother, and so on. (even)
(In this manner, if the father were free, all those who belonged to him were free; if he were a slave, all those who belonged to him were slaves; and the same applied to the mother)
If there were an odd number of children, the odd one was?
half free and half slave
However, they could be transferred from the barangay by inheritance, provided they remained in the same village.
The maharlicas ________________, after marriage, move from one village to another, or from one barangay to another,
could not
(without paying a certain fine in gold, as arranged among them—ranging from one to three taels and a banquet to the entire barangay)
Failure to pay the fine of transferring village might result in a?
war between the barangay which the person left and the one which he entered
when one married a woman of another village, the children were afterwards divided?
equally between the two barangays
If the controversy lay between two chiefs, when they wished to avoid war, they also convoked judges to act as arbiters; they did the same if the disputants belonged to two different barangays. In this ceremony they always had to?
drink
the plaintiff inviting the others
They had laws by which they ________________________________ a man of low birth who insulted the daughter or wife of a chief; likewise witches, and others of the same class.
condemned to death
They condemned ________________ to slavery, unless he merited the death-penalty
no one
what punishment do witches get?
As for the witches, they killed them, and their children and accomplices became slaves of the chief, after he had made some recompense to the injured person
All other offenses were punished by ________________________, which, if not paid with promptness, exposed the culprit to serve, until the payment should be made, the person aggrieved, to whom the money was to be paid
fines in gold
Half the cultivated lands and all the produce of a culprit who couldnt pay the fine belonged to?
belonged to the master
The master provided the culprit with food and clothing, thus enslaving the culprit and his children until such time as he might amass enough money to pay the fine. If the father should by chance pay his debt, the master then claimed that he had fed and clothed his children, and should be paid therefor. In this way he kept possession of the children if the payment could not be met. This last was usually the case, and they remained slaves. If the culprit had some relative or friend who paid for him, he was obliged to render the latter half his service until he was paid—not, however, service within the house as aliping sa guiguilir, but living independently, as aliping namamahay. If the creditor were not served in this wise, the culprit had to pay the double of what was lent him. In this way slaves were made by debt: either sa guiguilir, if they served the master to whom the judgment applied; or aliping namamahay, if they served the person who lent them wherewith to pay.
In what concerns loans, there was formerly, and is today, an excess of usury, which is a great hindrance to baptism as well as to confession; for it turns out in the same way as I have showed in the case of the one under judgment, who gives half of his cultivated lands and profits until he pays the debt. The debtor is condemned to a life of toil; and thus borrowers become slaves, and after the death of the father the children pay the debt. Not doing so, double the amount must be paid. This system should and can be reformed.
As for inheritances, the legitimate children of a father and mother? except?
inherited equally
except in the case where the father and mother showed a slight partiality by such gifts as two or three gold taels, or perhaps a jewel.
A bird considered an omen. If its song was heard while on a journey, it could either be a good or bad omen, influencing whether people would continue or abandon their trip
Tigmamanuguin
These were witches who had the power to heal or induce sickness using magic or spells. They were both feared and respected, and were believed to be capable of bringing death or prolonging life with their charms.
Mangagauay (Witchcraft)
A form of witch who could influence lovers, causing them to abandon or despise their spouses. They were known for creating disharmony in relationships
Manyisalat
A type of sorcerer who emitted unextinguishable fire from his body. This fire was believed to be associated with illness and death to those in the house where the it roamed
Mancocolam
A more powerful witch than the mangagauay, who could kill or heal by simply raising a hand. Hocloban could destroy homes or cast powerful spells without physical tools
Hocloban
A supernatural creature believed to murder and consume human flesh. It was primarily a Visayan belief, but stories of the aswang spread to Tagalog areas as well.
Aswang
Considered an augury bird whose call could determine the success or failure of an endeavor. If heard, it could force people to cancel or postpone plans due to superstitions
Tigmamanok (Augury Bird)
A practitioner who could predict future events. They were sought for their ability to foretell the outcomes of wars, voyages, or personal decisions.
Pangatahojan (Soothsayer)
A ghostly figure of a woman who died in childbirth, believed to cause disturbances at night, lamenting the death of herself and her child.
Patianac
A mythical creature who could detach his head or entrails and appear without them at night. The creature was said to roam the countryside, and its form would return to normal by morning.
Magtatangal
The supreme deity of the Tagalogs, known as the creator and ruler of all things. Bathala was revered as the highest god, responsible for the creation of the universe.
