Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Ancient Wedding Practices

Pre-Hispanic Marriage Customs.
  • When any man wishes to marry, with his friends there for encouragement, he throws a spear toward the front of the house while invoking their ancestors and the deities, asking them for their blessings to the marriage. This was an announcement to the family and everyone else that he wishes to marry their daughter.
  • Once the marriage is planned, the groom’s family must offer a dowry to the bride’s family. These can range from domestic animals like chicken, pigs, or karabaw to gold to land. The dowry is discussed between both families until both agree. 
  • A dowry (bigat kaya) given to the bride’s family was thought as reasonable since women were considered highly in society as they were the givers of life, took on the roles of taking care of the money and trading affairs, had craftsmanship skills such as sewing and looking out after the household and raising the children. Unlike other societies, women were considered equals to men and were involved and often consulted in their husbands affairs.
  • Besides the dowry the groom had to serve the brides parents for a certain amount of time, ranging from a couple weeks, to months, to even a year. They had to help in preparing food, assist in the sowing of the rice and harvest, and other chores to prove he is capable of supporting his wife and family.
  • Before the marriage ceremony, the parents of both families don’t allow the couple to eat, see, or talk with each other.
  • The whole wedding ceremony takes around 3 days with every member from both sides of the family involved in the preparation.
  • On the first day of the marriage ceremony the betrothed are told by the babaylan (priestess/priest, known as katalonan, mumbaki, bailan, etc. in other languages) that both may marry each other on the condition that if the man shall through immoral conduct fail to support his wife, she can leave him. The bride won’t have to be required to return the dowry that he and his family has given and she may have the freedom of marrying another man. If the bride does the same and betrays her husband, he can take away the dowry he has given and leave her, thus ending the marriage and be able to marry another woman.
  • At the end of the speech, the babaylan takes a dish filled with clean and uncooked rice and joins the hands of the pair and lays them over the rice. She then holds both their hands and throws the rice over everyone present. She shouts and everyone else shouts along with her in joy and for blessings for the couple. Once everyone calms down they all start the feast until the second day of the ceremony.
  • On the second day, the bride and groom complete a blood compact . The babaylan pricks both of the couple’s chest with a thorn to draw a little bit of blood. She then asks the couple to join hands and asks them to declare their love for each other 3 times. Next the babaylan feeds them cooked rice from the same plate used the previous day. She then gives them a cup for both of them to drink from that is mixed with water and the blood the babaylan took from the couple.
  • Once that is done the babaylan then binds their hands and necks together with a cord and declares that they are now one. This ends the ceremony and another feast begins.
  • On the last day where there is another feast and celebration, the bride is ceremoniously bathed and with her wedding finery again, she is finally handed to her groom by her family and both go to their new home and lives.








In the luxuriant homeland of the province’s seven hill tribes, a tribal wedding is given the utmost significance because it fosters unity and peace.
It is seen as a way to mend tribal gaps between clans having disagreements, especially, when a man is so smitten with the woman in another community or clan.
To mark the importance of this rich heritage, the Bukidnon provincial government annually celebrates the month-long “Kaamulan” cultural festival from February 18 to March 10, where local and foreign tourists flock to witness the popular street dancing and tribal wedding.
"Kaamulan" is from the Binukid word “amul” which means “to gather.” It is a gathering of Bukidnon tribes people for a purpose. It can mean a “Datuship,” a ritual, a wedding ceremony, a thanksgiving festival during harvest time, a peace pact, or all of these put together.
Russel Aquino, Chief, Bukidnon Indigenous Cultural Affairs Office said at the beginning of the occasion there is always a solemn prayer giving thanks to the ‘Magbabaya’ (deity) for the year’s bountiful harvest and blessings, thus, a tribal mass wedding is usually afforded.
The prelude to nuptial rites
The courtship counts in the entire woman’s family in wedding traditions in the Philippines. Tribal families then come together with the “Datu” (chieftain) as the emissary and make the best of whatever is presented to him, while everybody listens.
Marked by a highly developed sense of democracy and love for peace, they settle disputes through unwritten treaties. If they agree, wedding procedures begin.
The following are a short description of the traditional tribal nuptials and wedding traditions in the Philippines during the Kaamulan solemnized by the chieftain, accredited by the Local Civil Registrar (LCR):
The “Kagen” and “Taltag:” A pre-wedding ceremony where the man begs for the parents’ approval. Dowry is offered and agreed upon by both families.
The “Pamalas:” Solemnized by the “Datu”, the “Kagsalu- hu Salungana” (union of physical and spiritual aspect), this starts with the ritual to ward off evil spirits and cleanse the couple of their sins.
Chastity and sexual modesty were also very highly valued. Applied primarily to women, these values were not only tied to family honor but were held to be a religious obligation as well.
The wedding dress and costume
The bright colors of the costumes are in sharp

