Dayaw Episode 2: "Mito, Kwento, Musika"

Summary

This video explores the rich heritage and oral traditions of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. It highlights the significance of music, epics, and chants as powerful tools for preserving cultural identity, pride, and knowledge. The video focuses on the oral traditions of the Maranao, Euga, and Mangyan peoples, showcasing the importance of epic narratives like the Darangan and Hoodhood. It also discusses the preservation of ancient writing systems and the efforts made to pass down these traditions to future generations, emphasizing the value of embracing and honoring indigenous knowledge.

Takeaways

• 🎶 The indigenous peoples have a deep connection with the land, reflected in their traditions, songs, and epics, providing a sense of identity and direction.
• 🎤 Oral traditions serve as a cultural code of conduct and a manual for identity, teaching communities how to live and preserve their heritage.
• 🎻 Music, rhythm, and oral epics transform into complex, timeless universes that reflect both tradition and innovation.
• 🎼 The late Maestro was renowned for his mastery of the two-string lute and his dedication to preserving the classical traditions of his people.
• 🎵 Indigenous rhythms, like those from Palawan, are accompanied by complex foot rhythms performed by women on bamboo floors, creating a mesmerizing musical experience.
• 🗣 The 'Hood Hood' epic of the Ifugao people has been recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of humanity’s intangible heritage, passed down from elders to younger generations.
• 🎭 The Maranao epic 'Darangen' spans 72,000 lines, blending pre-Islamic and Islamic traditions, serving as both a cultural guide and performance art.
• 📝 Ancient syllabaries and writing systems, like the Hanunoo Mangyan script, are still used by indigenous groups in the Philippines to preserve their cultural heritage.
• 🌍 Efforts to preserve the 'Darangen' and 'Hood Hood' epics are supported by UNESCO, ensuring these traditions are passed on to future generations.
• 💡 Recognizing indigenous art, music, and writing as vital aspects of modern culture can enrich contemporary worldviews, deepening appreciation for diverse heritages.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script?

The main theme of the video script is the importance of preserving and understanding the rich oral traditions, music, and epics of indigenous peoples, which offer insights into identity, survival, and heritage.

How do indigenous people preserve their cultural heritage, according to the script?

Indigenous people preserve their cultural heritage through oral traditions, such as songs, epics, rituals, and chants. These traditions are passed down through generations, becoming codes of conduct or collections of lessons that reflect their identity.

Who was Maga Now Voso, and what was his contribution to indigenous music?

Maga Now Voso was an indigenous artist who was among the first to be awarded for his virtuosity. He mastered the two-string loot, an instrument symbolizing constancy and change, and he helped preserve the classical traditions of the Magao people with his innovative interpretations.

What is the significance of the 'hood hood' in the script?

The 'hood hood' is an epic chant from the Euga people, recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of humanity's intangible heritage. It recounts the adventures of epic heroes, especially Aligon, and is traditionally sung during harvests and important rituals, often involving entire communities.

How does the role of music differ between men and women in the script?

Traditionally, the 'hood hood' is sung by women, but men are also allowed to participate in the chorus. This shows a shared cultural responsibility in preserving the epic, though women have historically led the singing.

What is the significance of the darang in Maranao culture?

The darang is a Maranao epic composed of approximately 72,000 lines. It combines Islamic and pre-Islamic elements, forming a cultural code of personhood that teaches the values and traditions of Maranao society.

How are indigenous epics performed and passed on to future generations?

Indigenous epics are often performed through chants, songs, and dances. In schools like the Tung School, selected students are trained to learn and perform these epics, ensuring the traditions are passed on to future generations.

What role does the ambahan play in Mangan culture?

The ambahan is a traditional poetic verse form in Mangan culture, often written using a syllabary. It is used to preserve cultural wisdom and values, and it plays a central role in the transmission of knowledge from elders to younger generations.

Why is it important to preserve indigenous epics according to the script?

Preserving indigenous epics is important because they contain lessons of heroism, cultural values, and the history of the people. Recognizing these as masterpieces helps secure support and funding to ensure that they are passed on to future generations.

