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The issues on the use of the word ‘Bisaya’

3/24/2012

 
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by Henry Funtecha, Ph.D.

When the Spaniards arrived in the Visayas in the 1520s (Magellan expedition) and the 1560s (Legaspi expedition), they widely used the term “Pintados” to refer to the inhabitants. Pintados means the “painted ones” due to the fact that the Bisayans were fond of decorating their bodies with tattoos, both men and women. Not fully understanding what tattoos were, the Spaniards thought the Bisayans indeed painted their bodies with artistic designs. The women had fine and intricate tattoos in their arms and their legs while the men, depending upon their exploits and contributions to the community, had tattoos all over their bodies. In some cases, especially for the brave and courageous ones who had proven their valor in battle, tattoos even covered their faces. The tattoo designs of men were generally of bold geometric patterns or representations of animals. It must be pointed out though that tattooing was not the monopoly of the Bisayans.

Early Spanish writers reported that natives of Albay, Camarines, Catanduanes, and the mountainous sections of northern Luzon also practiced it.

The question now is, at what point of time did the Spaniards begin to refer to the people of the Visayas as “Vizaya” or “Bisaya”? This is still a gray area with regards to the history of the Visayas but, looking at Spanish documents written by the late 1500s and early 1600s, the Spaniards had already shifted to the name “Vizaya” and were already referring to the central islands as “Las Islas de Visayas”. All indications point to the possibility that the name “Bisaya” was already in use prior to the coming of the Spaniards. What probably happened was that the early Spaniards were not yet familiar with the people and the places when they were just new in the country. So, for a while, they used the term “Pintados” but eventually shifted to the word “Vizaya” or “Bisaya” after they had already settled down in the area.

Another important consideration in trying to establish the usage of Bisaya in referring to the people is the fact that the Atis or Negritos of Panay have always been calling the lowlanders as “mga Bisaya”. In addition, there are lots of things in Panay referred to by the people as “bisaya”, like “bisaya nga manok, bisaya nga luy-a, bisaya nga kamatis, bisaya nga ahos, bisaya nga talong, bisaya nga pantat, and many more. The use of the term “Bisaya” is not just confined to local flora and fauna but is also used to refer to traditional processes like “bisaya nga pagpamulong” (use of herbal medicine) and “binisaya nga pamaagi”. Even using Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a in speaking is called “binisaya nga panghambal”. Is it possible also that “Bisaya” means native or local?

The other major issue pertains to the usage of the term “Bisaya” by the Cebuanos. They have expropriated the term as a designation exclusively for the Cebuanos and their language, with the exclusion of the other groups of Bisaya. To the Cebuanos, the other inhabitants of the Visayas are not Bisaya but as Ilonggos in Panay and Negros, Bol-anon in Bohol, and Waray in Samar and Northern Leyte. It is time for scholars and academicians to correct this misconception. The inhabitants of the Visayas are all Bisaya for this has been established as a fact by history.

The Spaniards recognized majority of the inhabitants of the Visayas as one race, except the Atis or Negritos. They generally described the Bisaya as of medium stature, having black hair and dark skin or kayumanggi. Some individual Spanish friars differed from these general characterization and referred to natives in a particular island as being taller, lighter in complexion, brave and more muscular than others, but these were subjective comments which reflected their value judgments and the fact that the Spaniards themselves varied greatly in stature and complexion, as well as physical traits.

The descriptions of the skin pigmentation of the Bisaya by the Spaniards in the 16th century were often contradictory (Scott 1995). The first natives the Spaniards observed were those from Homonhon, Limasawa, and Butuan, and were described by the colonizers as being of medium height and dark-skinned (Ibid).

Fr. Francisco Alcina, on the other hand, said that he did not think that the Bisayans were really that dark, though almost, and that the natives of Leyte and Samar were lighter than those in Davao (Alcina 1668). Alonso Mentrida, however, described the Bisaya “mailum” as a color a bit darker than kayumanggi, though not black like the Ati. From Cebu, Juan de la Isla reported that the natives were darker than the Indios of Mexico (Mentrida 1841).

Of course, it must be borne in mind that, as it is today, the Bisaya and the rest of the Filipinos are not at all of the same shade nor were they all necessarily darker than the Spaniards. In any case, before the development of a colonial mentality, the Bisaya themselves were not impressed by the pale color of the colonizers. In other words, they did not attach a premium on white skin and other features associated with the Caucasian race. The Spaniards were not even perceived as maputi or white, but as “mapuraw”, natural or undyed - meaning, untattooed. And to the Bisaya, because the Spaniards were not into the practice of chewing betel nut, the most distinctive character of these foreigners was their white teeth, a feature shared with animals like dogs, monkeys and pigs.


http://www.thenewstoday.info/2009/08/28/the.issues.on.the.use.of.the.word.bisaya.html