Courtesy of talbukscafe.blogspot.com
distinction to the green of the surroundings. The women cover themselves with heavy jewelry and decorated headdress.
A pair of dangling pieces of jewelry is also worn behind the ears. Bangles are also compulsory, for no self-respecting woman would be seen without them according to tribal wedding traditions in the Philippines.
Dressed with an intricately embroidered outfit called “Pinaksoy” and “Sinulaman,” the bride faces the groom-- in “Tangkulu “(beaded turban)--the traditional festivity costume of the hill tribes.
The ceremony
All against the background of traditional tribal music, the couple exchange vows and eat a hand-mold of rice with boiled pork and chicken to symbolize life‘s sweetness and fruitfulness.
Merry making includes refreshments of spring water, eating of boiled pork and chicken. The “Datu” and “Bai” (woman leader) lead the dances, songs and music.
Bright festive colors surround the ‘Tulugan’ (Tribal Hall) which functions much like a barangay hall, except that it may house a whole clan.
The Kaamulan Festival is the ideal occasion to showcase ribal wedding traditions in the Philippines and the unique indigenous culture of Bukidnon’s seven tribes namely, the Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanon, Bukidnon, and Umayamnon.
A Tribal wedding is just one of the much-awaited cultural activities lined-up for the upcoming festivities.

lthough Filipinos infuse a touch of modernity in their wedding rites, as a predominantly Catholic country, they still generally stick to traditional Catholic wedding rites, with a few rites from the Spanish and Americans thrown in. One thing is for sure, though: whether done in church or elsewhere, Filipinos are big on weddings and all its traditional trappings.
Prior to the wedding, there is usually the traditional period of courtship (panliligaw), followed by the engagement (kasunduan), and then the pamamanhikan. The last is when the would-be groom, together with members of his family, meets with his fiancée and her family, usually at the latter’s home, to formalize the marriage proposal. After accepting the proposal, both parties discuss the wedding arrangements and other details. It is usual for the groom’s family to shoulder the expenses, but in these modern times, the bride often agrees to pay for part of the cost. Afterwards, the bride’s family holds a despedida de soltera as she bids goodbye to singlehood, while the groom may hold a bachelor’s or stag party.
Wedding customs and symbols
The bride’s gown is white or a shaded variation such as ecru, while the groom usually wears a barong tagalog over a pair of black slacks. Wedding designs usually follow an overall color scheme, which can be seen from the invitations, to the garments of the wedding entourage, the flowers and even the tablecloths used during the wedding reception.
In selecting the members of the entourage, the couple usually considers one or several pairs of principal sponsors or godparents (ninong and ninang) to serve as the primary witnesses of the wedding ceremony. Ideally, some of them may be the couple’s baptismal godparents. They are people whom the couple admire and respect and expect guidance from. There are also secondary sponsors, usually made up of the couple’s friends or younger relatives: the best man, groomsmen, maid/matron of honor and bridesmaids, along with veil, cord and candle sponsors. They are followed by the coin/arrhae, ring and flower bearers, and the occasional Bible bearer.
The lighting of the pair of candles, one on each side of the couple, is reminiscent of their baptism and symbolizes the presence and guidance of God in their married life. Later, the couple may decide to light a “unity candle” using these two candles to signify the joining of their families and of the couple’s oneness.
Apart from the bridal veil, which may form part of her gown, the veil is made of sheer white material, and it is more traditional to have only one during the ceremony. It “clothes” two persons and unifies them in marriage, as well as signifies their commitment to protect each other. This is why it is draped and pinned over the groom’s shoulder and over the head of the bride, to represent his strength and protection of his soon-to-be wife.
Next to the pinning of the veil, the cord is placed over the heads of the couple and allowed to rest on their shoulders. It may be made of silk, or a string of coins or flowers, or designed like a rosary. Aside from the obvious reference to marriage binding the couple for life, the cord is also customarily looped into a figure eight to symbolize infinite loyalty to each other, as well as their promise to act together henceforth.
The arrhae are made up of 13 unity coins to represent prosperity. They are placed first in the hands of the groom who then hands it over to the bride, to symbolize how the husband will provide for the welfare of his wife and entrust his worldly goods to her care.





The ring’s circular shape stands for eternity. It is usually engraved with the couple’s names and the wedding date. Sometimes, these are replaced with a short phrase that is meaningful to them. Some couples prefer slipping their wedding rings on the left middle finger, which is said to be connected to an artery that leads straight to the heart. Others keep with the Roman tradition of putting it on their right ring finger. Regardless of which hand is used, the exchange of rings highlights the fact that marriage is a covenant between God and the couple, and the sacrament itself is a show of everlasting commitment between the couple.
Traditions carry over to the wedding reception, which Filipinos seemingly cannot do without. But then, that’s another story altogether.

