7/25/2019 Tinguin

1/28

tinguian

The word

"Tinguian" may have been derived from the Malay word "tinggi," which means mountain or highlands, andmay have been coined during the early Spanish period. As used by the Spanish colonizers, the word usedto refer to all mountain people or hill tribes in the entire archipelago, living in places such as Zambales,ohol, asilan, and Mindanao. !t was only later that the term was used eclusively for the mountain#dwelling people of Abra, !locos Sur, and !locos $orte.The term "!tneg" has come to be used synonymously with "Tinguian." The word, according to one

interpretation, is derived from "iti uneg," which literally means "the interior." %r it could have been derivedfrom the combination of the prefi "!#," which indicates a place of origin, and the name of a ma&or river andgeographical area, "Tineg." The Tinguian have always thought of themselves and the other highlanddwellers of the 'ordilleras as !tneg, people of the interior uplands. There is a tendency, however, to referto the inhabitants of Abra(s isolated hinterlands as !tneg and to the province(s more acculturatedpopulation as Tinguian, especially since the latter are supposedly hardly distinguishable from the lowland!locano.Today, there are two identifiable Tinguian groups, namely, the "valley Tinguian" and the "mountainTinguian." The first occupy the village communities where there are also !locano settlers, while thesecond are distributed in sparsely populated areas in the highland country of northern and eastern Abra.The region covered by the original Tinguian population is significant. Azurin )*++* has echoed the earliercontention of the anthropologist 'ole that certain pueblos in the !locos region "recognized as !locano arebut 'hristianized Tinguian." The ancestral domain of the Tinguian covers a mountainous region which has

four valleys and four river systems &oining up with the Abra -iver, which empties into the 'hina Sea. !t issignificant to note that the Spaniards used synonymous terms in referring to the highland dwellers of Abra)the Tinguian, and of the mountain provinces. The latter became nown as the /gorotes or "people fromthe mountain range". Tinguian territory is bounded on the $orth by the !locos $orte, on the 0est by !locosSur, on the South by angued, and on the 1ast by 2alinga#Apayao. The Tinguian are mainly in the townsof Tubo, San 3uintin, 4uba, and uliney in Abra )5eralta *+667*8. They number around 9:,;;;.return totop

7/25/2019 Tinguin

2/28

History

4ong before the coming of the Spanish colonizers, Tinguian settlements were already in the place alongthe coastal region of !locos Sur, specially the $arvacan Area southward to Santa 'ruz. %ne theory has it

that the Tinguian originated from the coastal areas, the predecessors of the precolonial !locano. Thesepeople would later move into what is now the province of Abra, where they intermarried with the olderpopulation. The descendants of this union are the present#day Tinguian. %thers, however, went furtherupland towards the east, northeast, south and southeast, following the many branches of the Abra -iver.The group that treed to the northeast, along the river called Tineg, may have encountered Aeta whoinhabited the region called the Apayao. Those who intermarried with these Aeta came to be called !sneg,an ethno#linguistic group which now populates the western and northern parts of the present 2alinga#

Apayao. The pure Aeta group may be found in the Apayao region.The actual historical origin of the Tinguian has been the sub&ect of much debate and speculation.

According to earlier historians and anthropologists, these people may have come from 'hina, or are thedescendants of the second wave of Malays who came over in the boats hundred of years ago, or are theoffspring of 'hinese pirates who regularly came to maraud and were driven into the mountains of5anganisan. )'ertain Sinoid features of the Tinguian, particularly their eyes and cheebones, may havebeen the basis for the last speculation. 0hat is definite is the resilience of Tinguian culture, which hassurvived for centuries under the harsh conditions, physical and political as well as the influences ofcolonial culture and modernization.

