Mystery of Mindanao vases and ancient hermaphrodite ancestors

This article from the column "Bisag Unsa" written by multi-awarded historian and writer, Prof. Macario Tiu for MindaViews, narrated some interesting insights about the theories as to the origin of the anthropomorphic figures found in Southern Mindanao, specifically in Sarangani Province. He also narrated about a very intriguing creation mythology of the Blaan, one among many indigenous groups fluorishing and preserving their ancient culture for centuries in the hills and mountains of Mindanao, about the very ancient humans who used to be hermaphroditic, i.e. having both male and female organs. However, he has written his article in the local dialect, Bisaya. Individuals interested to know more about the article may contact him through his email.

The myth about this very olden ancestry was also mentioned by the Greek philosopher Plato in one of his writings. Based on my personal research, Mindanao's Blaan mythology especially pertaining to hermaphroditic ancestry, may actually be one of the most ancient accounts of human origins, in fact more ancient than the Sumerian mythology, considering the Sumerians were known as the most ancient of civilizations in the known world.


(ancient artifacts found in Sarangani, Southern Mindanao, photo courtesy of noelbynature)

Misteryo sa mga Banga sa Maitum
Ni Macario D. Tiu


DAKBAYAN SA DABAW (MindaNews/10 Mayo) -- Dihang nadiskubre niadtong 1991 ang
antigong mga banga sa Langob sa Ayob, Pinol, Maitum, Probinsya sa Sarangani, naukay pag-ayo ang mga arkeyologo ug ubang siyentipiko. Talagsaon man ugod kaayo ang porma sa banga nga ginama sa kulonong yuta ug giluto sa hinayng kalayo. Ang mga taklob sa banga hulmag nawong sa tawo nga naay mata, ilong, dalunggan, ug baba. Ang ibabaw sa ulo gipinturahan og itom. Naa say mga ulo nga gibuslot-buslot ug makapangutana ka kon gisuksokan ba nig lanot o unsa kahang butanga aron mosilbing buhok.

Naay mga taklob nga hulmag tawo gikan ulo hangtod pusod. Buot ipasabot, hasta ang abaga ug duha ka kamot ug mga tudlo apil sa hulma. Ang mga babaye mailhan kay gibutangan og mga tutoy.

Segun sa radiocarbon test nga gihimo sa National Museum, ang mga banga nahimo sa mga tuig 5 WMK (wala pa matawo si Kristo) hangtod 400 HMK (human matawo si Kristo). Buot ipasabot, kining mga bangaa nag-edad nag 2,000 ka tuig.

Ang sulod sa mga banga mga bukog sa tawo. Gihimo kining ikaduhang lubnganan sa mga patay, usa ka praktis nga ginahimo sa daghang kultura kaniadto. Human madugta ang lawas sa patay, ibalhin ang mga bukog sa banga ug ilubong pag-usab.

Sumala sa taga National Museum, ang mga dagway sa banga naghulagway og mga indibidwal nga tawo. Lahi-lahi sila pagkahimo, morag tagsa-tagsa ka larawan. Naay nawong nga payat ug talinis og suwang, naay mga edaran na ug walay ngipon, ug naa say mga nawong nga nagngisi ug nagpakitag kompletong ngipon.

Ug ang dakong pangutana: Kinsa man kining mga tawo o tribu nga naghimo sa banga? Kining pangutana nahimong dakong talinghaga nga wala pay kasulbaran.

Milalom ang misteryo kay niadtong Abril 2008, naa na say nakit-an nga susamang mga banga sa Langob sa Sagel pipila lang ka metro gikan sa Langob sa Ayob. Nadugangan ang kahingangha sa mga siyentipiko dihang narekober ang daghang mga tipak sa banga nga hulmag tawo niadtong Setyembre 2008. Sumala sa imbestigasyon, nakuha ang mga hulmag-tawong banga sa Maguid, Palembang, pipila ka kilometro gikan sa Maitum.

Segun sa unang mga pakisusi, lahi kuno ang mga dagway sa banga sa Maguid tandi sa mga dagway sa banga sa Maitum. Naa sab silay pagkapareho, apan lagmit kuno, laing grupo sa tawo ang naghimo sa banga sa Maguid kaysa mga banga sa Maitum. Hinuon kining managkalahing grupo sa tawo dunay koneksyon. Dugang pa, morag mas karaan kuno ang mga banga sa Maguid kaysa mga banga sa Maitum segun sa pagkahimo niini.

