The Sagawsaw is a Ceremony Performed for Someone who Accidentally Killed a Person

by: Felisa Daskeo

The Sagawsaw

The Sagawsaw is a pagan ceremony that requires only the dog as the sacrificial animal. In

this ceremony, the bile is not considered. It is only the killing of the dog that is important. 

The priest utters some epithets as the dog is killed.



Here are some examples of epithets being uttered by the pagan priest:

• May this man be more courageous, strong, invulnerable and live long.

• May he kill more people to bring glory to his fellowmen and to his community.

This ceremony is performed only in cases when one has accidentally killed a person or a 

man has just come from a penitentiary as a result of a grave case. The person for whom the 

Sagawsaw is performed cannot partake in the dog meat, but he has to be present during the 

ceremony. The ceremony is done in an uninhabited house. The person whom the ceremony

is performed will be allowed to go home early the next morning.

Copyright Felisa Daskeo 2016

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.

You might also like:

Ed-edew

the Otop

The Baskang

The Pakde

Copyright Felisa Daskeo 2016

Igorot Practices and Traditions: Ed-edew is performed After a Fearful Dream

by: Felisa Daskeo

Ed-edew- Pronounced as [id-idəw]

Ed-edew is another Igorot practice that involves a simple ceremony with a chicken as an offering. The Igorots value peaceful and comfortable living very much so that even nightmares and bad dreams need to be taken care of. The chicken is offered to the spirits or anitos after a bad dream especially if a person had a fearful dream about his or her ancestors.

Ed-edew is also performed when someone is traveling to another place, whether it is near of far, to look for a job of if the person is selling anything for gain or going into any venture to bring back gain.

Igorots believe that offering sacrifices to the spirits or anitos will bring forth positive results. Again, just like all the other ceremonies, the old men have to look at the position of the bile carefully to make sure that the ceremony produces a fruitful result.

Read more:

The Otop

The Baskang

The Pakde

Copyright Felisa Daskeo 2016

"Baskang" - Igorot Ritual for the Newly Married Couple or a Young Family

by: Felisa Daskeo

Like all other Filipino ethnic groups, Igorots have their own practices and beliefs that identify them from other Filipinos. This practice has been handed from generation to generation but it is not anymore recognized by the new generation. Except for a very few, the “baskang” is a never heard word to the young generation.

"Baskang" is the first Cañao for a starting family or newly married couple to provide material blessings as well as bliss to the young family. Igorots believe that performing the ritual and asking “kabunian” – the Igorot God and all the spirits of those departed- blessings will make life easier and happier for the young family.
Prior preparations are made by the family weeks before the ceremony. 

Here are the offerings made during “Baskang”.

3 pigs

One cow

A boar

A piglet

4 chickens

In addition to these, several wine jars have been readied before the celebration. Since this is a feast, three cavans of rice or ten baskets of camote (sweet potato) are also included.  The quantity of food and rice wine prepared is determined by the number of people to be invited.

The well wishers may bring gifts for the celebrants. Gifts come in cash or in kind, there are always abundance of gifts in kind such as palay, chickens, and other food items during the celebration.

On the day of the celebration, the guests and neighbors will feast on food and wine.

The “Baskang” and all other celebrations are observed by the Igorots with so much faith. From the day of the celebration up to the 7^th day, the family observes utter state of idleness. The “ngilin” or the holiday for the family is like a seclusion time. The family will put a “pudong”- reeds knotted at the end and tied on the gate or entrance to the house- to warn people that the family is not to be disturbed or visited. On this occasion, nobody should attempt to enter the gate or knock on the door because it is strictly prohibited to enter the abode of a family celebrating a ritual. Celebrations are considered very sacred and no interference is made.

On the third day of the one week holiday observance for the family, a chicken is to be sacrificed and on the 7^th day, a sow is butchered to signify the termination of the celebrant’s period of seclusion or “ngilin”.

After the ceremony, the celebrants can now engage in any endeavor. And henceforth, the husband can sit among the group of exclusive men who are regarded with higher esteem by virtue of the cañao they performed. This will make the man part of the well respected men in the community who can qualify for community leadership.

Read more here:

Cañao Explained

Pakde

Copyright 2016 Felisa Daskeo

Cañao Explained

by: Felisa Daskeo

Cañao is a pagan celebration, a tradition, a ceremony, a ritual, a feast, a thanksgiving, an offering, and a peaceful holiday observed by the Igorots in the CAR (Cordillera Autonomous Region). Most of all, cañao is a kind of bonding by the people in observance of a very highly regarded event. Cañao comes in many kinds which I will discuss in my future posts.

Cañao is not just a celebration and a merry-making, the celebration is a sacred celebration by the Igorots made more sacred because it involves offering, praying and conversing to the unseen. Igorots have very high regard to the unseen spirits roaming around whom they believe have a huge part in making them successful, keeping them safe from danger and harm, keeping them sound asleep in bed, keeping them healthy, and providing them a peaceful place to live in. It is with this belief that the Igorots have made “cañao” a very important, must celebrate the event and given the highest respect.

