Mangyan

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The Upland Settlers

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To be more familiar with Mangyan, lets take a closer look with their literature and own story. Latag is inhabitant by Iraya tribe. It is located in the upland of Occidental Mindoro, specifically at Barangay Udalo, Abra de Ilog. It is three to four hours of walk through crossing mountains and rivers, without any means of electronics communication and any means of electricity. Their means of living is farming and hunting.

THE HIDDEN CULTURE

Courtship
Their courtship is very far from usual, where in the man doesnt have any opportunity to choose whom they are going to court. Parents engage in fix courtship, they are the one arranging the matter. When both sides approve the agreement, then the courtship will start between the young lady and young man. The suitor will get a set of fire wood and will bring in the house of the lady. And upon it, if the lady wanted the guy she will fetch water to bring in the house of the guy as answer which means she accepts the intention of the guy to court her. Then it signals that the guy should report to the house of the girl to serve the family. Otherwise, if the lady refuses to peach water, it means that there will be no courting. The guy will stop to pay court the girl.

Wedding tradition
Their wedding tradition is not like the normal wedding that is prosperous, having a lot of food on the table, but it is just a simple ritual. Where in there are representative from both sides, the young man and lady should sleep together on that night, and at that very moment they are pronounce as husband and wife. If the family choose to celebrate it with more sophisticated way they will schedule it in different date to drink and be merry.
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Religion
During those earlier years their religious belief are just related about their livelihood. But everything starts to change when a strange man pass to their tribe and stay for one week in their place. He preaches and heals the sick. The tribe call him Cristo, they describe the stranger as good man with long hair, pointed nose and white complexion, but no one can tell where he come from. And from then on religion is established in the community.

Death Ceremony
It is their culture to left unburied the corpse of their relative in the house, and they will just rap its body with blanket, after that they will abandon their home, because they believe that it is a bad luck to stay. They will move far away from their former home and before leaving it they will see to it that no one can enter in the entire vicinity, for they believe that if somebody will be able to come in that house, the soul of the death will never be at peace, and further it will going to hunt its relatives and also the family of the one who happened pass bye and disturb his soul. Almost all Iraya dont come to lament on the dead because of this belief, they afraid that they might be followed by the soul of the dead.

OTHER PRACTICES Punishment

As a tribe they are also govern with rules and regulations. When any member commits mistake they have to punish him in accordance with the degree of sin. They called the punishment Pangaw.

Different Kinds of Pangaw

a. b. c. d. e. Tying the body on the tree that full of ants. Hanging the naked body vertically which head touches the ground and beat it many times ( Usually, it is the punishment to those who commit adultery) Tying the body on the chair like a pig and beat it. Putting both hands on the boiling water. (This is to detect the unlawful; the hands that will be injured first will be punished. As a punishment he will soak his hands until the given time is finish) Placing the hands on fire. (This ritual is done to know whose criminal among the tribe. It is the same with letter d, the hands that will be burned first will be declared as criminal, and it is up to the leader to give another punishment such as beating the body, or continue placing his hands on fire until the time is over.

Paraya
This activity is also known as curse. The tribe believe in kulam, which is a ceremonial involving ritual. They believe that the witch is using insect, worm, doll or any things belong to their subject, and utter some ritual on it to make it possible.

Different kinds of Paraya

a. Getting the subject died with unidentified sickness, in just few days. b. Coming out of some insect or worm inside the body. c. Making the stomach big.

LatagLiterature
The Horseman
Iraya short story In the far away mountain, lived Iraya tribe It was a peaceful place where everyone helped each other. The residence engaged on hunting and farming. Children played all around without worry. But their life changed in a snap. Life never had been the same as before, their joy turned to sorrow because of a sudden incident in that one afternoon. It was dark, and the moon was hiding in the thick clouds. You can only hear the sounds of the night insect, but there was strange creature in the ground playing and jumping. Everyone is wondering whos that playing in the middle of the night. Many families were disturbed and awake because of the noise created by the unfamiliar person playing outside. So the leader of the tribe went out to reprimand the living being. As he called the attention, he was shocked and couldnt move. Everyone witnessed how their leader died on the hand of the creature as his body cut into pieces by him. Monster! Monster! All the residents were frightened as they shouted. . Every soldier of the tribe armed themselves to fight the giant creature, but they were all died on that very moment. Each family tried to escape, some hid on the cave, and others ran away to forest. Not so long the dangerous monster was able to capture those who escape. The news about the evil creature spread all over the places. It was the ugliest being according to those who had seen it. It had the head like horse and body like human. Some tribe leaders prepared their people in the attack of monster, while other tribes chose to move away to protect their lives. The entire place heard different story of attacked every day. Days, weeks, months and years had passed, until the monster gone and no one can tell what happened to the evil creature that killed a million of lives. Years moved so fast and the tragic experience of the entire tribe was forgotten.