The first mention of the !tneg as a distinct group comes from the "ub#ubu." These are the genealogicalaccounts told in connection with funeral rites. These recall the migration of the !tneg of !locos Sur to Abraseveral hundred years ago, following an encounter with the invading Spanish forces.5ast and recent studies have maintained that close affinity eists between the !tneg and the !locano< andwhatever difference eists as a result of acculturation )mainly through 'hristianization have remainedsuperficial. oth groups share common characteristics in terms of language, cultural traits, and physicalcharacteristics. !n fact, according to 'ole, there are very slight differences between the lowland Tinguian,the !locano and the Apayao, although among the interior inhabitants, the hair tends to be wavy, the onlysignificant difference that seems to stand out.The Spaniards initiated contact with these natives in *9:= during Salcedo(s !locos campaign. 0hileSpanish colonization did not immediately disrupt precolonial trade with the neighboring countries,'hristianity was at once imposed. Those who would later be identified as Tinguian fled to the mountainsin resistance. !n *9+6, the Spaniards invaded Abra and erected a garrison at the village of angued. Thisdrove the Tinguian further up the river where they founded the 4angangilang settlement. 'onversion wasgradual but eventually succeeded in establishing Tinguian villages in the lowlands during the *6th and*+th centuries.>oluntary assimilation, rewarded by ta eemption and other benefits, failed to attract the Tinguian.?orced to live in pueblos, they were burdened with taes and forced labor. !n *6@6 ov. en. 1steban de5eBarubia banished the nonconverts from their homes and confiscated their property. Their nativecostume was forbidden in the towns. 'hristianization increased through intimidation because the practiceof old customs was made punishable by law. Mounting hostility and the eploitation of the Tinguianalienated them further from 'hristian ?ilipinos. $evertheless trade relations continued and, with thesupport of the Spaniards and later the Americans, the !locano influence grew. y the turn of the century,

headhunting had practically disappeared.The Tinguian were represented in the 5hilippine revolution of *6+6< warriors armed with traditionalweapons were sent to fight the Spaniards. 0hen the Americans came, 'ommissioner 0orcester freedTinguian villages from !locano control and granted them autonomy. The removal of uneCual taes andlabor reCuirements prevented ma&or conflicts with the Americans.

7/25/2019 Tinguin

3/28

7/25/2019 Tinguin

4/28

0A--!%-S. Tinguianwarriors,here shownposing withtraditionalbow andarrow,fought withother?ilipinos inthe *6+@-evolution

againstSpain.)Album deTipos?ilipinos4uzon $orte*+6*, 4opezMuseum

Tinguian socioeconomic life retained much of its traditional character up to the *+9;s and the early

*+@;s. 'hanges in the economic mainstream started to impinge on Tinguian society since then. Theliberal importation of tetiles into the country increased to point that locally woven cloths were displaced.Tinguian weavers were not eempted from this influence. !n recent years, there has been a constantdecline in the supply of indigenous woven material from which the highly touted burial blanets of theTinguian, and their apparel, are made. !n the past, the Tinguian succeeded in producing their own cotton,and continued to use traditional material in perpetuating old designs or creating new ones. This was madenecessary by the fact that every phase of the life cycle reCuired a certain type of cloth to be worn or

7/25/2019 Tinguin

5/28

displayed in the many rituals, feasts, and celebrations held periodically.Tinguian socioeconomic life retained much of its traditional character up to the *+9;s and the early

*+@;s. 'hanges in the economic mainstream started to impinge on Tinguian society since then. Theliberal importation of tetiles into the country increased to point that locally woven cloths were displaced.Tinguian weavers were not eempted from this influence. !n recent years, there has been a constantdecline in the supply of indigenous woven material from which the highly touted burial blanets of theTinguian, and their apparel, are made. !n the past, the Tinguian succeeded in producing their own cotton,and continued to use traditional material in perpetuating old designs or creating new ones. This was made

necessary by the fact that every phase of the life cycle reCuired a certain type of cloth to be worn or

7/25/2019 Tinguin

6/28

displayed in the many rituals, feasts, and celebrations held periodically. The agricultural life of theTinguian suffered from the introduction of >irginia Tobacco in the *+@;s. The attention of farmers wasfocused on the raising of this cash crop rather that the cultivation of sufficient rice and other staple crops.The cash crop did little to improve the economic situation of the Tinguian. 5rices of tobacco weremanipulated, and the Tinguian farmers were cheated by intermediaries in the purchase of tobacco leaves.

