The Deities of the Animistic Religion of Mayaoyao, Ifugao

By Henry Bimmolog, Lorenzo Sallong, & Lorelie Montemayor
(Edited by Glenn Plastina)

“The non-Christian religion of Ifugao in general is polytheistic and the worship is centered on animal sacrifices.”(Angiwan) The Ifugaos are using two common names for their deity, which are Mah-nongan, and Kabunian, but these names meant differently to other Ifugaos. In some parts of Ifugao province, these names are understood as the names of one supreme god or deity, but to other parts, particularly the central Mayoyao town, they understood Mah-nongan and Kabunian as not names of one deity, but rather names of many deities.

The Ifugaos have different concepts or understanding of their deities. What we are going to look are the deities of central Mayoyao and how would it be compared with the God of the Bible. Presentations of the animistic religion of Central Mayoyao, Ifugao are primarily based on stock knowledge and interviews on very specific people. However, for the sake of comparison, confirmation, and further understanding of the deities of other Cordillerans, the researchers have consulted and quoted some works of other writers.

1. Understanding the Different Deities of Central Mayoyao.
The Names of their Deities. There are at least two names common to all Ifugaos by which they call or address their god or deity – Afunijon (or Kabunian) and Mah-nongan. In some parts of Ifugao, Cabunian and Mah-nongan are names of the same one god or deity who is believed to be the creator of the universe and man. He is the highest or supreme being. Dumia states that “The people do not consider their deities as supreme but generally refer to Mah-nongan as the honorary head and creator of all things. He is their chief god.” (Dumia 1979:22). In fact when Evangelical Christianity first came, some groups of Christians call themselves Mah-nongan and also called their Ifugao hymn translation as Mah-nongan. They perceived the God of the Bible and Mah-nongan as the same in some aspects or characteristics. However, in other parts of Ifugao—like the town of Mayoyao in particular—perceived Mah-nongan and Afunijon as not the names of one deity or god, but rather a name referring to many deities.

Afunijon (Cabunian) basically means “heaven.” When the Ifugaos offer their worship to these deities, they look up towards heaven where some of the deities reside. So later, the place afunijon (heaven) became accepted as the name of these deities to whom they offer their sacrifices. Thus, Afunijon meant the place where some of the deities reside and at the same time the name of the deities. Lambrecht remarked that Afunijun is the place of the deities of the Ifugaos. Thus, Barton translated afunijun in Kalinga as those to whom sacrifices are offered. Both writers were right in their interpretation.

Mah-nongan comes from the word “‘eh-nong’, which means to offer.” (Damuyan, Russel). The Ifugaos offered their animal sacrifices to the deities, but they do not have the name on which they address their sacrifices. Later on, the word mah-nongan was developed into a name and was used to address these deities.

The Five Major Deities. There are at least five major deities by which the Mayoyaos offer their sacrificial worship. These are territorial deities and distant from humans. Yet they have control over the daily lives of the people.
1) Aninitud chalom. This is the deity of the underworld or the deity of earthquakes. The Mayoyao people believe that even beneath the earth, there is someone who is in control. So whatever happens to the planet earth, it has something to do with the aninitud chalom. The Mayoyao people explain that earthquakes occur when the aninitud is not satisfied with man’s sacrificial offering and as a result, his anger with man is being manifested in a sudden shaking or shock on the earth.
2) Aninitud angachar is the deity of the sky world. All the region of space visible from the earth is the territorial reign of this deity. He is the deity of lighting and thunder. The cause of lighting and thunder is believed to be a collision between man and the aninitud angachar (by not satisfying the dieties through sacrificial offerings).
3) Mapatar is the sun deity of the sky in charge of the daylight.
4) Bulan is the moon deity of the night in charge of the nightime.
5) Mi’lalabi are the star and constellation deities.

The Minor/Lower Deities/Spirits. Aside from the five major deities, Mayoyaos also believe in lower deities/spirits. Yet these deities are nearer. “These spirit-beings are in charge of the affairs of every day life. They control events such as birth, death, sickness, war, weather, agriculture, spiritual relationships, protection of the family and the village” (Henry 1986:7). These are smaller deities, yet they play a big role in the daily life of the people.
1) Pinacheng is a group or class of deities usually living in caves, stones, creeks, rocks, and in every place. This class of deities has the power to mislead a person on his way and could even hide the person, literally, that his companion could not find him. That is what the Ifugaos call “nalimun.” (I was told by older people that the deities would return the person when somebody is calling the name of that lost (or nalinum) person hidden by Pinacheng); Pinacheng is just like humans who live in another world. It is believed that these were the souls of those who have been long dead.
2) Spirit of a Dead Person. When a person dies, the Ifugaos believe that the body would return to the dust where it came from, but the spirit or soul of the dead person will still continue to exist in two stages. They are: A) Banig (ghost). This is the “spirit of those who have recently died.” (Ma 1986:286). This banig would manifest in many ways: in the form of an animal, like dog or duck, and others. Banig would not harm anyone, but people are only afraid of the manifestation. B) Mun-apoh (ancestral spirits). These are the “spirits of those who have been long dead.” (Ibid., 285). The mun-apoh (ancestral spirit) is the guardian and the source of blessing provided by the living. They paid respect to the ancestral spirit. But the blessings could also be turned out into a curse.

Objects With Spiritual Power. 1) Fulor is a wood carved into an image of a dead person seated on a death chair. It is an antique that has spirit in it. Failure to offer sacrifice would result in sickness, death and unsuccessful crops (or harvest). 2) Inamah (paraphernalia’s of the pagan priest) is a wooden plate that contains rice, betel nut, lime, and many more. This object is brought out during ritual celebrations as means for the Monbuni (Munbaki) to communicate to the spirits. Inamah is not the spirit per se, but rather it contains spirits. Therefore, destroying or selling this object for Museum display would put the family in danger.