What does the script suggest about modern society's view of indigenous traditions?

The script suggests that modern society often dismisses indigenous traditions as 'tribal' or 'primitive,' but removing these misconceptions would enrich our modern worldview, allowing us to better appreciate the depth and wisdom in these traditions.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 The Wisdom of Indigenous Heritage

The paragraph discusses the deep knowledge and connection indigenous peoples have with nature, reflected in their relationships, songs, epics, technology, and survival. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and learning from this heritage to understand our roots and direction. The concept of 'Dao' encapsulates both pride and identity, shaped by music, rituals, chants, and oral traditions. These traditions serve as manuals for life and identity, offering lessons and codes of conduct for indigenous people.

05:02

🎶 The Power of Indigenous Music and Epics

This paragraph introduces indigenous music and its role in epic storytelling. It highlights the virtuosity of indigenous artists, particularly a renowned musician known for mastering a two-string lute, symbolizing the balance between constancy and change. His music and rhythmic innovations create unique sonic universes. It also mentions the hypnotic rhythms of bamboo instruments, played by the women of southern Palawan, and the significance of chants in expressing complex narratives and cultural memories.

10:05

👩‍🏫 Passing Down the Hoodhood Epic

The focus shifts to the tradition of the 'Hoodhood,' an epic chanted by the Eaga people. Teacher Fatima Galawan has dedicated her life to training young girls as lead chanters and chorus members, preserving this UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage. The 'Hoodhood' recounts the adventures of epic heroes, notably the culture hero Aligon, and is performed during harvest and important rituals. Though traditionally sung by women, men also participate in the chorus, ensuring the continuity of this rich oral tradition.

15:07

🌾 Preserving and Honoring the Hoodhood

Fatima continues her mission of teaching the 'Hoodhood' to children, emphasizing the importance of preserving the epic's traditional form, despite the complexity of its ancient language. She recalls the involvement of village elders whose primal, powerful chanting inspires the younger generation. The epic, traditionally sung during harvest by women, is also performed by male and female elders, ensuring its endurance through communal efforts. Fatima’s lifelong dedication has earned her school numerous awards.

20:16

📚 The Darangan Epic: Maranao Culture and Values

This paragraph delves into the 'Darangan,' a 72,000-line Maranao epic that rivals the Quran in cultural significance. Though containing pre-Islamic elements, it integrates Islamic values, creating a complex narrative of heroism, kingship, warfare, and diplomacy. The 'Darangan' offers a model of ideal behavior and personhood. Its wealth of stories, many unrecorded, lends itself to performance and dance. Maranao professional singers, known as 'honors,' embody the grace and nobility of the legendary princesses featured in the epic.

✍️ Ancient Writing Systems and the Preservation of Culture

The paragraph discusses the importance of pre-Hispanic writing systems, which were once widespread across the Philippines but now survive only in a few indigenous communities. The Hanunóo syllabary, still in use among the Mangyan people of Mindoro, is highlighted for its role in preserving cultural memory. The late Gino Belog, a master of the syllabary, is shown demonstrating how verses are etched on bamboo. The preservation of these systems and epics like the 'Darangan' and 'Hoodhood' helps ensure the continuation of intangible cultural heritage.

Keywords

💡Indigenous Knowledge

Indigenous knowledge refers to the deep-rooted wisdom, practices, and traditions passed down through generations within native communities. In the video, it is emphasized as essential for understanding humanity's roots and direction, and is reflected in songs, epics, and survival strategies of the indigenous peoples. This knowledge is presented as vital for both cultural identity and sustainability.

💡Dao

In the script, 'Dao' is portrayed as a concept embodying knowledge and pride derived from one's heritage. It reflects the collective wisdom, cultural practices, and traditions of the indigenous communities, serving as a guiding force for their identity and survival. The video uses 'Dao' to convey the importance of preserving and passing down these cultural elements.

