Notions of Filipino Time on Know History Know Self

Summary

In 'No History No Self,' Professor Brandon explores the ancient Filipinos' unique and cyclical concept of time, tied to natural phenomena and agriculture, long before the Spanish colonization. Unlike today's linear time, they divided time into units akin to hours and weeks, based on the sun and moon's positions. Their months and years were determined by lunar cycles and harvest seasons, differing from the fixed dates of the Gregorian calendar. The script challenges the modern notion of 'Filipino time' as being late, revealing a more complex and poetic way of reckoning time that was displaced by Spanish influence.

Takeaways

• 🕰️ The term 'Filipino time' once had a different meaning, rooted in the pre-Hispanic era's culturally specific ways of reckoning time.
• 🌾 Filipinos before the 1500s were primarily agricultural, which influenced their cyclical and nature-based understanding of time, linked to the seasons, stars, sun, and moon.
• 🌞 Ancient Filipinos did not divide time into minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years as we do today, but they had their own methods of measuring time based on the sun's position.
• 📅 Muslim Filipinos in the southwest had a different system, starting in the 1300s, which was based on Islamic notions of time, distinct from the rest of the pre-Hispanic Filipinos.
• 🌕 The concept of weeks and months existed in the pre-Hispanic era, with 'month-like' units based on the lunar calendar, providing an accurate sense of time passage similar to a 30-day period.
• 📊 An ancient Filipino year was not a fixed date like our current calendar years; it was determined by harvest seasons and the lunar calendar, making it variable.
• 🌙 The lunar calendar's influence meant that holidays and significant dates varied from year to year, similar to how Ramadan's start date changes annually.
• 📚 Most Filipino words for time are derived from Spanish, indicating the Spanish influence on the Filipino concept of time after colonization.
• 🔍 Pre-Hispanic Filipinos had similar concepts of time measurement as the Spanish, which facilitated the translation and adaptation of time units during the Spanish era.
• 🎨 The older Filipino notions of time were inventive, useful, and even scientific, and in many ways, more elaborate and poetic than the Spanish system that replaced it.
• 🗣️ The modern perception of 'Filipino time' as being late or behind schedule is a misinterpretation of a once complex and sophisticated system of time reckoning.

Q & A

What is the term 'Filipino time' commonly associated with in modern context?

In modern context, 'Filipino time' is commonly associated with being late or the casual attitude towards punctuality.

How did the ancient Filipinos' concept of time differ from the current understanding?

Ancient Filipinos had a cyclical view of time, tied to natural phenomena like the seasons, stars, sun, and moon, rather than the linear, minute-to-hour breakdown we use today.

What was unique about the timekeeping methods of pre-Hispanic Filipinos?

Pre-Hispanic Filipinos used the position of the sun and moon to determine time, with specific terms for different points in the day or night, similar to how a sundial works.

How did Muslim Filipinos in the southwest reckon time during the 1300s?

Muslim Filipinos in the southwest began reckoning time according to Islamic notions as early as the 1300s, which is different from the timekeeping methods of other pre-Hispanic Filipinos.

What were the basic units of time for ancient Filipinos?

The basic units of time for ancient Filipinos were determined by the position of the sun and were similar to our concept of hours, but not as neatly defined.

How did prehispanic Filipinos measure weeks and months?

Prehispanic Filipinos had notions of weeks, which were several days, and months, which were based on the lunar calendar, providing an accurate sense of the passage of time similar to a 30-day period.

What was the basis for the ancient Filipino year?

An ancient Filipino year was based on 12 lunar months, but these years were not fixed calendric years like ours; they were determined by harvest seasons which varied according to the lunar calendar and other factors.

How do the lunar-based holidays of Muslim Filipinos compare to the fixed dates of the Gregorian calendar?

Lunar-based holidays vary from year to year, unlike the fixed dates of the Gregorian calendar. For example, the start date of Ramadan changes each year based on the lunar calendar.

What is the origin of most Filipino words for time?

Most Filipino words for time come from Spanish, such as 'beta' for date, 'huno' for months, and 'mirus' for days, which are localizations of Spanish terms.

Did the Spanish imposition of their time concepts completely replace the prehispanic Filipino notions of time?

No, the Spanish did not completely replace prehispanic Filipino notions of time. The prehispanic Filipinos had similar concepts of hours, days, months, and years, which facilitated the translation and adaptation of Spanish time concepts.

How can the prehispanic Filipino notions of time be described in comparison to the Spanish ones?

Prehispanic Filipino notions of time were no less inventive, useful, and even scientific than the Spanish ones. They were also more elaborate and poetic, reflecting a deep connection with the natural world.