II. RELATIONSHIP OF THE DEITIES WITH MAN
The Deities' Relationship to Man. The Mayoyao’s belief on deities is based on “cause” and “effect” philosophy that nothing will just happen without any cause and everything under the heaven is explained in relation to spirits or the deities. Explanation and solution of all life-problem have something to do with their relationship with the deities. Living in the will of these deities—like offering sacrifices that satisfy—would result to financial blessings, successful harvest, and good health. On the other hand, when worshipers were not living in accordance to the will of the deities, this unyielding to the spirits' demand would result to sickness, calamity, and unsuccessful agricultural crops. Since it is believed that deities have control over their lives, people believe that living a good life, having a good harvest, good health, and prosperity are results of living in the will of the deities. Sickness and calamity are always attributed to the deities. When sickness and calamities come to a person, these have something to do with the offended deities. “The acts of the gods are considered either as curses or judgments. Calamity occurs, according to their understanding, when they offend any of the gods.” (Ibid., 271). Sickness and calamity are direct works of the deities and spirits.

The Causes of Sickness and Calamities:
1. The spirit or soul of a sick person might had stayed and joined with the pinacheng in the place recently visited. When a person is sick, the first question generally asked is about the place where the sick person had been most recently. The sick person will be asked how long he had been in that place, because his spirit or soul might had stayed behind and joined with the pinacheng.
2. An object is thrown to a spirit/deity and was hurt. The first question to be asked of a sick person is the place where he had been and what he dad done because he might have hit a spirit. So in retaliation, the wounded spirit will inflict sickness to that person or to any member of the family.
3. Damaged environment, such as cutting trees indiscriminately (Kiley 1994:39). Spirits are believed to be the owners and caretakers of forests. So damaging the environment would result in sickness and calamity to the village people.
4. Not paying and honoring ancestors. Ancestors need attention through animal sacrifices from the members of the family. Negligence would bring sickness and bad luck to the family.
5. Uttering words or sentences by old people would bring curse. Old people are to be respected no matter what. They are to be cared for so that they will not give a curse.

The Means of Healing Sicknesses
Animal Sacrifices. Animals are basically raised for this very purpose: a means to appease the deities for the recovery from sicknesses through animal sacrifices. There are selected animals used for sacrifices. Chicken is usually offered for preliminary healing, intercession, and for minor sicknesses. The number of chicken to be offered depends on the assessment of the mumbuni based on the seriousness of the sickness. The number of pigs to be offered depends so much on what the offended deity or spirit would demand through the mumbuni/mumbaki. It depends also on the seriousness of the sickness and the ability of the sick person to provide. Sometimes the demand of offended deity(ies) includes money and wine offered together with chickens and pigs.

The Healing Intercession. Normally, before the actual healing intercession ritual, a pre-healing intercession ritual, will be performed by the mumbuni to summon the offended deity(ies) and know from them their demand payments in exchange for the sick person to be healed. It is believed that deities cause sickness, therefore, it is also believed that healing can only be possible with the help of the same deity or other deities (Cawed 1979:35). If the deities inflict, they are also the ones to help in taking away the sickness so that the inflicted person regain his or her normal health. This is under the condition that deities are satisfied and pleased with the animal offerings. Inappropriate sacrifices would result to continued sickness.

Healing intercession is normally repeated. “If the series of rituals bring no improvement in the patient’s condition, another more elaborate series is resorted to, provided the family can afford the expense.” (Dumia, 22). When there is no recovery, it is either the offended deity (ies) is not satisfied or pleased with the animal being sacrificed or the offended deity is not aware of. Therefore, intercession could be moved from one territory to another territory to find who among the deities are responsible for the sickness.

The Medium of Healing Intercession. The “Priest (Mumbuni) is an ordinary farmer with special training in religious rites and ceremonies” (Angiwan). When a family member becomes sick, the first thing the family does is to seek the counsel of the mumbuni. The mumbuni then has to analyze the information given by the sick person (Ma, 271) and ask the family members to prepare the necessary things needed (paraphernalia, sacrificial offerings) for the healing intercession. In the intercession ritual, the mumbuni will call the attention of the five major deities and the minor deities to find who among them is (or are) responsible for inflicting the sickness. When the sick person has not recovered, a ritual intercession is done by the munbuni to summon and negotiate with the concerned deity(ies) for the healing.

The munmbuni has the power or ability to communicate with the deities and inquire of them about the cause and the cure of the sickness. Yet it is not only the mumbuni who possesses the ability to communicate to the deities. There are others also. There is a ritual to be done; afterward, he or she is possessed by the deity/ies and could communicate with them.

Conclusion. The Religion of Mayoyao, Ifugao, in general is polytheistic. They believed in the five major deities who are distant to humans and the minor deities who are near and have contact with humans. All of these dieties have control over the daily affairs of people. Basically, everything that happens is attributed to [the intervention or actions of the] deities. Some of the Mayoyao people do not know scientific, philosophical, and biblical explanations of life.
Today, although Ifugao is [one of] the most evangelized province in the country, especially Mayoyao town, there is still an influence of their former religion to their present religion. Rituals are not being observed anymore. However, when some were confronted with serious sickness and calamity, they would doubt the ability of this Christian God to intervene in their situation. So some of them seek these Mayoyao deities. The Christian God is perceived as provider of eternal life, whereas their former deities are perceived as the answer or solution to the present problems.

(For full details of the notes in this research project, just inform the editor Glenn Plastina. Through email: glenplas@yahoo.com or check http://www.plastina.blogspot.com )