Igorots celebrate cañao to thank their own God, the spirits of nature and the spirits of their ancestors and dead relatives. Offerings are made such as chickens, pigs, cows, carabaos, foods, and wine. This is because they believe that everything they are blessed with comes from the blessings of the unseen and calls for a celebration.

This computer age with the most advance technology has not diminished this practice of the Igorots because they are still partly rooted to the Igorot practices of a long time ago. No matter how highly educated and sophisticated an Igorot is, the Igorot culture is still running in his/her blood. 

Copyright 2016 Felisa Daskeo

The Pakde

by: Felisa Daskeo

What is PAKDE?  
 'Pakde' is pronounced as (pak - duh).

Pakde is a community affair of the Igorots which is purely cañao without any dancing and playing of gongs.  Opposed to the Begnas to which neighboring people are invited, entry of visitors is strictly prohibited during the celebration which could be extended to as many days until the bile of the pig says so.  The pigs butchered are not to be cooked but are equally distributed to every household.  It has to be known also that the cost incurred has to be equally shared by each household in the community.

Pakde is performed before rice planting season which is aimed at invoking the blessings of the spirits for the healthy growth of the plants.  The celebration prohibits going to work in the fields although house chores are allowed.

The Pakde is still celebrated up to now by the people in the Mountain Provinces.  The traditions and practices are still being celebrated even to this modern day.  I’m sure that the anitos are happy looking at the people who still believe in their existence.  As an afterthought, I still believe in our traditional customs and still talk to our ancestors who were long time dead. 

My old folks used to teach us that the spirits of our ancestors are still mingling with us and that we should always talk to them and offer them some food specially if we received blessings.  In short; we should share our blessings with them.

To help the readers understand the article better, definition of words is added below.

Cañao – a feast celebrated by the people in the Mountain Provinces

Anitos – the spirits of the dead

Copyright 2013 Felisa Daskeo

Begnas,an Igorot Celebration

by: Felisa Daskeo

Begnas is pronounced as (buhg - nas)

 This is an Igorot celebration before harvest time.  The old men have the greatest influence on the celebration.  They plan and decide what must be done.
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Begnas is an Igorot community celebration with offerings and sacrifices believed to cause an abundance of harvest.  This is usually celebrated before the harvest time.  Being mostly farmers depending on crops, the Igorots have their own beliefs and practices that make harvest season productive. 


Begnas practiced by the Igorot ancestors was handed down to the next generations who have inherited such practices and even this new technology has not impeded the Igorots to celebrate Begnas.  Just like other cultures, Begnas is as important as life to the Igorots.  This is one of the most important celebrations that Igorots celebrate up to this day.

The Begnas starts with prior meetings of the headmen (composed of the oldest men in town), to plan the different activities of the said celebration. 

Every family head is involved and contributes to the animals to be sacrificed.  The celebration is a community event that involves every household in the community.  Whatever expenses incurred are shared by the community.

At the appointed time, usually before the cocks crow at dawn, people bring their shields and spears and head to the designated place for the purpose on the mountain peak.   A mock tribal war will take place which sometimes cause injuries but treated with unconcern because it is considered a blessing. 

After the mock tribal war, the participating group will walk back to the community while they beat their shields and chant the victory ballad.  At the crack of dawn, the men are already gathered in the Ato, (a special place of meeting for celebrations).  This is the starting place of the Begnas where everyone in the community or barangay is invited to join.  Men, women and the children can participate in the merry-making which includes beating the gongs and dancing the native dances.  Some gather around the Ato and chant the ballads.
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Begnas is one of the most important celebrations in the community or barangay and where every family household is expected to give contributions such as food and wine.  The Igorot wine is called Tapey- wine made from fermented rice.

The celebration usually lasts for three days but it could be extended for days depending on the quality of the pig’s bile which is inspected by the pagan priests after the pig is butchered.  The signs are seen in the bile of the pig according to the pagan priests. 

If the bile shows good signs then the festivity is over but if the priests declare a negative sign, the festivity can extend for a few days with one pig sacrificed every day until the desired bile is seen.

The Begnas requires strict rules.  Nobody is allowed to go to work or leave the community until the bile of the pig meets the satisfaction and judgment of the pagan priests.

Begnas is still celebrated to this day in Igorot communities and barangays.   

Important words:

ato - this is a place in the community used asa venuee for rituals.

begnas - special Igorot celebration as an offering before harvest time.

Copyright 2012 Felisa Daskeo

The Igorot Tradition for the Dead

Igorots keep the coffins of the dead open until it is ready for internment.  The coffin is usually made by the men from wood materials around.  There are no funeral parlors so the family and the people around help each other in taking care of their dead.

 Different rituals are done from the start of the wake.  Old men have their own way of praying for the dead with the use of rice wine and meat.  The moment the men start their ritual; no one is allowed to talk or even stand up.  It is a very solemn moment and only the men praying could be heard.
 

 We call the blanket PINAGPAGAN.  This is one of the most expensive blankets for the dead of the Igorot Tribes.

