Hudhud ni Aliguyon

Last updated
Hudhud ni Aliguyon
AuthorAnonymous (Oral Tradition)
CountryPhilippines
LanguageIfugao
GenreEpic poetry
PublishedOral tradition
PagesN/A
Awards
  • International Arirang Prize by the Republic of Korea (2001)
  • Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO (2001)
  • Natural Cultural Treasure (2001) by the National Museum of the Philippines

"Hudhud ni Aliguyon" stands as a renowned epic originating from the Ifugao province, located on the island of Luzon within the Philippines. This epic serves as a comprehensive narrative, offering insights into the cultural and traditional facets intrinsic to the Ifugao community, alongside chronicling the heroic exploits of their revered figure, Aliguyon. Classified within the genre of "Hudhud di Ani," intended for recitation during the agricultural harvest season, this epic fulfills a multifaceted role characterized by three distinct functions.

Contents

Origin

Though the precise time when alim and the hudhud started to be chanted is not known, [1] according to research the hudhud likely originated before the 7th century CE. [2] A study by a scholar of the hudhud indicates that this might have pre-dated the construction of the rice terraces. The earliest dated terraces are found in Bunghalian municipality with a Carbon-14 determination of 610 AD., although the earliest human occupation of the municipality of Banaue is between 1545 and 825 BC. Both forms are virtual anthropological documents that orally record through time the changes that took place in Ifugao social organization, structure, and tradition. The infusion of modern elements in the text indicates the relative time of change. For instance, the mention of a gun in one of the stories suggests an influence that could only have come from the West, although the fact that the gun caused the conflagration of an entire village to indicate the idea of a gun was still a bit confused and was therefore still something novel. [1]

Use

In general, the Hudhud of the Ifugao is chanted only on four occasions—harvesting of rice, weeding of rice, funeral wakes, and bone-washing rituals. Hudhud ni Aliguyon is specifically included in the genre called Hudhud di Page or Hudhud di Ani, meaning Hudhud for Harvest in the Fields. [3]

Typically, the rendition of this chant finds expression through a female ensemble, presided over by a soloist, often a proficient vocalist who may have assumed the role voluntarily. The ensemble comprises approximately ten to twelve women, forming the chorus. It is noteworthy that the entire chant need not be committed to memory by the chorus members.

The lead singer, referred to as the "munhaw-e," initiates the performance by articulating the title of the chant. Subsequently, the assembled group, known as the "mun-hudhud" or "mun-abbuy," becomes actively engaged in the recitation. This involvement transpires upon the invocation of cue words strategically incorporated into the chant. These cue words serve to introduce elements such as character names, village references, geographical features, and familial connections within the narrative. [4]

Structure: chants & episodes

The Hudhud comprises more than 200 chants, with each divided into 40 episodes. A complete recitation may last three to four days. The language of the stories abounds in figurative expressions and repetitions and employs metonymy, metaphor and onomatopoeia. [5]

Plot Summary

In the village of Hannanga, a notable figure by the name of Aliguyon emerged. Born as the son of the village leader, Amtalao, and his spouse Dumulao, Aliguyon exhibited remarkable intelligence and an insatiable thirst for knowledge from a young age. His penchant for absorbing the narratives and teachings imparted by his father yielded a wealth of wisdom. Notably, he acquired proficiency in combat techniques and even familiarized himself with select incantations of magical significance.

Aliguyon's early manifestations of promise and leadership did not escape the notice of the villagers, including the younger generation who held him in awe. In his adolescent years, he embarked on a daring endeavor: a direct confrontation with the adversary of his father, Pangaiwan, hailing from the neighboring Daligdigan village. Remarkably, Pangaiwan chose not to engage Aliguyon himself but instead delegated the task to his formidable son, Pumbakhayon, whose prowess in warfare and magic rivaled that of Aliguyon.

The ensuing battle unfolded with breathtaking swiftness. Aliguyon, without hesitation, launched a spear towards Pumbakhayon, who, with an unflinching demeanor, evaded the projectile and seized it. Pumbakhayon promptly retaliated by returning the spear towards Aliguyon. This exchange continued unabated, with the two combatants alternately hurling spears at one another in a relentless bid to claim each other's life.

