The Ibaloi or Nabaloi are a subgroup of the Igorot, the Indigenous People of the Cordillera region, in the Philippines island of Luzon. Other Igorot Peoples include the Balangao, Bontoc, Ifugao, Isneg, Kalinga and Kankana-ey.
The Ibaloi are a mostly an agricultural people who cultivate rice in terraced fields. Many contemporary Ibaloi have integrated into the mainstream Filipino culture. In 1975, the Ibaloi's population was about 89,000.
The Ibaloi traditionally practised mummification. The process they used involved smoking the corpse for months to completely dehydrate the dead body, which preserved every part of the body including tattoos and internal organs. They would then encase the preserved body within a hollowed out log and place it in caves held sacred by the Ibaloi.
Ibaloi's Traditions
1) CAÑAO
Widespread in the Cordilleras would be the term "menkanyao" lit. "to perform kanyao" or ritual. I know some rituals for witchcraft and had attended several of those rituals and never is the word kanyao ever used as alternate name for any of these. The main ethnic tribes, Ibaloi and Kankana-ey, are not far apart in their system, except that they are dissimilar in linguistics. Their belief system is common to both with little deviation in methods of performance but do not change the intent and purposes.
The Benguet people believe in the existence of unseen beings that emanate from the sky world and the underworld. That these unseen beings are called spirits thought to have power over man. It is further believed that these unseen beings or spirits can be manipulated by men to his advantage. With this, the people strive to win the favors of the spirits using prayers and material offerings in a ritual. Knowing their attributes and whims is important as a basis to classify said spirits as to hierarchy and generosity.
The Ibaloi or Nabaloi are a subgroup of the Igorot, the Indigenous People of the Cordillera region, in the Philippines island of Luzon. Other Igorot Peoples include the Balangao, Bontoc, Ifugao, Isneg, Kalinga and Kankana-ey.
The Ibaloi are a mostly an agricultural people who cultivate rice in terraced fields. Many contemporary Ibaloi have integrated into the mainstream Filipino culture. In 1975, the Ibaloi's population was about 89,000.
The Ibaloi traditionally practised mummification. The process they used involved smoking the corpse for months to completely dehydrate the dead body, which preserved every part of the body including tattoos and internal organs. They would then encase the preserved body within a hollowed out log and place it in caves held sacred by the Ibaloi.
Ibaloi's Traditions
1) CAÑAO
Cañao or kanyao is simply a "festival" or ceremony or liturgy, or service or rite/ritual of offering. It is a generic term. "Witchcraft" would be too limited or off the mark to describe it. A "kanyao" may be performed for thanksgiving for the health of the community, there could be a kanyao (petitionary/intercessory) for a bountiful harvest; a family kanyao may be performed for healing such as a very simple ritual of "sedey" with the use of water and prayer; a "grand kanyao" has the focus of entertainment, cultural shows and festivities.
Widespread in the Cordilleras would be the term "menkanyao" lit. "to perform kanyao" or ritual. I know some rituals for witchcraft and had attended several of those rituals and never is the word kanyao ever used as alternate name for any of these. The main ethnic tribes, Ibaloi and Kankana-ey, are not far apart in their system, except that they are dissimilar in linguistics. Their belief system is common to both with little deviation in methods of performance but do not change the intent and purposes.
The Benguet people believe in the existence of unseen beings that emanate from the sky world and the underworld. That these unseen beings are called spirits thought to have power over man. It is further believed that these unseen beings or spirits can be manipulated by men to his advantage. With this, the people strive to win the favors of the spirits using prayers and material offerings in a ritual. Knowing their attributes and whims is important as a basis to classify said spirits as to hierarchy and generosity.
Kinds of Cañaos
There are many kinds of cañaos to celebrate different occasions. The following kids were commonly practiced:
1 .Sangbo – A cañao performed to become rich. If a person dreamt or saw a very unusual thing, he consulted a mansip-ok (a person who knows how to interpret the meaning of dream) for the meaning of that dream. After the mansip-ok told the meaning of the dream or unusual sight, the person concerned prepared the materials needed: pig , chicken, and tapuy and after a few days held the cañao with the mambunong performing the rituals. The mambunong blessed the pig and chicken before they were butchered. The mambunong told the husband and wife: “You are lucky to celebrate this kind of cañao because it is unusual for a person to be given this luck.” The husband and wife underwent “ngilin” (fasting/mourning) for three days staying at their house within this duration. After three days, they went to the river to take their bath which culminated their ngilin. After theses, they were free to go back to their daily activities.
