Who is Lumawig in Bontoc?
Lumawig: also referred as the supreme deity and the second son of Kabunian; an epic hero who taught the Bontoc their five core values for an egalitarian society The Bontoc hero Lumawig instituted their ator, a political institution identified with a ceremonial place adorned with headhunting skulls.
Is Lumawig a God?
The pre-Christian Bontoc belief system centers on a hierarchy of spirits, the highest being a supreme deity called Lumawig. Lumawig personifies the forces of nature and is the legendary creator, friend, and teacher of the Bontoc.
What is Lumawig?
Lumawig was the Great Spirit before the earth had any people or things. Descending from the Sky, He cut up reeds into pairs and placed them in various places of the world. These were the peoples whom the Great Spirit Lumawig would help and command to procreate.
What is Bontoc tribe known for?
Bontoc, the capital of Mountain Province, has long been labeled as a fierce land; because it is the home of the fearless Bontoc tribe,indigenous people famed for their head-hunting practice and tribal wars in theolden days.
Who did Lumawig command to marry?
Each couple spoke a language unique from all others. Then Lumawig commanded each man and woman to marry and have children who spoke the same language as them. The children, in turn, married and had their own children.
How do the Bontoc live?
The Bontoc use dams, diverted streams and wooden troughs to irrigate agricultural land. The entire community participates in the construction and maintenance of the irrigation system. In the old days, dogs were used to hunt wild buffalo and wild pigs were trapped in pits.
Where does the Bontoc live?
With a total population of about 65,000 (NSO 1980) the Bontoc (Bontok, Bontoc Igorot, Igorot, Guianes) are found in the Mountain Province of the Cordillera mountain ranges in the upper Chico river region.
Why Bontoc cover their bodies with tattoos?
The Bontoc traditionally covered their bodies with elaborate tattoos. For women, these were purely for decorative purposes, and they are still commonly seen today. Men had to earn their tattoos by killing enemies in inter-tribal conflicts.
Who is the great spirit who came down from the sky and cut many reeds?
Lumawig
Lumawig, the Great Spirit, came down from the sky and cut many reeds. He divided these into pairs and placed them in different parts of the world.
What does the tattoo of the Bontoc symbolizes?
Facial markings indicate their status as warriors of the highest rank. Bontoc warriors oftentimes tattooed over scars received on the field of battle. The people of an ato (one of the political divisions of a Bontoc village) could only tattoo when some person belonging to that ato had taken a head.
What is ATO in Bontoc?
The communities are organized about the village ward—ato—small political units or male council houses/dormitory/gathering places.
What do tattoos symbolize in the tribe of Bontoc?
Tattoos worn by the Bontoc Igorot men symbolized the number of human heads taken during a headhunting raid. The Kalinga Igorot would tattoo their warriors on the back of the hands and wrist after their first kill. The designs and placement would get more elaborate depending on the number of trophy heads they acquired.