Filipino Muslim wedding


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A wedding dance performed by a Yakancouple from Mindanao.
Filipino Muslims in the Mindanao region of the Philippines commonly practice pre-arranged marriages and betrothal.[13] The Tausog people's wedding include the pangalay, a celebration or announcement performed by means of the playing of percussion instruments like as the gabbang, thekulintang, and the agong. Included in the wedding ceremony that is officiated by an Imam are readings taken from the Qur'an and the placement of the groom's fingerprint on the forehead of the bride.
A unique form of visual arts is the facial make-up done on brides and grooms. After creating a foundation of white powder, the make-up artists proceed to paint dots and lines in various patterns on the faces, creating the effect of formal and elaborate masks which match the ornate costumes of the celebrants.
The Yakan have a rich musical tradition, which may be broadly divided into instrumental and vocal. Yakan musical instruments are made of bamboo, wood, and metal. Their musical instruments also demonstrate the influence of the traditional cycle of rice production in their lives. Several instruments are used in each stage of rice production. The daluppak is a digging stick with a bamboo clapper. The kopak-kopak is a bamboo clapper on a stick. The Kwintangan Kayu is percussion instrument consisting of wooden beams laid after the planting season, to enhance plant growth. The wooden tuntungan is a percussion plank with jar resonators, also played during the harvest season for thanksgiving.
The gabbang is a bamboo split into five, and arranged like a xylophone. Small children near the fields played it in order to guard the crops against prying animals. The kwintangan batakan is an earlier form of gabbang which has six, seven, or nine bamboo pieces. The suling is a bamboo mouth flute used by the men in courting women. Another bamboo instrument used by the men in expressing love or admiration is the kulaing. The Kulintangan or kwintangan consists of several bronze gongs arranged according to size, and used during celebrations such as weddings and graduations. Any individual played it in the home and after work, for self-expression and relaxation. The agong is a percussion instrument used to announce marriage or for tolling the dead. The jabujabu (djabu-djabu) is a type of drum that summons the people to prayer (Nicolas 1977: 100-108; Sherfan 1976:195-199).
There are three main types of Yakan vocal music: the lugu and other melodies used in reading the Quran and other religious books; the kalangan or songs which may be further reclassified into Jamiluddin and Lunsey; and the katakata, nahana, yaya, lembukayu, and sa-il, among others. The kalangan, jamiluddin, katakata, nahana, and yaya are sung solo, while the lunsey, sa-il, meglubulebu seputangen, and lembukayu involves singers from two groups singing solo as they answer each other. The kalangan, jamiluddin, lunsey, and lembukayu are courting songs. The katakata, jamiluddin, and nahana may also narrate the history of the Yakan people. The katakata is a long traditional song narrating the lives, loves, and historical backgrounds of people who lived during early times. The Yakan believed that such stories originated from people who lived in another world. The katakata is sung only at night, at a big gathering with food served by the host or hostess. The singing, in episodes, may last for several nights. The singer lies on a mat, the back supported by several pillows. The audience, either sit or lie around the singer. The jamiluddin relates love stories. At present, it is also sung when families discuss marriage engagements. Both the katakata and jamiluddin are sung by wise men and women of the tribe.
The sa-il and lunsey are sung during a wedding ceremony, with messages revolving around good advice regarding married life. Another type of sa-il is sung during the magtammat or Quranic graduation. During social gatherings, the maglebu-lebu seputangan is sung, by a group of men answering a group of women. Each group has a soloist who sings the kalangan, expressed in metaphors. The yaya is a lullaby. The magsambag is a method of studying the Quran in which a Murid or student follows the Quranic singing of the teacher. The student and teacher are not allowed to sing together.
Then there are the songs, which the Yakan sing during daily activities. In keeping watch over rice fields, they sing some forms of the jamiluddin and kalangan. While resting at home, they also leisurely sing the katakata, jamiluddin, and nahana. Children at play imitate the adults in singing the kalangan, jamiluddin, lembukayu, and lugu (Nicolas 1977:97-100). One popular Yakan dance adopted from theTausugs Pangalay is called mangalay. The dance is accompanied by the kunlintangan kayu and played by three people. In the Yakan "bumblebee" mimetic dance usually performed by a male dancer, a searcher successfully finds honey with the aid of a torch. He overeats, and the result is a stomachache (Orosa-Goquingco 1980:175). Another example of a mimetic dance is the tahing baila, which imitates the movement of a fish (Tiongson 1991:236). At weddings, the tumahik or war dance is to be performed by the groom as well as male relatives of both the groom and the bride. Dressed in Yakan finery, the dancer uses a spear and a shield to fight an imaginary enemy to the music of the kulintangan. - R. Matilac


1 comment:

  1. the first part is already enough since your assignment is about precolonial wedding practices.

    ReplyDelete