Bathala
While the term “simbahan” existed (meaning a place of worship), Tagalogs didn’t have dedicated temples. Instead, religious festivals (pandot) were held in?
the house of the datos, which were temporarily modified for the occasion.
The Tagalogs were ________________, worshipping a pantheon of gods and spirits.
polytheistic
they also revered the sun, moon, stars, and even animals like crocodiles
The deceased were typically buried where?
beside their houses
in the case of a chief, where are they burried?
beneath a small house or porch specifically built for this purpose.
Mourning rituals were extensive, lasting ________________ before the burial and continuing for many days after.
four days
These mourning practices involved singing dirges, praising the deceased’s character, and partaking in feasts.
in the case of a warior, what burial practice is done?
a living slave was tied to the body of a deceased warrior
This practice likely stemmed from a belief that the slave would accompany and serve the warrior in the afterlife.
The Tagalogs believed in an afterlifereserved for the virtuous and those who lived honorable lives, which they called?
“maca,” a “village of rest”
(Interestingly, the sources suggest that they did not believe anyone could ascend to heaven, which was inhabited solely by Bathala.)
They also believed in a place of punishment for the wicked, referred to as?
“casanaan,” a “place of anguish.”
The sources also mention a separate burial custom practiced by the Aetas (Negritos), who also inhabited the island. They buried their dead ________________________ in a deep hole, leaving the head exposed and covered with half a coconut shell as a symbolic shield. This practice was followed by a ritualistic killing of an unrelated individual as retribution for the death of the Aeta, highlighting a drastically different approach to death and the afterlife.
standing upright, leaving the head exposed and covered with half a coconut shell as a symbolic shield.
This practice was followed by a ritualistic killing of an unrelated individual as retribution for the death of the Aeta, highlighting a drastically different approach to death and the afterlife.
The deceased, especially chiefs, were laid in a ____________ used as a coffin.
boat
Symbolically, the boat was equipped with pairs of animals (e.g., goats, fowls) to serve as rowers, reflecting their belief in an afterlife journey.
revised social hierarchy of the tagalogs
- Datu
- cheif & captains
- leads warriors
- carries out the functions of the 3 branches of the govt. - Maginoo/Tumao
- relatives of the datu - Maharlika/Timawa(means: malaya)
- they only serve the datu
- “commoner” - Alipins
- there are no distinctions of alipins
means to transfer families
balangay
Spirits of the dead, often described as ghosts that haunted the living.
Vibit
Phantoms or spirits believed to cause confusion or fear in travelers.
Tigbalaang
The goddess of fertility and agriculture.
Lakampati
Another deity associated with fertility and harvest.
Lakapati:
Goddess of labor and good deeds.
Idianale
agalogs believed in numerous spirits and deities associated with natural elements like the sea, forests, mountains, and agriculture. These spirits were believed to inhabit natural places and were called?
anito or diwata
was the god of the underworld and the ruler of evil spirits. He was responsible for capturing souls that were deemed evil
Sitan
were the spiritual leaders and intermediaries between the human world and the spirit world.
Babaylan/Katalonan
They could be either male or female, but many babaylan were?
women
They were considered highly respected members of the community and held significant religious and social influence.
Babaylan/Katalonan
conducted rituals, sacrifices, and healing ceremonies. They presided over life events such as birth, marriage, and death, ensuring that the spiritual realm was in harmony with the human world.
Babaylan/Katalonan
They performed divinations, interpreted dreams, and could summon or appease spirits to protect the community or cure illnesses.
Babaylan/Katalonan
A “preacher” who assisted people in dying and was believed to predict the fate of their soul—whether it would go to Maca (paradise) or Casanaan (place of punishment).
Sonat
This figure was a fortune teller, predicting future events through visions or rituals. was often consulted to foresee outcomes of important events like wars, marriages, or harvests.
Pangatahojan (Soothsayer)
A man who displayed characteristics or inclinations associated with women. This figure often played special roles in spiritual or social rituals, though their precise role was not always clearly defined.
Bayoguin
“preist of the devil”
catalonan
other term for datu
- Rajah
- Lakan
temporary shed with a roof
sibi
small lamps on the post of the house
sorihile
simultaneous prayer of the whole barangay
nagaanitos
patron of lovers and of generation
dian masalanta
cultivated lands and husbandry
lacapati and idianale