The internment:  A priest blesses the dead before it is laid into the resting place.

During the wake, pig is butchered and prepared to feed the people but the most important part here is determining if the bile shows signs of a good omen for the aggrieved family or not.  Only the old men could read what the bile would indicate.  If the men sees something negative, another pig should be butchered.  This is very important since the family of the dead will suffer whatever consequences if the ceremony is  not properly done.   Silence must be observed strictly as the men are performing the ceremony.

Women are in charged of preparing the food to be served.  

Although gambling seems an inappropriate way to raise money to help the aggrieved family. It has become part of the wake.  This is where most of the money comes from.  The percentage cut from the winners is a big help to pay for the expenses incurred.  I will at least lessen the burden of the family.

The Traditional Igorot Way of Curing

Each race has their own practices, traditions and beliefs.  My home town is still rich with old traditions; from the way a family should build a home, the best day to celebrate a wedding to the traditional way of curing.

 The old men and women of Tadian, Mt. Province have their own way of curing the sick.  With rituals and other practices, the Igorot men and women could cure just like the certified doctors.  The last time we had our family reunion, my brother was having an uncontrollable itchiness around his eyes.  He kept scratching and the hard part is he could not apply ointment because he feared hurting his eyes.  After a few hours, it was all over his face.

Our elder brother told him to try consulting one of the old women who knows something about removing unseen organisms that is causing itchiness in any part of the body.  I guess her eyes are like the microscope because she could see things that an ordinary person could not see. 

I was amazed when she took some rice straw and started picking slowly on my brother’s face.  She said she could see a lot of the organisms crawling around my brother’s face.  Every time she finished picking, she crushed the straw with her nails to kill the tiny organisms.  It was unbelievable but my sister and I watched it and we nodded our heads.

My brother said he felt so relieved after that.   The old woman does not accept payment for her services.  The old men and women in my home town do not accept payment for their services rendered.  They just love helping and serving other people without the thought of the money they could earn.  So, if you want to give money or anything, just give it as some sort of gift when you visit them next time. 

It is amazing how the old men and women do things in my home town. Would you believe, the old woman said she could see winged organisms that have already aged when she did the picking too in my nephew's foot?  My sister has been having problems with her younger son's foot that didn't heal for a long time even while giving him different types of medicine prescribed by doctors.  When the old woman picked on his feet with the rice straw, it healed after a few days. The old woman said it is the organisms that are causing the skin to itch and become raw.  Once the organisms are gotten rid, the skin disease will heal.

The Men Who Worked Without Pay

These men had done a lot for the community of Tadian in the olden days. As a practice in Tadian in those olden days, men worked for the community free of charge, this is called "GALATIS" which means free of charge, from the English word "gratis". The men were a bunch of strong and hard-working people who were always willing to work without pay. I really couldn’t forget our old folks before who thought of nothing but the good of the community. They worked hard but they didn’t expect any compensation.

 Until the late seventies, there used to be community work done by men and women without pay. Today though is different. Jobs especially manual labor are given to contractors who do the job with pay of course.

How time has changed; but it cannot be avoided.  Life is becoming harsh and people need money for their needs.  I would have preferred the life before in my home town than life today.

How to Cook Pinikpikan

When you hear the word, Igorot, you will always associate it to the pinikpikan food.  This is perhaps the most delicious food that the Igorots could offer to other people of different race.  Most people who have tried this love the taste and aroma of the food.  It has a smoky taste that makes it different from other chicken dishes because of the way it is prepared.

Here’s how to do pinikpikan:

Ingredients:

Live chicken

salted pork (optional)

salt to taste

NOTE:

You will be surprised that there are no other ingredients.  This is because cooking the Igorot way does not need all the food enhancers and additives that are common in commercial cooking.  We love healthy cooking so we are against food enhancers and food additives.  This is the reason why our forefathers had lived very long lives.

Procedure.

Hold the legs of the chicken firmly including the neck to avoid the chicken from moving and creating noise.  Slowly beat the chicken wings lightly with a piece of stick.  This will take a few minutes until the chicken dies.  The purpose of this beating is to allow for blood coagulation in the wings.  This provides for the different taste of the chicken.  This is why it is called pinikpikan because the chicken is beaten. 

Remove the big feathers before burning the chicken on fire.  This method of burning the feathers will give the smoky taste of the chicken.  This is what makes the pinikpikan different from other chicken menus.  Make sure that the feathers are well burned but not the skin.  When the feathers are burned, clean the burned feathers well then singed the skin until it is light brown to give the smoky aroma to the dish.  Wash the chicken very well to remove the burned skin so as not to make the dish bitter in taste.  Then cut the chicken to serving pieces and set aside.

Prepare a boiling pot of water with a little salt.  If you are adding salted pork then you have to control the salt you add.  Remember also that pork is harder to cook so you have to pre-cook the pork before adding the chicken meat.

Simmer then put off fire and serve hot.

Igorot dishes are that simple to cook.  They don’t need so many additives because just like a simple life, Igorots also have simple dishes.