For an astonishing span of three years, the adversaries displayed an unyielding spirit, remaining impervious to fatigue and defeat. It was during this protracted struggle that Aliguyon and Pumbakhayon, bound by a mutual respect and admiration for each other's prowess, arrived at a profound realization. This newfound understanding marked the conclusion of their prolonged combat.

In a historic turn of events, Aliguyon and Pumbakhayon collaborated to forge a comprehensive peace treaty between the villages of Hannanga and Daligdigan. Their people received this accord with jubilation and unanimous agreement. As the tide of peace gradually permeated both settlements, prosperity blossomed. Aliguyon and Pumbakhayon, transcending their former rivalry, cultivated a steadfast friendship. Aliguyon, in due course, married Bugan, Pumbakhayon's younger sibling, while Pumbakhayon wed Aliguyon's sister, Aginaya, solidifying the bonds of unity between the two villages. [6]

Characters

Hudhud ni Aliguyon Characters
HometownCharacterDescriptionAbilities
HannangaAliguyonGreatest warrior of HannangaAliguyon possessed the ability to travel to faraway places without resting, eating or sleeping. He moved so fast that he could catch any weapon thrown at him, and he was never defeated in battle. [7]
AmtalaoLeader of Hannanga; Father of Aliguyon; Enemy of Pangaiwan
DumulaoMother of Aliguyon
AginayaSister of Aliguyon; Wife of Pumbakhayon
DaligdiganPumbakhayonGreatest warrior of Daligdigan
PangaiwanLeader of Daligdigan; Father of Pumbakhayon; Enemy of Amtalao
DangunayMother of Pumbakhayon
BuganSister of Pumbakhayon; Wife of Aliguyon


Notable themes

Exchange marriage

Hudhud ni Aliguyon, like some hudhuds, tackles the matrimonial aspects of the characters. An episode narrates that after a long fight between the two men, who are unable to defeat each other, the conflict was permanently resolved through exchange marriage among the families of the two warring protagonists. After gaining respect for each other's warring skills, the story ends with the marhero's riage of his former enemy's sister, and in exchange th,e hero's sister is wedmarrito herthe o's former enemy. Hudhuds s'tories usually depict that the parents have only two children, a male and a female. The two men, after the fight, exchange sidsters with a marriage alliance, such that a pair of brother and sister cross-marry tiede other pair of sister and brother who were unrelated to the first pair prior to the marriage. [4]

This epic focuses on peacemaking and a heroic tradition where no blood is spilt. The celebration of the exchange marriage is a representation of the elimination of enmity, meaning that the next generation will no longer have these enemies. [8]

Family solidarity

Family solidarity is also a theme expressed in the hudhud. The hudhud would start with a conflict of the fathers which will eventually be carried on to the children. The children have to avenge and continue to fight any enemy or outsider who made offences against the family. [9]

Respect for parents and elders and prominence for women

Parents and elders were addressed properly, using terms such as Aman for father and Innan hi for mother. Also, the hero's mother specifically is given respect and prominence. [9] It is evident in one part of the epic as the mother called to stop the fight between the two characters saying that Pumbakhayon must eat first. [10]

Values of the Hudhud and importance

Values are the ideas and beliefs that matter to people. They are deep-rooted motivations of behaviour and attitude. They define what is important and become the basis of choices, decisions, and reactions. The DECS Values Education Framework pronounced that “values help an individual realize himself as a person in the community responsible for his growth as well as for that of his fellow human being and the development of society.” [11]

The Ifugao literature is rich in values as reflected in their songs, narratives, chants, and folktales. Using the DECS Revised Values Education Framework, a total of 896 values were found reflected in Hudhud ni Aliguyon, Hudhud ni Aliguyon and Bugan, and Hudhud ni Aliguyon and Dinoy-again. More specifically, there were 289 values reflected in Hudhud ni Aliguyon. These findings show that the Hudhud are rich in values reflective of the values of the Ifugaos. [12]

There were 7 core values utilized in the study: [11]

Core Values Found in the Hudhud
AspectValuesValues Found
SocialSocial Responsibility214
MoralLove194
PhysicalHealth