💡Chanted Epics

Chanted epics are traditional oral stories or poems passed down through song, often involving entire communities. The video highlights their role in preserving history, culture, and identity, such as the 'Darangen' of the Maranao people and the 'Hudhud' of the Ifugao. These epics are seen as a vital means of educating future generations and maintaining cultural pride.

💡Hudhud

The 'Hudhud' is an epic chant of the Ifugao people, recounting the adventures of their culture heroes, such as Aliguyon. The video describes it as a UNESCO-recognized masterpiece of intangible cultural heritage, traditionally sung during harvests and rituals. It serves as a symbol of community unity and the transmission of ancestral knowledge.

💡Darangen

The 'Darangen' is a Maranao epic consisting of approximately 72,000 lines. It stands as a cultural and moral foundation for the Maranao people, combining both Islamic and pre-Islamic influences. The video highlights how the 'Darangen' not only narrates historical events but also instills values of kingship, diplomacy, and nobility in its listeners.

💡Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage encompasses the traditions, languages, practices, and artifacts handed down from generation to generation. In the video, the preservation of the indigenous peoples' oral traditions, such as their epics and songs, is framed as essential to maintaining their identity and ensuring the survival of their cultural legacy in the modern world.

💡Syllabary

A syllabary is a system of writing where each symbol represents a syllable. The video discusses the syllabary of the Mangyan people of Mindoro, which has been preserved and is used in the 'Ambahan,' a form of poetic verse. It emphasizes the importance of these indigenous scripts in maintaining cultural heritage and recording traditional knowledge.

💡Epic Heroes

Epic heroes are central figures in traditional stories, representing ideal qualities such as bravery, wisdom, and leadership. In the video, figures like Aliguyon in the 'Hudhud' and the legendary characters of the 'Darangen' are celebrated for their role in teaching and preserving the moral and cultural values of their respective communities.

💡Ambahan

The 'Ambahan' is a form of traditional poetic verse practiced by the Mangyan people of Mindoro. In the video, it is described as being etched into bamboo and serves as a medium for expressing emotions, values, and lessons. The 'Ambahan' reflects the deep connection between the Mangyan's oral and written traditions, preserving their cultural identity.

💡Intangible Heritage

Intangible heritage refers to cultural expressions, practices, and traditions that are passed down through generations but do not have a physical form. The video emphasizes that epics like the 'Hudhud' and 'Darangen' are considered intangible heritage, recognized by UNESCO, and are crucial to the cultural identity and survival of indigenous communities.

Highlights

Indigenous knowledge manifests in relationships with nature, songs, epics, and survival techniques, revealing deep cultural heritage.

The importance of understanding and preserving indigenous oral traditions as they hold the key to cultural identity and pride.

Music and rhythm play a crucial role in chanted epics, transforming stories into immersive experiences.

The story of a Maganao virtuoso who mastered the two-string loot, symbolizing the balance of constancy and change in music.

The legacy of Masino Inarai and the hypnotic rhythms created by bamboo floors and gongs in Palawan's indigenous communities.

The hood hood chant, a UNESCO-recognized masterpiece, recounts the adventures of the Ifugao epic heroes and is integral to the community's identity.

Teacher Fatima Galawan’s dedication to preserving the hood hood by training young girls as lead chanters, ensuring the epic's legacy continues.

The complex process of passing down the hood hood tradition, involving understanding and interpreting deep, ancient words.

The darang an epic of the Maranao, a vast collection of 25 song cycles, serves as a cultural and moral foundation, blending Islamic and pre-Islamic traditions.

The role of the honor in Maranao society as a performer, embodying the ideals of grace and nobility from the epic tradition.

Misconceptions about Muslim communities often obscure the richness of their traditions and the nobility found in their epic stories.

The unique syllabary of the Hanunóo Mangyan people of Mindoro, showcasing the cultural significance of pre-Hispanic writing systems.

Gino Belog’s mastery of the ambahan verse form and his skill in using traditional syllabary to preserve poetic traditions on bamboo.

The effort to preserve and promote the Philippine epics like the hood hood and darangan by declaring them UNESCO masterpieces.

