Frauline C. TadleSeptember 27, 2012Eng 10: THY2Exercise: Concept Paper

From Priestess to Monsters:The Babaylan Before and During the Spaniards Colonization

With her Eurotel-sponsored signage, Nanay Alice is one of the living practitioners of Filipino

traditional method– hilot. Her prowess in this custom has reached far through conversations of people

who have tested her abilities. Believing that the ability to heal is a blessing given by Nuestra Senora de

Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies) in Malato, Nanay Alice gives her service specially for the poor and

never asked for payment, except for small donations given by some of her patients (Robillos). Hilot is not

a product of contemporary time. Its history can be traced back thousands of years ago and was one of the

primary methods of healing by Filipinos even before the Spanish colonization. It was mainly practiced by

one of the most important institution then – the babaylan.

Statistically speaking, about 86 % of the Philippine population is composed of Catholics (Miller).

Undoubtedly, it is the dominating religion in the country as a result of the 400 years rule of the Spaniards

over the lands. Contrary to the common perception that our ancestors had no religion before 16 th century,

our forefathers had already an idea of one supreme God and creator of all called Bathala. Its difference

from Christianity was the worship on less powerful Gods like Agni (God of Fire), deities and spirits of the

ancestors which they believed to be living in nature.

Their religion is classified as animism – the act of believing that there were 'non-human' existence

that are living in nature like mountains, trees and rocks and could affect the human. These unseen entities,

just like humans were believed to have the energy of their own. An equilibrium between the energy from

nature (or universe) and from the human body is a major requirement to have harmonious life.

Maintaining this equilibrium was the foremost role played by the babaylan as they were believed to have

had the capacity to communicate with the spirits.

Babaylan is the Visayan and most well-known term for the indigenous 'priestess' or 'shaman'' of

the Philippine ethnic groups before the arrival of Spaniards in the 16 th century. They were called

differently by various indigenous groups in the country like Katalonan (Tagalog), Mombaki (Ifugao),

Mabalian (Bagobo), Daetan (Samareños), Mabunong (Benguet), Mensip-ok (Sagada), Baglan

(Pangasinan, Ilocos), Mamallyan (Pampanga) and Kapandaian (Lanao) (Mangahas 24). According to

Leny Mendoza Strobel, the word 'babaylan' literally means 'one who serves' (Mabanglo-Mayor). Nick

Carbo wrote in an introduction that when Magellan came, they called these women pintadas because of

the tattoos on their arms called batuk (vii).

The title of babaylan was commonly given to women but there were occasions that men also

possessed the position. Their core role in the community was to keep the peace and was considered as one

of the four main pillars pf the community along with the datu (political leader), bagani (warrior) and

panday (craftsmen) based on Alice Gaborro's article 'Filipino Women Power'. They were recognized as

spiritual leader, traditional doctor and scientists, had the ability to travel to the world of the spirits and

become a medium between them[spirits] and the living.

Salazar considered them as the proto-scientists of the archipelago because of their knowledge on

astronomy and natural phenomena (6). They also showed prowess on the community' s literature as they

were one of those who had mastered the epics, legends, myths, songs and chants which they usually used

to teach values and in their rituals. Because of these vast knowledge on literature, they can also be

distinguished as historians since epics and legends often tells about the history of a certain group.

Babaylan were usually chosen either by inheriting it from an elder babaylan or by calling from a

spirit through summoning dreams called rukut (Gaborro). In some Lumad communities of Mindanao like

Matigsalom, the capability of resolving the community's problem as well as to defend it from enemies

through sword were major requirements of becoming a babaylan. It was a lifetime and complex process

that's why before they could become full-fledge, they had already reached their mature age or menopausal

age for women (Villariba). This part of societal system of early Filipinos was really important to undergo

such a complex process.

The institution of babaylan was formed in order to understand the untamed environment where

our ancestros dwelled. Because they believe of powerful souls and entities within their surroundings,

people need someone to act as medium between them and the humans. They relied on babaylan to do the

communication. To seek the advise from the spirits, to appease them when enraged and to give honors

and thanks to the blessings the community had received, rituals were usually done. Thses rituals involved

chanting of prayers while dancing and finally, killing a boar and could only be done by the babaylan as

they possessed the sole authority to do so and were considered as sacred.

In the GMA's television series, Amaya, when Rajah Mangubat and his troupes were in the midst

of their pangangayaw or slave-raiding in a neighboring tribe, the chief babaylan of that tribe was

possessed by a spirit to warn the cruel Rajah of the coming of a child that would eventually kill him.

From here, we can see that babaylan were not only a medium between humankind and spirits but also a

vehicle of the deities to communicate with the living. They were also blessed with the capacity of making

the anting-anting through chanting of prayers onto powerful objects like tooth of a crocodile. These

mystical ornaments were said to have had the ability of giving its possessor great powers. As the spiritual

chief, she also led the community ritual for agriculture, marriage, baptism, victory of war or raid, blessed

weather and death (Scott 84). The belief on life after death was already present during their time and its

the babaylan who presided ceremonies to accompany the spirit in its journey across the new world.

