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.

Outlines

00:00

🕰️ Filipino Time: A Historical Perspective

This paragraph delves into the historical concept of timekeeping among Filipinos before the Spanish colonization. It highlights that ancient Filipinos had a complex and culturally specific way of reckoning time, which was tied to the agricultural cycles, celestial movements, and observable natural phenomena. The paragraph explains that time was viewed as cyclical and not linear, with units of time determined by the sun and moon positions. It also mentions that the Muslim people in the southwest had an early Islamic timekeeping system. The paragraph emphasizes the contrast between the prehispanic Filipino timekeeping and the Spanish-influenced system that followed, suggesting that the prehispanic system was just as inventive and useful as the one that replaced it.

Keywords

💡Filipino Time

The term 'Filipino Time' in the script refers to the modern colloquial understanding of being late or not adhering to strict schedules, which is often associated with Filipino culture. However, the script explains that historically, 'Filipino Time' had a different meaning, linked to the pre-colonial Filipinos' complex and culturally specific ways of reckoning time, which were tied to natural cycles and observations rather than a rigid schedule.

💡Pre-Hispanic

Pre-Hispanic refers to the period before the arrival of Spanish colonizers in the Philippines, which is the era the script explores to understand the indigenous concepts of timekeeping. The term is crucial to the video's theme as it sets the historical context for the discussion on ancient Filipino time reckoning methods, which were distinct from the Western calendar system imposed later.

💡Agricultural People

The script mentions that Filipinos before the 1500s were fundamentally an agricultural people. This is significant because their notions of time were deeply connected to agricultural cycles and the natural world, such as the changes of seasons, the movement of celestial bodies, and other observable phenomena. This connection shaped their understanding and measurement of time, making it cyclical and closely tied to the environment.

💡Cyclical Time

Cyclical time is a concept that the script explains as a characteristic of ancient Filipino timekeeping. It implies that time was seen as endlessly repeating, with patterns and cycles that were more important than linear progression. This concept is central to the video's message, illustrating a different perspective on time that contrasts with the modern, linear approach.

💡Lunar Calendar

The lunar calendar is a system of time measurement based on the phases of the moon, which the script identifies as a basis for the 'month-like' units in pre-Hispanic Filipino timekeeping. It is an example of how ancient Filipinos used natural phenomena to organize time, with months defined by the lunar cycle, providing an accurate sense of time passage similar to a 30-day period.

💡Islamic Notions

Islamic notions of time, as mentioned in the script, refer to the timekeeping practices of Muslim peoples in the southwest of the Philippines, who began to reckon time according to Islamic principles as early as the 1300s. This introduces a variation in the pre-Hispanic timekeeping methods, showing that not all ancient Filipinos used the same system and that there was some influence from external cultures.

💡Harvest Seasons

Harvest seasons are mentioned in the script as a determinant for the year-like units in ancient Filipino timekeeping. Unlike fixed calendar years, these years were based on the agricultural cycle, specifically when harvests occurred. This highlights the practical and adaptive nature of their timekeeping system, which was attuned to the needs of their society and environment.

💡Spanish Influence

The script discusses the Spanish influence on Filipino timekeeping, indicating that many Filipino words for time, such as 'date,' 'month,' and 'day,' are derived from Spanish terms. This reflects the cultural and linguistic impact of Spanish colonization, which imposed a new way of thinking about time on the Filipino people, replacing their indigenous systems.

💡Translation

Translation, in the context of the script, refers to the process by which pre-Hispanic Filipino timekeeping concepts were adapted to Spanish terms after colonization. The script suggests that this was possible because the Filipinos already had similar concepts of time in place, such as hours, days, months, and years, which facilitated the adoption of the new system.

💡Inventive and Useful

The script describes the ancient Filipino notions of time as 'inventive and useful,' indicating that they were not only creative but also practical for the circumstances of the time. This challenges the modern stereotype of 'Filipino time' as being inefficient, by showing that the historical timekeeping methods were sophisticated and well-suited to the needs of the people.

💡Poetic

The term 'poetic' is used in the script to describe the ancient Filipino timekeeping methods, suggesting that they had a certain beauty and expressiveness that may be lacking in modern, more rigid systems. This contributes to the video's theme by emphasizing the cultural richness and depth of the pre-Hispanic Filipino understanding of time.

Highlights

The term 'Filipino time' once had a different meaning, rooted in pre-colonial cultural practices.

Filipinos before the 1500s had complex, culturally specific ways of reckoning time, now largely forgotten.