Ug ang dakong pangutana nagpabilin: kinsa man ang naghimo niining mga banga? Asa na man sila, kining “lost tribe?” Nakapangutana ang taga National Museum niini kay ang mga netibong Manobo, Teduray, ug Blaan nga nagpuyo dinhang dapita dili nagalubong sa ilang mga patay gamit ang mga pininturahang banga.

Kanang pangutana kon kinsa ang naghimo sa mga banga sa Maitum akong gisulayag tubag niadto pang 2003 kalabot sa akong panukiduki sa kasaysayan sa Dabaw. Nganong nakaabot kos Maitum nga sakop na man ni sa Sarangani? Kana tungod kay sa pagsubay nako sa prehistory sa Dabaw, nagduda ko nga ang naghimo sa mga banga sa Maitum mao ang mga Blaan, usa ka tribu nga nagpuyo usab sa habagatang-kasadpang bahin sa Dabaw. Ang ubang kandidato nako nga
maoy naghimo sa mga banga mao ang Tboli ug layo na kaayo, ang Teduray. Wala nako giapil ang mga Manobo (Dulangan) tungod kay nagtuo ko nga kini sila mga manunulong sa maong lugar, ug maoy hinungdan nganong naundang ang paghimo sa mga banga.

Aduna koy pipila ka rason nganong Blaan ang naghimo sa mga banga. Ang akong mga argumento akong giapil sa akong libro “Davao: Reconstructing history from text and memory” (Research and Publication Office, Ateneo de Davao University, 2005). Karon, nausab na ang akong hunahuna. Ang akong nag-unang kandidato sa naghimo sa banga mao na ang Tboli. Nganong nausab man ang akong tubag? Ug mas una pa, nganong Blaan man ang akong tubag kaniadto?
Una sa tanan, ang mga Tboli ug Blaan dug-ol kaayo nga tribu. Dili lang kay managsilingan silag teritoryo, halos managsama silag kultura. Mas daghan ang ilang pagka managsama kay sa ilang pagka managlahi. Magkasinabot silag sinultian kay ang ilang mga dila nahisakop sa usa ka pamilya sa lengwahe (lakip ang Teduray ug Giangan sa Dabaw!)

Unta ang mga timailhan pabor sa mga Tboli nga sila ang naghimo sa hulmag-tawong banga. Ang ilang teritoryo duol sa Maitum. Sa pagkakaron sa Cotabato, sila lang ang tribu nga nagahimog tawo-tawong bronse. Hangtod karon daghan kag mapalit ani sa Aldevinco. Nako pa, kon tighimo silag tawo-tawo nga bronse karon, dili ba posible nga kanang ilang katakos nakuha ila sa ilang katigulangan nga tighimog hulmag-tawong banga? Apan sa akong pangusisa, naay miingon nako nga kahibalo man usab kuno mohimog pigurin (figurine) ang mga Blaan. Mas sikat lang kuno ang produkto sa mga Tboli. Busa mikiling ko sa mga Blaan tungod kay nasayod ko sa ilang mitos ug leyenda mahitungod sa paghimo sa unang mga tawo. Mao kini ang mubong bersyon:

Sila si Fyuwe ug Sawe naghimog unang tawo gikan sa kulonong yuta. Naglalis silang duha kay gusto ni Sawe nga ang buslot sa ilong ipaatubang sa taas. Malumos ang tawo niana, matod pang Fyuwe, apan nagmatinumanon si Sawe. Dihang mitalikod si Sawe, giliso ni Fyuwe ang ilong paubos, apan sa iyang pagdali-dali, naduot niya ang ilong sa tawo. (Mao na nga pango ta, hahaha!)

Sa akong pagtuo, kining karaang mitos nagpamatuod nga ang mga Blaan dunay tradisyon nga tighimog tawo gikan sa kulonong yuta. Sa usa ka bersyon sa ilang mitos, gimando sa Diwata nga tipigan nila ang ilang buhok tungod kay mao kini ang materyal nga gamiton sa pagpasanay sa ilang kaliwat. Aha, sa hunahuna ko pa, mao diay nga gihatagan nilag espesyal nga atensyon ang buhok sa ilang hulmag-tawong banga. Ilang gibuslot-buslotan ang ulo sa ilang hulmag-tawong banga! Ug busa mihukom ko nga mga Blaan ang naghimo sa mga banga sa Maitum.

