The Paypay is an Igorot Ceremony Intended to Call back the Spirit of a Person Gone Astray

by: Felisa Daskeo

Paypay is pronounced as (pai-pai)

The Paypay – this is also a simple pagan celebration just like the Ed-edew but celebrated with a different purpose.

These are the reasons why the Paypay is performed.

1. If a person survives an accident. Say for example a man, woman or youngster was spared from a car accident or any accident encountered.

2. If a person has been hospitalized because of a serious illness.

3. If one came from a war or any situation in which life is at stake. This is performed because the belief is that if there is no ceremony, the person involved will always be in a grip of fear or frightful situation. Performing the said ceremony will spare the person of fear.

At sunrise, a pagan priest will go to the mountain peak nearby with a rooster. He will then shout at the top of his voice entrusting the spirit of the subject person to return safely home.

Igorots believe that in any accident, battles or while a person is in the hospital fighting for his or her life, the person’s spirit is scared and has to leave the body to wander elsewhere. This causes restlessness and insomnia to the person. The ceremony is performed in order to call back the spirit of the person. As soon as the priest returns to the house, the rooster is set free while a hen is offered to the anitos (spirits of the dead ancestors. This ends the Paypay with the belief that theh spirit gone astray has now returned back to the body of the person. And so, the subject person will live a normal life.

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Ed-edew

the Otop

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The Pakde

Copyright Felisa Daskeo 2016