As someone who had been endowed with spiritual powers, the babaylan also have the capability

of healing illnesses through their healing rituals. They had mastered understanding the intricate balance of

katawan (human body), kaluluwa (spirit) at ginhawa (comfort) which form an individual's pagkatao. As

the kaluluwa bears within it all psychological aspects of a human such as konsensya, unawa, budhi,

kalooban at damdamin, Salazar believed that aside from being chief healer, they are also the head

psychologist of the community (14). This is the reason why the babaylan ensures that nothing can get the

kaluluwa within the katawan hurt (15). Hurting the kaluluwa would inflict a person pain and if not lifted,

would cause his/her death. According to Scott, there were three main ways a babaylan can use to help the

spirit:

“The babaylan's healing prowess was described in dramatic terms: agaw, to carry off by force, was to snatch pain from the suffrer; tawag, to call someone out, was to summon the spirit that had kidnapped the soul; and bawi, to rescue, was to free the invalid from the grip of the

afflicting spirit (85).”

The principle of a state of equilibrium between the energy from the sanlibutan (universe) and the energy

from the body was also an important aspect of their traditional healing method. This intricate balance also

affects the social relationship of an individual to his surroundings (Maraňa and Galvez-Tan 8).

Another role of the babaylan which was considered as fundamental was their service as a political

adviser to the datu. In every move that a datu planned to do should be consulted with the babaylan first.

Because of this, other writers claimed that the power and respect of the people for the babaylan was

greater than that of the datu. Based on a speech delivered by Dr. Jose M. Vergara of School of Theology

in Australian Catholic University during a talk at Sonoma University, the town people can plan revolt

against the datu but can never doubt nor question the power of the babaylan. The very thought of

opposing the babaylan was unthinkable for the people because it's like going against the spirits too. Using

Vergara's exact words, “Literally, she had the power of life and death in the village”.

The babaylan also helped the datu in managing the fields through her knowledge in astronomy.

They were the one who could tell when to start the slash-and-burn procedure. They would also be the one

who could dictate when to harvest and do the headhunting ritual (Salazar 6). This process was called

pangangayaw and was an integral part of their beliefs. This practice was the actualization of the idea of a

three- leveled santinakpan composed of the worlds of kalangitan, lupa at kailaliman which should be

connected to have a fruitful harvest. The head of a man was believed to be way to connect these three (7).

The babaylan can be recognized as the most powerful and respected group in the society of the early

Filipino because of their immense connection with the gods and the spirits.

Upon the coming of Spaniards in 16th century, the power of the babaylan began to deteriorate.

Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler of Ferdinand Magellan branded them as brujas (Mangahas 34). Antonio de

Morga, a Spanish historian chronicled the babaylan or catalonan as amateur sorcerers who deceive their

people through the evil-inspired prayers and rituals (Magos 8). With the combination of their Catholic

religion, the belief that it is the one, true religion, their patriarchal system and their forceful conversion of

the natives, the babaylan got stripped of their power almost instantaneously. The friars degraded their

image to the Filipino from someone who were connected with the spirits and who could guide them in

their daily living to 'monstrous feminine' whose powers originally were inclined with evil entities. They

were able to inject into the locals' mind that they were fraudulent vessel to harmony. The babaylans were

not only sacked from their position along with their faith and become monsters in the perspective of their

own people, they were also physically abused and tortured. As they were seen as evil-doers and

hindrances for the religion they were spreading, historian Mila Guerrero also accounted that some

babaylans were literally mutilated, chopped and were fed to crocodiles (Gaborro).

The abrupt and unjust eradication of their rights and powers led some of the babaylan to start the

first uprising against the colonizers, especially the friars. Most of the babaylan who went berserk against

the foreigners said that they had received premonition from the spirits regarding the bad effects the new

comers would bring into the land. As a matter of fact, as early as 1609 a babaylan in Bohol named

Cariapa amazed the Jesuits when while dancing, she chanted this:

Bayabarico ha nagbanuaBalunco ha bagcabayon;Maga capucane ang cubayon;Mabual agra qui ring lunson,Mabuen cagra quing cubayon (Mangahas 36).

This land will be changed,other people will possess it,with another culture, other practices;This townis to be utterly destroyed.This province with the rest of the islandsare to be subjugated (Mangahas 36).

Before Rizal and Bonifacio, the babaylans should be recognized as the first leaders of the

uprisings against the Spaniards. Their objective could've been more personal but it can not change the fact

that they were early enough to see the possible outcome of the colonization. They were one of the first

who protected their people from the oppression of the Western colonizers.

Most of their traditional practice could have died along with the swarming of new influences from

other culture, especially from North America. Yet, some of their practices are still practiced today and

even honored by the Catholic Church and Scientific community. The present day babaylan can be seen

through the herbolarios and hilot just like Nanay Alice. They are still using, practicing and reserving

anting-anting, chants, rituals and the balance of energy. One of the few remaining Sama baylan named

Teresita urged us to continue learning the 'art of knowing' which can make us utilize our pakiramdam to

determine the right medication as well as when to show our combined will to defend (Miclat-Cacayan

66). Up to this day, we have kept on practicing the tradition of the babaylan without us noticing it. This

proves that they never cease to exist but rather, they are pushed into our subconsciousness through time.

Some said that it's been so long since the institution of babaylan have perished. Others still say

that it is not. It is just creeping with veins of every Filipinos, aching for their time to come and be

unleashed. We neither need to communicate with the spirits, read the stars nor revive their rituals. We just

need to understand the nature of their spirit: strong-willed, independent, intelligent, courageous and does

not hesitate to fight for the country. All we have to do is to give a living embodiment to the spirit of

babaylan that lives in all of us.

WORKS CITED

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______ “The Other Half of the Sky” Introduction. Babaylan: An Anthology of Filipina and Filipina American Writers.

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