Eksayted ko sa akong linya sa paghunahuna tungod kay nasayod sab ko sa ilang mitos mahitungod sa kinatawo sa tawo. Sa unang panahon kuno, ang kinatawo sa mga tawo nahimutang sa ilang tuhod. Ang utin naa sa tuong tuhod, samtang ang bilat naa sa walang tuhod. Wala kunoy mahimo ang mga tawo kay magsige na lag palami, ug busa giusab ni Fyuwe ang gikahimutangan sa mga kinatawo. Mao na ni ang resulta karon, naay lalaki, naay babaye. Mao tingali ni nga lahi ang banga nga lalaki, ug ang banga nga babaye!? Matag analisis nako sa mga mitos sa Blaan, misamot ko kakombinsido nga ang mga Blaan ang naghimo sa mga banga sa Maitum.

Karong tuiga, nakahigayon kog estorya og mga Tboli ug nausab ang akong panlantaw mahitungod sa mga banga sa Maitum. Taudtaod na sab ko nga nakig-interaksyon sa mga Tboli apan ang akong nasayran sa ilang binaba nga literatura (oral literature) mao ang ilang bayaning si Tod Bulol ug ang iyang kabayo nga si Kaunting. Dihang mipokus ko sa ilang mitos sa pagmugna sa tawo, dako ang akong sorpresa dihang akong nasayran nga susama diay silag estorya sa mga Blaan! Sumala sa usa ka bersyon sa Tboli, ang naghimo sa unang tawo gikan sa kulonong yuta mao sila si Hyuwe ug Sedekwe! Sama sa bersyon sa Blaan, naglalis sab ni silang duha mahitungod sa pagpahimutang sa ilong ug kinatawo. Kamatikdan nga halos susamag ngalan kining mga tighimog tawo, si Hyuwe sa Tboli, Fyuwe sa Blaan; ug Sedekwe sa Tboli, Sawe sa Blaan.

Girebyu nako ang gilangkobang teritoryo sa mga Tboli. Gikan sa mga interbyu ug karaang dokumento sama sa taho sa mga katsilang pari kaniadto, akong napamatud-an nga mga Tboli ang netibung tribu nga nagpuyo liyok ug luyo sa Maitum. Dihang nabasa nako nga ang mga Tboli nagapraktis og tamblang – ang paglimbas sa ngipon ug bangkil aron motupong ang tanang ngipon – akong gisusi ang mga retrato sa mga antigong hulmag-tawong banga ug nakita nako nga kadtong nagngisi morag tupong og mga ngipon! Miswak na sab sa akong teyoriya.


Ang hinungdan nganong tupongon sa mga Tboli ang ilang mga ngipon mao nga gusto nilang ipanaglahi ang ilang kaugalingon isip tawo gikan sa mga hayop nga bangkilan. Karaang praktis nila ni nga dili na ginasunod sa mga bag-ong tubo. Unya, akong gisusi ang mga tawong pigurin nga bronse nga gihimo sa mga Tboli karon, ug akong namatikdan nga kadaghanan, kondili man tanan, nagnganga, morag gusto nilang ipakita ang ilang mga ngipon. Gagmay lang ang gidak-on sa mga tawo-tawong bronse ug lisod gyod tingali ang paghimog ngipon gamit ang “lost wax process.” Busa hangtod na lang sila sa pagnganga.


Daghan pag angay susihon sa mga hulmag-tawong banga aron hingpit ang akong pag-analisis ani. Sayang wala pa koy higayon nga makita sa personal ang mga hulmag-tawong banga aron unta ni mabutingting pag-ayo. Hangtod lang ko sa mga retrato. Namatikdan nakong buslot silag dalunggan, samtang ang mga babaye nagsuot og pulseras ug kulintas. Ang ubang banga naay mga dekorasyon nga nagkulot nga linya, susama gyod sa makita sa modernong tawo-tawong bronse sa mga Tboli.