!n recent times, the Tinguian have become one of the most marginalized groups in the 'ordillera.1conomic underdevelopment, the inaccessibility of their mountainous homeland, and attempts of the

Marcos regime to eploit their vast timberlands for large#scale logging and processing of forest products#for corporate profit#served to encourage the growth of insurgency throughout Abra.The geo#political unit is nown today as the 'ordillera Administrative -egion used to be composed of theprovince of enguet, !fugao, ontoc, and 2alinga#Apayao, leaving Abra out as part of the !locos region.The inclusion of the Tinguian homeland in the 'ordillera region is a late recognition of the fact that theTinguian have a very clear cultural affinity with the !gorot groups, even though a significant part of theirsociety has also been closely identified with 'hristianized !locano society.

return to top

Religious Beliefs and Practices

The Tinguian believe in the presence of spirits in their midst. These spirits, called sasailo, dwell in the

natural surroundings or move among human beings, and eert influence on events and activities inhuman society. The sasailo possess powers and intelligence which are eCual or superior to those ofhuman beings, and they become the basis for certain sanctions and prohibitions that must be followed bypeople, on pain of retribution. They are to be feared and respected. Taing the form of human beings,they move about, aware of everything that is going on.The Tinguian classify supernatural beings into three general categories7 spirits who have eisted throughall time< spirits of inferior ran which are neither benevolent nor evil< and spirits of ancestors and othermortals who are invisible, but who may enter the bodies of mediums so that they can communicate withthe living )?ortin *+:678:.!n Tinguian cosmogony, the first inhabitants in the world were their very ancestors. The world was created

http://litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html#tophttp://litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html#top

7/25/2019 Tinguin

7/28

by a Supreme being named agatulayan, who lives and rules the celestial realm, directing its activities.2adalan is a deity subordinate to agatulayan. De is a friendly spirit who teaches the Tinguian how topray, harvest their crops, ward off evil spirits, and overcome bad omens and cure sicnesses. Apadel or2alagang, another deity, is nown to be the guardian and dweller of the spirit#stones called pinaing whichplay an important role in the spiritual world of the Tinguian. %f various sizes and shapes, the pinaing areusually found in sports mared out as hallowed ground, often under old trees, and are deemed to be theprotectors of such places and of the creatures who live in the forests.

Spirits are of two inds7 the malevolent and the benevolent. %ne benevolent spirit who dwells in thenatural surrounding is Maaboteng )"one who frightens", believed to be the guardian of the deer and thewild pigs. A ey figure in Tinguian mythology is the umau, a malevolent spirit who can change itsappearance at will, taing on the appearance even of the human being it wants to waylay in the forest.?or ages, the myth of the umau appears to have eerted a strong social control effect, analogous to theinfluence of the granary gods in other 'ordillera societies.There is only one person who has the power and ability to communicate with the sasailo7 the alopogan ormedium, usually a middle#aged woman. !n rituals of communication with the spiritual world, the alopoganundergoes possession by the spirits, who guide and inspire her words and her actions. The alopoganpresides in the various rituals and ceremonies held by the Tinguian, such as the say#ang, which isperformed in connection with the construction of the balawa, the largest temple dedicated to the sasailo,and built for the supplications of cures in a time of illness. %ther rituals in which the alopogan presides arethe sugayog, dawa, calangan, and bawbawa or calcapao, which aim to combat the combined worings

of evil spirits, as well as to see the blessings of the benevolent sasailos.

return to top

Visual Arts and Crafts

The first material used by the Tinguian for their clothing was the bar of trees. 0ith the introduction ofcloth, Tinguian weavers eventually produced the male suit called the ba#al )clout, worn together with thebalibas )woven shirt. %n special occasions, a bado )long#sleeved &acet is also worn with this suit. Atraditional headgear made from bamboo with a low dome#shaped top reminiscent of the lowland salaotcompleted the male costume. The female suit consists of a short#sleeved &acet with a narrow sirtetending from the waist down to the nees, with a girdle attached to a clout in the case of adolescent

females )?ortin *+:67*8.oth males and females practise body tattooing. Among women, tattooing of the arms conceals the marsleft when they remove the strands of beads covering their arms from elbow to wrist )See logo of thisarticle. The older generation of Tinguian women had themselves tattooed on the arms#from the wrist tothe shoulder#as well as on their faces. They wore several sets of beads7 one around their hair, paired withbrass earrings, one around their necs, and another around their wrists. %ften, another set of beads wasslung over the shoulder and went under the armpits )'abrera *+::7*E=#*E8. A piece of &ewelry whichdoubles as a charm to ward off evil spirits is an ornament with an ambiguously#carved animal figure.The Tinguian are particularly noted for their creative designs in weaving, bead maing, basetry, andpottery. They weave their cloth from locally produced material using simple but effective eCuipment. 0hilethe old handheld loom is still used in some places, most of the local weaves now use the modern spinningwheel. The weaves produce the multicolored tapis, aside from other articles of clothing. The balwasi)female blouse is made from abel )woven cloth. This is basically white, with polychrome stripes at thecenter. The banudo or piningitan is a wraparound sirt for women, which is all white ecept for a red strip

