A Voice from the Forest Essays on the Culture and World View of the Manobo of the Agusan River Valley and the Diwata Mountain Range
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A Voice from the Forest Essays on the culture and world view of the Manobo of the Agusan river valley and the Diwata mountain range Teofi la G. Bada Translated and edited by Donna Schumacher and Ron Schumacher SIL International Artwork by Mendez Havana Jr. © 2011 Manila ISBN 978-971-18-0437-4 Electronically published at www.sil.org/asia/philippines/plb_download.html ISO 639-3 Manobo, Agusan (msm) www.ethnologue.com Contents Map v Introduction vi Pronunciation and Spelling Guide vii I. Biographical 1 To Kinabuhi ni Bungkasanon The Life of Bungkasanon 2 To Kayainan to Iskuyla Notoduon dow Kuntoon The Diff erence between Students Long Ago and Now 4 Pagbayot Using a Tobacco Wad 6 To Pagiskuyla dow Kaminyoon Ku My Schooling and Marriage 8 To Kadodoyog Ku to diya Panahon to Gera My Experiences at the Time of the War 18 To Pagkabayu Ku When I Became a Widow 21 II. Cultural: Family 25 To Pangasawa no Ogkahobyas Aborted Marriage Arrangements 26 Igsambag to mgo Minyoonon Advice for a Couple to be Married 30 To Mey Katongod to Pagtagon to Kuwarta duon to Pamilya The One in the Family with Authority to Hold the 32 Money To Pagpangidam Early Pregnancy 34 To Ogpalikajan to Magkabodos What Pregnant Women Must Avoid 36 To Pag-anak Childbirth 37 Tagaemu Potion/Amulet to Ease Childbirth 39 Pag-atiman aw Pagmansu to mgo Bata no Manubu The Nurture and Discipline of Manobo Children 40 Pagduwoy Taking Another Wife 43 Mgo Sambag to Ginikanan Parental Advice 45 To Pagbibiya to Magtiajun The Separation of a Married Couple 46 III. Hunting and Trapping 49 To Pagpanganup 1 Hunting with Dogs 1 50 To Pagpanganup 2 Hunting with Dogs 2 52 To Pagyagotom to Ogkakoon no Taga-Wohig: Isturya to Trapping Edible Freshwater Creatures: The Story of 54 Taga-Kasilajan Someone from the Kasilajan River To Pagyagotom to Buaja Catching Crocodiles 57 To Pagyagotom to Kasili Catching Eels 59 IV. Nature and Environment 61 To Hayas no Ogpakayogot Poisonous Snakes 62 ii To Bakosan Python 66 V. Customs and Practices 68 Minangajow no Gera Revenge War 69 To Kaugpa to mgo Manubu Notoduon dow Kuntoon The Life of Manobos Before and Now 70 To Batasan to Manubu The Customs of the Manobos 75 To Kinaraan dow to Binagu no Batasan to mgo Manubu The Old and New Customs of the Manobo People 79 To Pagpanguma Nokani dow Kuntoon Farming Long Ago and Now 80 To Pagmama Chewing Betel 83 Amonuhon to Paghinang to Hikam How to Make a Mat 85 VI. World view: The Spirit World 87 To Tumanon to Diwatahan The Things That a Shaman Has to Observe 88 To mgo Tawagonon dow to Trabahu Dan Diwata Spirits and Their Work 91 To Pagbuya dow to Gahom to Diwatahan The Healing Ceremony and Power of a Spirit Medium 95 To Duma no Pagbuya to mgo Masakiton Other Ways of Healing the Sick 98 To Kinabuhi Tapus to Kamatajon Life After Death 101 Anit: Ogkatatoyu no Bahin The Anit Taboo: Three Parts 103 VII. World view: Beliefs 105 Mgo Paagi to Paghimatoy to Otow no Kona Ogpalian Ways of Killing a Person Without Wounding Him 106 Mgo Batasan to Paglipodong Customs about Sleeping 109 Pagbahuy to Linti Stopping Lightning 112 Mgo Taginop dow to Kahuyugan Dreams and Their Meanings 113 Tigom Riddles 116 VIII. Herbal Remedies 117 Kajam Newborn Jaundice 118 Tambae to Oggutuson: Bata ko Manigaon Medicine for Bloating: Child or Adult 120 Talimoghat Medicine for Relapse of a Newly Delivered Mother 121 Ogpanghopong no Yawa Edema [Swelling of the Body] 122 Gisuka’g Indos Vomiting and Diarrhea 123 Ugihap Shingles 124 Tambae to Madoson no Ubu Medicine for a Hard Cough 125 Tungag Dental Cavity 126 Pabahaon: Tambae to Bata no Ogsipounon Causing to Sneeze: Medicine for a Child with a Cold 127 Tambae to Pali no Ogyangósa Medicine for a Bleeding Wound 128 iii IX. Traditional Narratives 129 Si Juan dow si Maria Juan and Maria 130 To Yana no Ogpakabanhaw The Oil that Could Raise the Dead to Life 134 To Suhue to Pagkamatarong The Wages of Righteousness 140 To Sinugdanan to Humoy The Beginning of Rice 143 Tahaw The Tahaw Bird 144 Handaen-og The Handaen-og Insect 146 To Babuy dow to Liyun The Pig and the Lion 148 Appendix: Interlinear Text 150 Si Subana aw to Buhi din no Buaja si Subanu Subana and her Pet Crocodile Subanu 151 iv v Introduction Teofi la Gomez Bada, a full-blooded Manobo, is the author of many essays on Manobo life and practice. She was born in 1927 at Sagunto, La Paz, Agusan del Sur, and is a lifelong resident of that place. Her mother