The Attack of Bulangan

Iraya short story

Old Tavar lived in the far place near the boundary of Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. One day he went to the town which is six hours to walk through crossing mountains and rivers. His wife and children were left in the house. The clock reached 10 oclock in the evening, while poor Tavar was still on his way home, without his knowing that his family was in trouble. In the house the family was ready to get bed when suddenly the eldest son noticed a light approaching the direction of their house. All of them were shouting Its father, our father is here now Everybody was yelling happily, thinking that they will have some delicious food to eat brought by their loving father. Shock appeared in their face when the human figure reached the gate. It was not their father, it was not either look like human. It seemed belong to specie which was not familiar to them. All members of the house frightened, and everybody shouted in terror as the creature having one eye like a fire in its forehead walked towards them. Even their cat moaned in fear. They looked for something to throw, they also tried to stone the giant creatures, but it didnt work. They searched for a way to escape, but it was impossible through door because they were all trapped by the monster. After few minutes they were cornered, they couldnt find way out, and they had nothing to throw except the cat inside. Without any word Tavars wife throw the cat into the monster. The frightened cat scratched the face of it and never stopped until the monster called bulangan fell into the ground, and to their surprised some smoke came out from the body of monster as it shouted in pain. By that, they got a chance to escape and along their way they met Tavar. Upon knowing what happened, they were immediately skipped. They temporarily hid in the thick forest. When the sun showed up, Tavar decided to go back home to check the incident, but he found nothing except the huge log which was look alike as human.
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The Legend of Nag Agungan

Iraya Legend

ong time ago there was a young man name Alitao, who fall in love with a beautiful lady name Jaga. After

a long time of courtship he was able to win the heart of his maiden, and soon they got married. Alitao was very happy for having her as his wife, he was full of life and hopes each day. But his joy never last, Jaga change a lot after a few years of their marriage. She always gave her husband a cold shoulder. Alitao never mind it all, and considered it as just a part of their life as couple. Until one day he discovered that his wife has another man name Maburway. Upon knowing it he confronted Jaga to know the truth. Everything was revealed to Alitao after he talked with his wife. They exchanged words and answered back each other. Because Alitao was unwarlike people, so he decided to left and climb in the mountain where no one can see him. Not too soon after some reflection he went home to talk heart to heart with his wife, but she was not there, and found out that she eloped with Maburya. Upon knowing it, He still decided to look for his wife despite of what trouble she causes her. After a month of searching he was able to find his dearly wife and because of his intense emotion and so much love for his wife he begged her to come back to him, and start another life with him. But he was just adding insult to injury, because Jaga didnt love him anymore and refused to settle with him Alitao couldnt accept what had happened, and couldnt fight the sorrow he was feeling, so he decided to climb in the tallest mountain and chose to stay there. No night had passed that he didnt cried for the loss of his wife. His neighbourhood could hear his cry every night. After some months he got news that his wife hanged herself and got killed. From then on Alitao prepared to stay on that mountain and never got down. Years had passed but people never heard any news about him, they could only hear the sound like a gong from the mountain. The people believed that the sound coming from that highland was the loud cry from alitao. As time changed, they could merely hear his cry, until a sound like gong resound all over the place twice a year every harvest period. So from then on the sound signalled the harvest time of the crops. Not too long the mountain where Alitao chose to stay and where the sound of gong being heard was called Nag agungan in honor of him.

Ayo Ayo
Ayo ayo bunsoan
Tiya ag yamondal udaan Ag samang Tiya ag yamon bunsoan ng tango layka Wobatay pinakan

Da Sapa
Da salog babaha pakatudan Da kailagan basapalibot mga latayan Ag saloglakol b bahapaka da udan Salaki da sapa nawod katawed da Iraya. The poem is an iraya verse which is all about the large river across latag. The poem tells how the rain affects their living because the river always overflows.

Tiya ag butakan kawayan apitong romabongan Tiyaag nay bunsoan sata da ag sagwa wanan Batay yani atig luan nay sinahud kalingkingan Tiya ag yamon busoan ay awaniag kasamang batay kay pinakan. Butakan saulnan kungkomo bataya albutanag nay batay tinaboybugan Sana ay bunsoan baking amayamag samang batag kayngamayam Ginawan butakan sakahuluan Aking mankukuhan naming ngbulaklaksabod.

This is an Iraya song known for tagalog as lullaby.

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