at the edges. Another common product of the loom is blanets, which use a wide variety of designs, liemale and female figures, flowers and plants, animal motifs including horses, goats, fish. Many of theseTinguian "death blanets," which are considered heirloom pieces, are fast disappearing, snapped up byforeign and local treasure hunters from Tinguian houses.Motifs, which include animal figures lie snaes, lizards and birds, and geometric and floral designs, areincised on bamboo instruments and wooden pipes. Tinguian pottery, on the other hand, is decorated withscroll#lie designs. Another craft for which the Tinguian are noted is beadwor. Deirloom beads, many ofthem remnants of an ancient trade, are usually strung with other local beads to create a fascinating

http://litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html#tophttp://litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html#top

7/25/2019 Tinguin

8/28

variety of combination and patterns. asets are used for storing food, carrying crops, bringing tradeproducts to the lowland areas, and similar purposes. These are seldom adorned with decorative motifs.

return to top

Literary Arts

The oral traditions of the Tinguian were first gathered by 'ole )*+*9. The long narratives recordedappear to be chanted epics, recounting the eploits of characters to a supernatural world. Tinguianmythology contains a host of characters who play out the relationships between the sy dwellers and themortals on earth. %ne story relates how the beautiful maiden Apo#ni#ulinayen "was pulled up by a vinethat curled mysteriously around her body and deposited her in the yard of the sun god" )Femetrio*++*7@=. Another story relates how the star maiden aygayoma lowered a baset from her celestialabode for the earth dweller Apo#ni#Tolau to ride up to heaven, where the two eventually married, while theman(s wife was left on earth.The story of the great flood, lie the origin myth, is a basic motif in oral tradition. The Tinguian have theirown version of the flood, which in this case also functions as a myth of the origin of human beings. !t issaid that one day, the god#hero and Tinguian warrior Apo#ni#Tolau went down to the lowlands until hereached the sea. ?ascinated by the vast waters, he built himself a raft made of rattan, and rowed out until

he reached the edge of the world where the sea and sy met. There he saw a towering roc, which wasthe place of the sea#god, Tau#mari#u. The place was guarded by nine beautiful women who were thedaugters of the seaweeds. Angered by the playfulness of the maidens who lured him into the sea#god(splace, the Tinguian warrior threw his magic hoo and caught the youngest and loveliest maiden, whosename was Dumitau. The woman screamed and struggled until she was weaened by the hoo(s magicoil. Apo#ni#Tolau carried her to his raft, then escaped. Dearing the abduction, Tau#mari#u was enraged,and called right away for the waves and the tunas to rescue Dumitau from the brash Tinguian. Apo#ni#Tolau cried out for help to his mother, 4ang#an of 2adalayapan, the lady of the wind and rain. Thegoddess sent down strong winds to hurl bac the waves and the tunas of Tau#mari#u, and pull her son(sraft ashore. Angrier now, Tau#mari#u called a meeting of the gods and spirit of the seas and the oceans,and they all agreed to punish the land dwellers for what the Tinguian god had done. 4earning of the plan,4ang#an instructed her son to go up the highest mountain in the 'ordillera with his household, to escapethe great flood that was soon to come. And when it came, the flood filled up the valleys and plains,

destroying crops and illing wor animals. Then the floodwater surged up the mountain where Apo#ni#Tolau, his wife Dumitau, who had lost her powers as a sea diwata )spirit because she tasted herhusband(s mountain food, cried out to Tau#mari#u. Fespite his anger, the lord of the sea too pity upon hisfavorite Dumitau, and called bac the floodwaters. ut he vowed that thenceforth, he would sin boatsand drown people in retribution for what Apo#ni#Tolau had done. After the deluge, Apo#ni#Tolau andDumitau came down the mountain, and had children who were to become the first people of the world)1ugenio *+6+7=E6.2anag 2ababagowan is an !tneg epic chanted in the rice fields during harvest time, to provide respitefrom the monotony of wor. !t is also recited by a fire or a hearth to entertain the weavers, the maers ofrope, or the shell polishers who mae cups and bowls. The epic recounts the life and times of Apo#ni#Tolau, Apo#ni#ulinayen, and their son 2anag. !t is an etended narrative of events woven around theeploits and tribulations of heroes and heroines in 2adalayapan and 2aodanan. These are calledcollectively "the stories of the first times," and are actually made up of several stories which may berelated separately, depending on the storyteller. The epic of 2anag 2ababawogan features an assortment