Harmony with Nature

166
PoliticalNationalism

Patriotism

146
EconomicEconomic

Self-Sufficiency

106
IntellectualKnowledge

Truth

47
SpiritualSpirituality23

The results of the core values as shown in the table strongly signifies that the Ifugaos are socially responsible in all aspects. This social responsibility connotes mutual love and respect, fidelity, responsible parenthood, concern for others, social justice, freedom, and equality. Ifugaos also have high regard for living. The predominant theme of the Hudhud stories is exemplifying romances praising Ifugao ideals of love, marriage and wealth. [11]

Awards and recognitions

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifugao</span> Province in Cordillera, Philippines

Ifugao, officially the Province of Ifugao, is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Lagawe and it borders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south.

The culture of the Philippines is characterized by cultural and ethnic diversity. Although the multiple ethnic groups of the Philippine archipelago have only recently established a shared Filipino national identity, their cultures were all shaped by the geography and history of the region, and by centuries of interaction with neighboring cultures, and colonial powers. In more recent times, Filipino culture has also been influenced through its participation in the global community.

Philippine literature is literature associated with the Philippines from prehistory, through its colonial legacies, and on to the present.

<i>Pasyon</i> Philippine epic narrative on the life of Jesus Christ, recited often during Lent

The Pasyón is a Philippine epic narrative of the life of Jesus Christ, focused on his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. In stanzas of five lines of eight syllables each, the standard elements of epic poetry are interwoven with a colourful, dramatic theme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine mythology</span> Body of myths, tales, and superstitions held by Filipinos

Philippine mythology is rooted in the many indigenous Philippine folk religions. Philippine mythology exhibits influence from Indonesian, Hindu, Muslim, Shinto, Buddhist, and Christian traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine epic poetry</span>

Philippine epic poetry is the body of epic poetry in Philippine literature. Filipino epic poetry is considered to be the highest point of development for Philippine folk literature, encompassing narratives that recount the adventures of tribal heroes. These epics are transmitted through oral tradition using a select group of singers and chanters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in the Philippines</span> Important sector for the Philippine economy

Tourism is an important sector for the Philippine economy. The travel and tourism industry contributed 6.2% to the country's GDP in 2022; this was lower than the 12.7% recorded in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns. Coastal tourism, encompassing beach and diving activities, constitutes 25% of the Philippines' tourism revenue, serving as its primary income source in the sector. Popular destinations among tourists include Boracay, Palawan, Cebu and Siargao. While the Philippines has encountered political and social challenges that have affected its tourism industry, the country has also taken steps to address these issues. Over the past years, there have been efforts to improve political stability, enhance security measures, and promote social inclusivity, all of which contribute to creating a more favorable environment for tourism, such as the Boracay rehabilitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras</span> World Heritage Site in Luzon, the Philippines

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras are a World Heritage Site consisting of a complex of rice terraces on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. They were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995, the first-ever property to be included in the cultural landscape category of the World Heritage List. This inscription has five sites: the Batad Rice Terraces and Bangaan Rice Terraces, Mayoyao Rice Terraces, Hungduan Rice Terraces and Nagacadan Rice Terraces, all in Ifugao Province. The Ifugao Rice Terraces reach a higher altitude and were built on steeper slopes than many other terraces. The Ifugao complex of stone or mud walls and the careful carving of the natural contours of hills and mountains combine to make terraced pond fields, coupled with the development of intricate irrigation systems, harvesting water from the forests of the mountain tops, and an elaborate farming system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Nono</span> Filipino musician (born 1965)

Grace Nono is a Filipino singer, known for her musical style based on traditional Filipino rhythms. She is also an ethnomusicologist, scholar of Philippine shamanism, and cultural worker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epic of Koroghlu</span> Heroic epic poem of the Turkic peoples

The Epic of Koroghlu is a heroic legend prominent in the oral traditions of the Turkic peoples, mainly the Oghuz Turks. The legend typically describes a hero who seeks to avenge a wrong. It was often put to music and played at sporting events as an inspiration to the competing athletes. Koroghlu is the main hero of epic with the same name in Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Turkish as well as some other Turkic languages. The epic tells about the life and heroic deeds of Koroghlu as a hero of the people who struggled against unjust rulers. The epic combines the occasional romance with Robin Hood-like chivalry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinilawod</span> Ancient Filipino epic poem