The significance of epics, alphabets, and oral traditions in enriching modern worldviews and preserving cultural identity.

Transcripts

[Music]

there is much to be learned from people

who have lived on this land much longer

than we

have a knowledge that manifests itself

not only in the relationships with

nature their songs and epics their

technology and Creations but in their

very

survival only by being aware of this

Heritage of the indigenous can we find

not only Our Roots but our

Direction their pride and ours captured

in one word

[Music]

da nature creates man imagines and man

recreates great events take place man

remembers and man

reimagines through a piece of music a

song a ritual a chant an oral joust even

an epic and as these grow in are

eventually passed on the memory becomes

a code of conduct or a collection of

lessons

a manual that teaches one how to be

perhaps a good maranao or a good euga or

aan and hopefully an ideal of one's

identity the oral traditions of our

indigenous peoples are the subject of

our second exploration yet another

source of Dao our knowledge our pride

[Applause]

[Music]

[Music]

music and Rhythm are the very basis of

chanted epics

unspoken worldless repetitions

transforming mutating into universes of

their

[Music]

own before we listen to the indigenous

epics I want you first to listen to a

Maga now

voso theit sanan who was among the first

indigenous artists to be awarded

[Music]

the a true virtu alsoo s's instrument of

choice was a kapit or two- string loot

its two- string seemingly a metaphor for

its Universal opposites of constancy and

[Music]

change the music he chose to master was

a reflection of the stately coure

traditions of the magao

the late Maestro was renowned all over

mnda now as a true artist of his people

an artist who chose to keep Mendo

classical tradition alive and to

embellish it with his own

genius his melodic and rhythmic

permutations transform mutate into a

universe of Their Own

very different but equally powerful are

The rhythms beaten out on gongs and

bamboo floors by the southern

Palawan here another gaad manik Bayan

award the late masino inarai was

recorded by the national Commission on

culture and

arts as he led the basal andam in their

Village in the highlands of Brooks

Point their playing was made even more

hypnotic by the women who beat out an

equally complex Rhythm of the tare with

their bare feet on the bamboo

floor when the human voice musically

mirrors and Echoes the complexities

textual meanings and flow of narratives

the chant is born

[Music]

one voice telling a story another voice

answering and pushing the

narrative then a whole Community joining

in the Chant is born

[Music]

the Epic unfolds

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

in the Tung School in laga iuga teacher

Fatima galawan has devoted a good part

of her career to training selected

pupils in the chanting of the eaga Epic

the hood hood

[Music]

she selects a girl from each batch who

will be the lead chanter or the

moona as well as others who will form

the korus or Mo

Abu then batch after batch she teaches

them the chant of their ancestors

[Music]

the hood hood has been recognized by the

UNESCO as one of the masterpieces of

Humanity's intangible

[Applause]

[Music]

Heritage the hoodhood recounts The

Adventures of the eaga Epic Heroes the

most popular being aligon

[Music]

the culture hero whom Legend says taught

euga women the hood hood of other

[Music]

Heroes traditionally the hood hood is

sung during Harvest by entire

communities

[Music]

it is also sung during important ritual

[Music]

occasions although it is traditionally

associated with

[Music]

women men are also allowed to sing in

the chorus

[Music]

year after year the T Wood School

chanters have won local competitions and

have been invited to perform in

Manila and with every passing batch the

legacy of this chant is passed on to the

young

euga I invited the elders to chant and

then I recorded their

song

afterwards I must have to learn the song

After 2 weeks I memorize it and then

that's the time I taught it to the

children

changes from the elders direct to the

children hoodhood CH

so my adjustments before I taught it to

the children line by line there are many

words that I cannot understand some

words were very deep so I always call on

the mha to explain the meaning of the

hoodhood and so I also explain it to the

children because we cannot change it to

simpler form because that's really the

beauty of the

[Music]

hoodhood Fatima's lifelong dedication to

teaching the hood hood has given the T

chanters many distinctions and awards

but even she admits that there is so

much to learn and

preserve it came to my mind that we

should preserve it by uh singing it

telling stories because hood hood has TW

200 stories after classes the children

always come to my door and say Mom are

we going to practice the hood hood and

say uh you wait for me after

dismissal worthy role models for the

young chanters are the Elders of their

Village whose chanting is full of Primal

power and

spontaneity although the hoodhood is

traditionally chanted by women in the

fields during Harvest manong Leonardo

and his neighbors know it well and will

sing it male and female Elders in one

chorus to make sure it is on to

[Music]