of mythical creatures< spirit#birds< spirit#helpers )or guardian spirits< the alan, a treelie man who waylayshunters in the mountains of Matawetawen< banaw#es, aliadad, or dagimuano, magical betel nuts andperfumes which can revive the beheaded )lie 2anag< a *;#headed giant who builds his roof from thehair of his victims< and a rooster who rides a burial raft on the river, announcing to all the identity of thedead person.

return to top

Performing Arts

http://litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html#tophttp://litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html#tophttp://litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html#tophttp://litera1no4.tripod.com/tinguian_frame.html#top

7/25/2019 Tinguin

9/28

Tinguian music has been described as a "total eperience" shared by the whole community, and is anactivity of communal life associated with the rituals of life and death. This music is "characterized byancient elements7 recurring rhythmic patterns, continual repetitions, formula opening and closing phrases,and the modest use of four or five tones repeated in seCuences within the narrow span of an octave")Samonte#Madrid *+::7E86.The Tinguian have many types of musical instruments, as well as songs, which are shared withneighboring 'ordillera groups, particularly the 2ananay, 2alinga, and ontoc. As in any indigenoussetting, there is often an integral and harmonious performance of instrumental music, song, dance, andritual of a participatory nature. Thus, the gangsa is played, the tade or the da#eng is danced, and thesalidummay is sung during the celebration of a lay#og )death anniversary, a bagongong )wae for thedeparted, or a polya )wedding feast.The Tinguian have a wide array of musical instruments. The gangsa is a gong made of brass and iron. !tis flat and varies in size, the smallest being 8; cm in diameter, and the largest measuring E; cm. The rimis about *.: cm thic. 4ie the gongs of the other 'ordillera groups, and unlie those of Mindanao, theTinguian gangsa has no central boss or incised surface decorative motifs.

7/25/2019 Tinguin

10/28

7/25/2019 Tinguin

11/28

>!44A1 FA$'1. Tinguian dances are performed today in a variety of costumes duringceremonial occasions. )1piscopal 'ommission on Tribal ?ilipinos 'ollection

angsa playing is basically a rhythmic ensemble performance. There are different ways of playingthe flat gongs, using hand, stics, or a combination of hands and stics. There are at least three styles ofensemble playing, heard especially during festive celebrations. These are sulit )sinulit, palluu)pinalooan, and pinallaiyan )inilaud.!n gangsa sulit, the ensemble consists of a set of five to si flat gongs of graduated sizes laid on the lapsof male performers who use their open palms to sound the instruments. The gongs have specific names,

7/25/2019 Tinguin

12/28

and they have interlocing patterns of play to produce the rhythmic pattern. The first and lowest#pitchedgong is the balbal or barbar, followed by the adwa, the atlo, the apat, the popo )which plays astaccato sound at regular beats< the sith and highest#pitched gong is the balwawi, which creates variedpatterns in relation to the resultant melodies produced by the lower gongs. This particular flat gongaccompanies dances which all fall under the tade type.The second flat gong ensemble is the gangsa palluu, in which all the gongs are struc with stics oneither the inner or outer space. The gangsa palluu consists of five or as many gongs as are available.This is played by men who dance as they strie their gongs, and who are then &oined by a group ofwomen dancers.The third Tinguian ensemble is the pinallaiyan or inilaud, which consists of three to four flat gongs and acylindrical double#headed drum called tambol. The name pinallaiyan is said to refer to the gong#drumensemble in Abra(s western highland areas, while the inilaud, taen from the word lagud meaning "west,"is used in the ensemble playing of the western and lowland areas of the province. The techniCue ofsounding the gongs in pinallaiyan combines the use of hands and stics. The names of the four gongswith their respective playing techniCues are taluati, a gong laid on the ground and struc with two stics