2. Peshet – A cañao performed by those who were rich, an offering of thanksgiving to Kabunian who gave them the material blessings that they enjoy. This was a big cañao where they invited the Kailian. They butchered about ten carabaos and ten pigs. The ceremony may last for five to eight days before the couples were dispersed from the house of the host.
3. Palis – A cañao to bring back the spirit of a sick person taken by the tinmongao (spirit residing at the creeks). The ritual animal is dog offered to the tinmongao so that it would release the spirit of the sick person and be freed from his sickness.
4. Topia - a cañao to drive out the devil from a sick person and where the person who might have caused the sickness would be affected with the prayer of the mambunong. e.g. if the mambunong prayed that he will get sick and the person really got sick, this was sure sign of his evil work on the other person. The ritual animal for this kind of cañao is a dog or a a chicken.
5. Diyao or Liyao – A cañao to bless a new building and to have more abundant harvest or food for the family as well as the people of the place. If somebody built a house and was about to live in that house, a mambunong was called to perform the ceremonies. Animals like carabaos and pigs were butchered to celebrate the occasion.’
6. Pasang – A cañao to pray for a couple to have children. The mambunong needed one rooster and one mother hen to perform the ceremony. The mambunong called the name of the husband and wife and said the following: “Anyone of you, husband or wife who is married to other living being will come back to earth to your former wife or husband.”
7. Bas-ing – A cañao to ask repentance for having done foolishness to a woman or being lascivious. If a person who was sick was found out that he was sick for lasciviousness, a mambunong was called to pray for the healing of this person by letting him to confess his guilt of doing something against the will of the person concerned (e.g. rape) He had to confess first to the mambunong, before the mambunong asked Kabunian to pardon him for his wrongdoing. The ritual animals for the ceremony were a hen or a rooster.
8. Pecpecley – A kind of cañao that heals the feeling of a person regarding the sex act, if the person losses interest for the opposite sex, the mambunong got one rooster for the ritual and prayed to Kabunian that the person’s feelings returned so that he might have children.
9. Pacde – A cañao participated by all the kailian. This was done during harvest time, so that the product will be bless by the prayers of the mambunong that all the residents of the place might have abundant food during the succeeding year. The expense of the cañao was shared by the entire community and anyone who would violate the rules of the cañao would pay all the expenses incurred during the cañao. One big pig was usually butchered.
10. Amlag – A cañao for a person who was married to a spirit from the sky or heaven.
11. Tomo
12. Maguman – A cañao for celebrating the first death anniversary of a person and ending through mourning period for the husband or wife.
2) GODS, GODDESSES AND THE MAMBUNONG
In the performance of cañaos, the following gods and goddesses were implored:
- Kabigat
- Balitok
- Pati
- Bangan
- Amdoyan
- Masecen
- Kaman-ay
- Lingan
- Lumawig
- Soyan
- Maodi
The mambunong was the person who had the sole authority to perform the religious rituals involved in each type of cañao.
How a person becomes a Mambunong
Before a person acquired his authority to become a mambunong, he experiences an unusual dream. For example, if a person dreamt that he defeated a snake barehanded, he was privilege to perform sangbo in preparation to his becoming a mambunong. A mambunong was believed to have been helped by a supernatural being in acquiring his power.
The mambunong were classified into the following groups: those who perform the peshit, those who perform the sangbo, and another group is the mambate. The mambunongs were expected to perform the different rituals from the simplest ones to the more complicated ones.
Aside from the mambunong, there was also a mansip-ok; a fortune teller and at the same time the one who pointed out the causes of the people’s sickness.
3) MEDICINES
In the early times, people made use of shrubs, tree barks and leaves for medicine, Cuts and wounds were applied with alot-ot vines. The leaves were pounded with a piece of wood until it was soft. This was placed on top of the wound which stopped the bleeding and protected top of the wound which stopped the bleeding and protected the wound from infection. Even today, this method is still extensively used. Gitol is a ginger-like plant which emits a strong odor. This was used for cure of snake bites and centipede bites. The bile of a snake was used to cure stomach ulcers or any pain in the stomach.
Reference:
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=IBALOI&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMI4OfEtseeyAIVwiKmCh2IPANT&biw=1366&bih=677#imgrc=WGz4_tbF3UOqFM%3A
There are many kinds of cañaos to celebrate different occasions. The following kids were commonly practiced:
1 .Sangbo – A cañao performed to become rich. If a person dreamt or saw a very unusual thing, he consulted a mansip-ok (a person who knows how to interpret the meaning of dream) for the meaning of that dream. After the mansip-ok told the meaning of the dream or unusual sight, the person concerned prepared the materials needed: pig , chicken, and tapuy and after a few days held the cañao with the mambunong performing the rituals. The mambunong blessed the pig and chicken before they were butchered. The mambunong told the husband and wife: “You are lucky to celebrate this kind of cañao because it is unusual for a person to be given this luck.” The husband and wife underwent “ngilin” (fasting/mourning) for three days staying at their house within this duration. After three days, they went to the river to take their bath which culminated their ngilin. After theses, they were free to go back to their daily activities.
