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