Silapulapu aka Lapu-lapu of Mactan

3/9/2012

 
Courtesy of GMA 7- Lupang Hinirang (GMA 7) video

To learn more about Datu Silapulapu click here – wwwhistoricalconundrums.blogspot.com/2009/10/claim-of-sen.html

"Datu Silapulapu"
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Note – “Their holding the Kalasag (Shield) wrong, the round shape of the kalasag
should be below not above”
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“Conquestadors on the shorelines”
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“HITIN MITSURGI STYLE!! ? :D“
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“Abaniko or Pamaypay style of Filipino Kali perhaps? “
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Note – “Thier holding the Kampilan (Sword) wrong, the straight edge of the sword
should be facing forward”"
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We all know what happen to Magellan during that day! Rest in Peace”


Historia de las islas e indios visayas del Padre Alcina, 1668 illustration

3/9/2012

 

Warrior dueling

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Datu and Binukot or Bai (Lord and Princess)

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Uripon or Ulipon (servants)

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Visayan dance

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Karakowa (Warship)

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Bisayas Illustration from the Boxer Codex Manuscript 1590'

3/9/2012

 
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The Boxer Codex is a manuscript written c. 1595 which contains illustrations of pre-Filipinos at the time of their initial contact with the Spaniards. Aside from a description of, and historical allusions to the pre-Philippines and various other Far Eastern countries, it also contains seventy-five colored drawings of the inhabitants of these regions and their distinctive costumes. At least fifteen illustrations deal with the natives of the pre-Philippine Archipelago


Visayan Ethnic Dance

3/8/2012

 
I found this illustration and video on the forums and I thought it was interesting.
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Illustration From:
'Historia de las islas e indios visayas
del Padre Alcina, 1668', by Francisco Ignacio Alcina, María Luisa Martín-Merás & Maria Dolores Higueras

Karon pako na kaimo na ginahimo pani sa uban nga mga Bisaya, specifically ini sa Pulo sa Panay,
kung imong tan-awon ang larawan, na tupong gayud sa bidyo ang mga nilihukan na warag ga lupad-lupad na langgam, siguro kini ang pasabot sa nilihokan nila sa sayaw, base sa nilihokan sa ma langgam.

na matikdan pud nako na kamay-ong pud sya sa sinayawan sa mga Igorots sa amihanang Luson.

Sri Lumay and the Aginid

3/2/2012

 
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“Sri Lumay of Sumatra settled in Sugbo with his son, Sri Alho, ruling the south known as Sialo 
which included Valladolid, Carcar, up to Santander. His other son, Sri Ukob, ruled the north 
known as Nahalin which includes the present towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, Danao, 
Carmen, and Bantayan. As a ruler, Sri Lumay was known to be strict, merciless, and brave. 
He assigned magalamags to teach his people to read and write ancient letterings. 
He ordered routinary patrol by boats from Nahalin to Sialo by his mangubats (warriors). 
A strict ruler, Sri Lumay was a loving person that not a single slave ran away from him. 
During his reign, the Magalos (literally destroyers of peace) who came from the South
from time to time invaded the island to loot and hunt for slaves. Sri Lumay commanded to burn 
the town each time the southerners came to drive them away empty handed. Later,
they fought these Magalos so that they leave the town for good. The town was thus permanently 
called Kang Sri Lumayang Sugbo, or Sri Lumay’s scorched town. Trading was vibrantly carried on
by Sri Lumay’s people with merchants from China, Japan, India, and Burma in Parian, located at the northeastern part of the city. The archipelago was strategically positioned in southeast Asia 
that it naturally became part of the trade route of the ancient world. Agricultural products were 
bartered for Chinese silk cloths, bells, porcelain wares, iron tools, oil lamps, and medicinal herbs. 
From Japan, perfume and glass utensils were usually traded with native goods. Ivory products,
leather, precious and semi-precious stones, and sarkara (sugar) mostly came from the Burmese and 
Indian traders. Sri Lumay was killed in one of the battles against the magalos and was succeeded 
by his youngest son Sri Bantug who ruled Singhapala (Mabolo district today).

    Akopito

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    Pamatí-on nátô ron ang sugilánon sa usa ka Iligánon, ang kaági ug kalingáwon átong pamináwon, apan di ninyo madúnggan akong hinisgutan, atô na lang basáhan áron masábtan ang akung gi pulúngan. .

    ang akong gáray dílî ninyo ma sábtan :D

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    Akopito
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    Pinalanggà kung pinulúngan, atu ning ipalig'un, arun di ni mawala sa atung kaugalingon ug magamit pa ni sa atung kabatáang kaugmáun.
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    Ang Bisdak kaliwat isugun, 
    diì mag padáug, palanggaun iyaang pinulungan ug budaya, ug dili kalimtan iyáang kapanulundan,
    Ang binag'u na Bisdak naay pagtahod sa iyáang manga igsúun ug láin tawo. 

    atu ni isulud sa atung utuk alang sa palambuun sa atung binag'ung kataúhan. 


    Ang atung katiguwángan:
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