[Music]

Young vintage footage of the campus of

the Mindanao State University shows

maranao students dramatizing a chant of

their own people the

darang an epic of approximately 72,000

lines it stands side by side with the

Quran as a foundation of marau

[Music]

culture the Epic is not primarily

Islamic in

nature Scholars have pointed out that

much of its content stems from

pre-islamic

times the stories that make up the Epic

meld both Islamic and pre-islamic

tenants

the result of this melding this

distillation is a code of

personhood a record of what the mara now

describes as anonin Artin all that is

worth

emulating 25 song Cycles make up the

darang of which only 18 have been

recorded and

studied although major aity of the songs

deal with the adventures and

romances other songs deal with the loss

on

kingship succession Warfare diplomacy

and

statesmanship because they are

essentially narrative all great epics

lend themselves well to dance and

performance

the darang is so rich that chapters and

vignettes can readily become

performances in

themselves the stories become chants and

songs the

songs

[Music]

dances the dances object lessons in the

behavior of traditional role models

the honor is a professional

singer dancer and chantress whose

services are much in demand in marau

society during weddings and party she is

hired to perform traditional songs and

display skills like playing

[Music]

the but more than a hired Pro the honor

is expected to act and behave in the

manner of the legendary princesses of

the

dang a role model and a living

embodiment of all that is graceful and

gracious in a Marana woman

reles

older footage shows another honor

demonstrating the proper behavior

expected of a maranao

princess again influenced by the role

models found in the

[Music]

darangan biases and misconceptions are

quite palpable when it comes to our

Muslim

fellowmen their image sometimes clouds

are ability to see the richness of their

traditions and the innate nobility

instilled in them by their epics

[Music]

when man commits his epics his stories

his feelings into a written text he

commits these to more than just memory

he puts down in writing not only his

very being but the essence of his antire

race and for that one needs more than

just a chanted song one needs a syll in

a system of writing

[Music]

prehispanic saries devised by our

ancestors were widespread among the

peoples of the Philippine archipelago

however they now survive only among four

indigenous cultural communities in

mendoro and

Palawan the most famous of these is a

cber of the hanun Manan of mindoro

The Scholar Anton PMA describes the

unique qualities of the manangan

syllabary the Mangan culture that

ambahan is still alive is still being

practiced by the Mangan if it not was

not for their value their cultural

value I wouldn't mind it encouraged

among especially the older people do not

forget your to teach your

children what you inherited from your

forefathers the late Gino belog was a

master of the silary and its use in the

ambahan the traditional poetic verse

form of the Manan in this rare footage

the gaad manang Bayan award demonstrates

his Mastery of the silary and his skill

in etching his own verse on bamboo

[Music]

spee speech

[Music]

we wanted to make sure that the the very

important ethics of the Philippines

especially theang and hoodhood uh will

uh survive the passage of time and

initially what we did was to submit this

epics for declaration by UNESCO as

masterpieces of the oral and intangible

Heritage of humanity these are the epics

hoodhood and thein because the moment

they decade as such it will be easier to

get funding support for us to encourage

the young people to have programs so

that the young people can be taught the

Visions music that is both sophisticated

and Powerful songs and chants worth

passing on to Future Generations epics

that show us ideals of heroism syllabes

and alphabets where memories and

emotions are captured all gifts of the

mind and the

intellect if we could all remove the

blinders from our eyes that dismiss

these gifts as tribal or ethnic or even

primitive how much richer our own modern

worldview would be and how much more we

could feel and rejoice in Dao our

knowledge our pride

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

he

[Music]

[Music]

wa

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]