Hinilawod is an epic poem orally transmitted from early inhabitants of a place called Sulod in central Panay, Philippines. The term "Hinilawod" generally translates to "Tales From The Mouth of The Halawod River". The epic must have been commonly known to the Visayans of Panay before the conquest, since its main protagonists, like Labaw Donggon, were noted in the accounts of the Islanders' beliefs and recorded by early Spanish colonizers. One of these Westerners' accounts says that the adventures of this ancient hero of Panay were recalled during weddings and in songs. It was noted that there were still native Mondos of Dingle, Iloilo who worshipped Labaw Donggon even during the last years of the Spanish rule in the Philippines. These worshippers would stealthily enter a certain cave in Dingle in the evening of a certain day of the year, in order to render homage and to offer chickens, doves, rice, bananas, and pigs to the ancient Visayan god.

Jesus Tamayo Peralta is a painter, photographer, graphic artist, poet, anthropologist/archaeologist, essayist, and is also one of the prizewinning playwrights in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifugao people</span> Ethnic group of the Philippines

The Ifugao people are the ethnic group inhabiting Ifugao province in the Philippines. They reside in the municipalities of Lagawe, Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Asipulo, Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Kiangan, Lamut, Mayoyao, and Tinoc. The province is one of the smallest provinces in the Philippines with an area of only 251,778 hectares, or about 0.8% of the total Philippine land area. As of 1995, the population of the Ifugaos was counted to be 131,635. Although the majority of them are still in Ifugao province, some of them have moved to Baguio, where they work as woodcarvers, and to other parts of the Cordillera Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists</span>

UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance. This list is published by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the members of which are elected by State Parties meeting in a General Assembly. Through a compendium of the different oral and intangible treasures of humankind worldwide, the programme aims to draw attention to the importance of safeguarding intangible heritage, which UNESCO has identified as an essential component and as a repository of cultural diversity and of creative expression.

<i>Darangen</i>

Darangen is a Maranao epic poem from the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao, Philippines. It consists of 17 cycles with 72,000 lines in iambic tetrameter or catalectic trochaic tetrameter. Each cycle pertains to a different self-contained story. The most notable of which deals with the exploits of the hero Bantugan.

Biosphere reserves are areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. The biosphere reserve title is handed over by UNESCO. Each reserve promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. Biosphere reserves are 'Science for Sustainability support sites' – special places for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity. Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. Their status is internationally recognized.

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) includes traditions and living expressions that are passed down from generation to generation within a particular community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schools of Living Traditions</span> Schools in the Philippines

The Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs) are education institutions in the Philippines dedicated to indigenous arts, crafts and other traditions.

References

  1. 1 2 Peralta, Dr. Jesus (December 1, 2003). "In Focus: Ifugao Hudhud: Local to Global Dimension of the Sacred". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  2. ↑ Hudhud Tradition of the Ifugao, Ethnic Groups of the Philippines
  3. ↑ Dulay, Michele (May 2015). "The Ifugao Hudhud: Its Values Content". International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR). 4: 2776–2777.
  4. 1 2 Dulawan, Lourdes. Singing Hudhud in Ifugao. Report. Ateneo De Manila University. 2.
  5. ↑ "Hudhud Chants of the Ifugao". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Hudhud (Epiko ng Ifugao)". WikaKids. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Hudhud". Tagalog Lang. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  8. ↑ Stanyukovich, Maria V. A Living Shamanistic Oral Tradition: Ifugao Hudhud, the Philippines. Report. Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences. 249.
  9. 1 2 Dulawan, Lourdes. Singing Hudhud in Ifugao. Working paper. Ateneo De Manila University. 4.
  10. ↑ Manuel, E. Arsenio. A Survey of Philippine Folk Epics. Report. The University of the Philippines Diliman. 21.
  11. 1 2 3 Michele J Dulay, 2015, The Values of the Ifugao Hudhud, International Journal of Science and Research.
  12. ↑ Dulay, Michele (May 2015). "The Values of the Ifugao Hudhud". International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR). 4: 2777–27779. Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2019-04-25.

Bibliography


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.