Ancient Filipinos' time concepts were tied to natural cycles and observable phenomena like seasons, stars, and the moon.

Unlike modern timekeeping, ancient Filipinos did not segment time into minutes, hours, days, etc., in the same manner.

Muslim Filipinos in the southwest began using Islamic timekeeping notions as early as the 1300s.

Time for ancient Filipinos was cyclical and endlessly repeating, with a different concept of past, present, and future.

Basic units of time were determined by the sun's position, similar to how sundials work today.

Prehispanic Filipinos had notions of weeks and months, based on lunar cycles.

Ancient Filipino 'months' were based on lunar calendars, making them variable but accurate for tracking time.

Ancient Filipino 'years' were not fixed like today's calendar years, but were determined by harvest seasons.

Filipino holidays based on the lunar calendar, like Ramadan, vary each year, illustrating the concept of variable timekeeping.

Most Filipino time-related words come from Spanish, indicating the influence of colonization on timekeeping.

Prehispanic Filipinos had similar concepts of hours, days, months, and years, facilitating the adoption of Spanish timekeeping.

Filipino notions of time were as inventive, useful, and scientific as those of the Spanish colonizers.

Ancient Filipino timekeeping was more elaborate and poetic compared to the colonizers' system.

The accusation of being on 'Filipino time' can be reframed as a reflection of the complexity of prehispanic timekeeping practices.

Transcripts

it's time for no history no self with

Professor Brandon

[Music]

Riley when you hear the term Filipino

time what comes to your mind being late

to something right terrible especially

if you're the one who is late to the

party yet there was once something that

in fact could be called Filipino time

that was very different from what we

mean when we say it today Filipinos

before Spain in fact had all sorts of

culturally specific complex ways of

Reckoning time that are now long

forgotten today on no history no self we

will attempt to recount something of

these ancient modes of thinking of

time first thing to note Filipinos

before the 1500s were fundamentally an

agricultural people so their Notions of

time were bound up with changes of the

seasons the movement of the Stars the

Sun and the Moon and to other signs in

the observable world that they could

discern

accordingly for ancient Filipinos time

was very different from our Notions

today um they didn't break things down

into for instance from smallest unit to

largest minutes hours days weeks months

and years in quite the same way the

exception to this was among Muslim

peoples in the southwest who as early as

the 1300s began to reckon time According

to Islamic

Notions for ancient Filipinos time was

cyclical endlessly repeating for them

there was something like a distant past

a past and a present which to us are of

course all very vague Notions of

Reckoning time time for them in its most

basic unit was divided into something

that was like but not exactly as neatly

defined as ours these hour like units

were determined by the position of the

sun and measured for instance by raising

one's arm against a sun and seeing the

way the sun fell against it much in the

way a su dial works today the position

of the sun or later on the moon

determined deted what hour it might have

been um and there were many specific

terms for these points in the day or

night following these hour- likee

divisions prehispanic Filipinos had

Notions of units like weeks which

several days um and even uh something of

months several weeks these month likee

units were based on the lunar calendar

the time between the appearance of one

moon to the next more variable than our

months today they nonetheless did

provide an accurate sense of the passage

of time similar to a 30-day period

period 12 of these lunar months added up

to something like an ancient Filipino

year but these years however were not

calendric years as we reckon them today

because our dates dates according to our

schemes are fixed and repeating for

example what was uh June 15th last year

will be June 15th this year and so on

and so on instead for ancient Filipinos

these months were determined by Harvest

Seasons which of course varied according

to lunar calendar and other factors to

imagine what this is like today simply

ask one of our Muslim sisters or

brothers because their holidays are

based on the lunar calendar and because

of this they vary from year to year one

example Ramadan last year began on June

17th this year it will begin on June 5th

next year on May 27th

thereabouts most of our words in

Filipino for time come from Spanish ones

date itself is beta like the months are

huno days are like mirus all of these

are localizations of Spanish terms this

fact may be used to conclude that the

Spanish simply impose their way of

thinking of time and we simply accepted

but what our prehispanic history shows

is that we had similar Concepts in place

long before Spain hours days months

years which made this act of translation

possible in the first place if for

instance we didn't call the time between

Harvest on then we couldn't think of a

thing called a year in other words older

philipin Notions of time were no less

inventive useful for the circumstances

and even scientific than the Spanish

ones that displaced them and in many

ways they were more elaborate and poetic

than that of the

colonizers so next time someone accuses

you of being on Filipino time explain to

them well it's because Filipino time is

so much more complicated

[Music]