2. Peshet – A cañao performed by those who were rich, an offering of thanksgiving to Kabunian who gave them the material blessings that they enjoy. This was a big cañao where they invited the Kailian. They butchered about ten carabaos and ten pigs. The ceremony may last for five to eight days before the couples were dispersed from the house of the host.
3. Palis – A cañao to bring back the spirit of a sick person taken by the tinmongao (spirit residing at the creeks). The ritual animal is dog offered to the tinmongao so that it would release the spirit of the sick person and be freed from his sickness.
4. Topia - a cañao to drive out the devil from a sick person and where the person who might have caused the sickness would be affected with the prayer of the mambunong. e.g. if the mambunong prayed that he will get sick and the person really got sick, this was sure sign of his evil work on the other person. The ritual animal for this kind of cañao is a dog or a a chicken.
5. Diyao or Liyao – A cañao to bless a new building and to have more abundant harvest or food for the family as well as the people of the place. If somebody built a house and was about to live in that house, a mambunong was called to perform the ceremonies. Animals like carabaos and pigs were butchered to celebrate the occasion.’
6. Pasang – A cañao to pray for a couple to have children. The mambunong needed one rooster and one mother hen to perform the ceremony. The mambunong called the name of the husband and wife and said the following: “Anyone of you, husband or wife who is married to other living being will come back to earth to your former wife or husband.”
7. Bas-ing – A cañao to ask repentance for having done foolishness to a woman or being lascivious. If a person who was sick was found out that he was sick for lasciviousness, a mambunong was called to pray for the healing of this person by letting him to confess his guilt of doing something against the will of the person concerned (e.g. rape) He had to confess first to the mambunong, before the mambunong asked Kabunian to pardon him for his wrongdoing. The ritual animals for the ceremony were a hen or a rooster.
8. Pecpecley – A kind of cañao that heals the feeling of a person regarding the sex act, if the person losses interest for the opposite sex, the mambunong got one rooster for the ritual and prayed to Kabunian that the person’s feelings returned so that he might have children.
9. Pacde – A cañao participated by all the kailian. This was done during harvest time, so that the product will be bless by the prayers of the mambunong that all the residents of the place might have abundant food during the succeeding year. The expense of the cañao was shared by the entire community and anyone who would violate the rules of the cañao would pay all the expenses incurred during the cañao. One big pig was usually butchered.
10. Amlag – A cañao for a person who was married to a spirit from the sky or heaven.
11. Tomo
12. Maguman – A cañao for celebrating the first death anniversary of a person and ending through mourning period for the husband or wife.
2) GODS, GODDESSES AND THE MAMBUNONG
In the performance of cañaos, the following gods and goddesses were implored:
- Kabigat
- Balitok
- Pati
- Bangan
- Amdoyan
- Masecen
- Kaman-ay
- Lingan
- Lumawig
- Soyan
- Maodi
The mambunong was the person who had the sole authority to perform the religious rituals involved in each type of cañao.
How a person becomes a Mambunong
Before a person acquired his authority to become a mambunong, he experiences an unusual dream. For example, if a person dreamt that he defeated a snake barehanded, he was privilege to perform sangbo in preparation to his becoming a mambunong. A mambunong was believed to have been helped by a supernatural being in acquiring his power.
The mambunong were classified into the following groups: those who perform the peshit, those who perform the sangbo, and another group is the mambate. The mambunongs were expected to perform the different rituals from the simplest ones to the more complicated ones.
Aside from the mambunong, there was also a mansip-ok; a fortune teller and at the same time the one who pointed out the causes of the people’s sickness.
3) MEDICINES
In the early times, people made use of shrubs, tree barks and leaves for medicine, Cuts and wounds were applied with alot-ot vines. The leaves were pounded with a piece of wood until it was soft. This was placed on top of the wound which stopped the bleeding and protected top of the wound which stopped the bleeding and protected the wound from infection. Even today, this method is still extensively used. Gitol is a ginger-like plant which emits a strong odor. This was used for cure of snake bites and centipede bites. The bile of a snake was used to cure stomach ulcers or any pain in the stomach.
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=IBALOI&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMI4OfEtseeyAIVwiKmCh2IPANT&biw=1366&bih=677#imgrc=WGz4_tbF3UOqFM%3A
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