was a practicing baylan ‘shaman’. The essays included in this volume were written between 1979 and 1999. She desires for Manobo young people to proudly hold on to their heritage in the face of outside pressures. Manobo language speakers live along the Agusan River valley, especially its tributaries, and in the Diwata mountain range in the northeastern part of Mindanao, Philippines. Mrs. Bada’s writings have been translated into English in a free style for easy reading. And the fi nal story also has an interlinear translation for the benefi t of those who would like a clearer idea of Manobo linguistic structure. For additional linguistic information about this language and vernacular materials, see the following: http://www.sil.org/asia/Philippines/plb_download.html#msm Photographer Susan McQuay 1994 Teofi la G. Bada Photographer Ian McQuay Artist: Mendez Havana Jr. (1998, Langasian, La Paz, Agusan del Sur) vi Pronunciation and Spelling Guide1 Vowels People who speak Cebuano or Filipino as their mother tongue may have trouble pronouncing and spelling Manobo. When we write Manobo we use seven basic vowels: a, ae, e, i, o, u, ue. But there are two additional vowels: ey, which is similar to e but longer, and iy, which is similar to i but longer. Cebuano is written with fi ve vowels: a, e, i, o, u. Only three sounds are actually ever pronounced, however, because e and i are pronounced as the same sound, and o and u are pronounced as the same sound. Manobo has these three same vowel sounds as Cebuano. We write them with a, i and u. We cannot write the sound u with o, or the sound i with e, like Cebuano, because in Manobo the letters o and e are used to represent DIFFERENT sounds. The following is a table to help you pronounce and spell Manobo words. Non-Manobo words such as English words are included to guide you, but you must be careful. There are many diff erent ways to pronounce English! The best way to learn to pronounce Manobo words correctly is to ask a native speaker of Manobo to say the Manobo words for you. The pronunciation guide should only be used if you cannot fi nd a native speaker of Manobo. The pronunciation guide should be used with a native speaker of English. TABLE 1. Vowel chart Vowels Manobo Gloss Pronunciation Guide a a'baga ‘shoulder’ father ae 'aehu ‘pestle’ cat e sed ‘inside’ bed ey meydu'on ‘there is’ grey i i'nay ‘mother!’ kiwi iy 'abiy ‘lip’ key o o'nom ‘six’ above u 'ubu ‘cough’ do ue 'kambue ‘basket type’ Not found in English: French tu or German über If the letter o is not used to spell the u sound, what sound does it represent? It does not represent the sound written with the letter o in Filipino, such as in the Filipino word ngayon ‘now’. Instead, in Manobo it represents what we call a schwa or pepet sound. The tongue and lips are in the same position as when making the a sound, but the mouth is not opened as wide, only half as wide. If the letter e is not used to spell the i sound, what sound does it represent? It represents the same sound written with the letter e in Filipino as in the word ate ‘older sister’. The vowel sound ue is not found in Filipino, Cebuano or English. To pronounce this sound, fi rst make the sound i. You will notice that your tongue is high up and in front of the mouth, and your lips are spread. Without moving the tongue, round your lips as when making the sound u. Or, fi rst make the sound u. You will notice that your tongue is high up and at the back of the mouth, and your lips are rounded. Without moving the lips, move your tongue in front of the mouth as 1 Pronunciation and Spelling Guide: From Manobo Dictionary: of Manobo as spoken in the Agusan river valley and the Diwata mountain range [2000] compiled by Teofi lo E. Gelacio, Jason K.L. Lee, and Ronald L. Schumacher. Available online at www.sil.org/asia/ Philippines/online_resources.html. All defi nitions given in footnotes throughout this ebook are taken from the Manobo Dictionary. vii when making the sound i. This vowel sounds like a cross between i and u because the lips are in the same position as when making the sound u but the tongue is in the same position as when making the sound i. Glottal Stop One ‘sound’ is not always written. That is the glottal stop. The glottal stop is the ‘catch in the throat’ between the uh and the oh of the English uh-oh or the way some English speakers pronounce the tt in words like button. In Manobo we do not write the glottal stop when it is at the beginning of a word, as in abaga ‘shoulder’, or when it is between vowels, as in baaw [pronounced ba-aw] ‘trail food’.