Mas molig-on pa gyod unta ang akong teyoriya nga ang mga Tboli ang naghimo sa mga hulmag-tawong banga sa Maitum kon madugangan ang reserts didto mismo sa Maitum ug makainterbyu kog mga Lumad didto. Basin duna silay ikadugang mga datos. Aw, hinuon, andam sab ko mapamatud-ang sayop ang akong teyoriya ug nga ilabay ni sa Bankerohan River.

(Ang “Bisag Unsa” regular nga kolum ni Macario D. Tiu para sa MindaViews, ang seksyon sa opinion sa MindaNews. Si Mac usa ka Palanca awardee ug National Book awardee. Usa usab siya ka propesor sa Ateneo de Davao University. Puyde nimo ma-email si Mac sa mac_tiu@yahoo.com.ph)

Minda News: Bisag Unsa by Macario Tiu

Did the Nation's ancient history originate from Southern Mindanao?

The country's mainstream history lessons vaguely narrate about its people's ancestry dated to as far as 50,000 BC. The remains of a skull cap was discovered however, in the Tabon caves of Palawan and was carbon dated at about 22,000 BC. Centuries later, waves of migrants with their swift wooden boats called 'balangays' (from which came the basic government unit termed as "barangay") then settled in the archipelagic islands where they established small towns and colonies. But informations relative to these were not as preserved, owing to the fact that most of the legacies were destroyed due to religious bigotry exhibited by Spanish colonizers who arrived by the 16th century.

More extensive informations however, were made available primarily from documents by the colonizers and from whose sources most of the country's conscious history had based itself. In the Filipino psyche the making of the nation's history were mostly dependent on Spanish documents, and conventional national consciousness dictated that the nation's extensive history began in the islands of Visayas and Luzon (although some historians argue that first mass held between the locals and the Spanish explorers began somewhere in Masau, Butuan in Mindanao and not in Limasaua, Leyte in the Visayas).

Still, the country's pre-colonial history remained vague. However, there were research that among the earliest migrants, a wave of settlers had arrived in the southern shores of Mindanao, in present day Palembang, Sultan Kudarat (ironically, Palembang was also the name of ancient Sri-Vijayan Empire's capital city based in Sumatra, Indonesia) from as early as 500 AD. From there the early peoples spread towards the whole of the island. It was only later that other waves of migrants arrived in other parts of Visayas and Luzon during the 11th and 13th century by small groups that resisted the Islam faith and political systems of the mainlands, or seeking freedom and better sustenance.

However, the history of Southern Mindanao may even be much older than that. As if plucked out from myths and legends, old tales narrate of ancient tribes of giants known as Dinagats that once lived in Samal island that now faces the modern city of Davao, south of Mindanao. Except that these enigmatic, extinct race were neither myths or legends, for archeological evidences and skeletal excavations were documented even by foreign French and German scientists, and local resarchers as well, and even by construction workers. Despite an otherwise gem of history that any self-respecting nation would have treasured, these did not register much to the national consciousness, probably because some mediocre Filipino historians and closeminded academicians bluntly stifled it off.

The giants were eventually eliminated through poisoning by neighboring groups (they drifted a raft filled with delectable food) in retaliation for their misdeeds (which the giants mistook as offerings in submission to their 'superiority'), for the giants would often raid and steal from these villages, and kidnap their women. Some children borne out of it retained the gargantuan features and they were assimilated with the tribe, while those borne of small stature were given less attention and segregated with the women. These however, proved fatal for the giants as they were the only ones allowed to feast on the poisoned food. Eventually the giants died, leaving only the smaller people as survivors. To differentiate from the giant Dinagats, they called themselves Samal, meaning "leftovers" or "dregs."

These giant races had been mentioned in Biblical passages and known as "Nephilims," or by more historical sources, from the documents of the Sumerians, the most ancient of civilizations in Post-Deluvian human history that were once based in present day Iraq and dated to as far as 6000 BC but mysteriously vanished about 2000 BC. It should also be noted that the creation mythology of the Samals was intriguingly similar with that of the ancient Sumerians.

The giants were known to be hybrid offsprings, being borne out from the union of "gods" and humans. there were also other giant skeletal remains excavated in many parts of the world such as the Euphrates Valleys and in Europe.



("Human" skeletal femur found in Turkey and exhibited in Texas)




(A part of my personal research about the Samal giants were sourced from a narrative by Maria F. Mangahas, the others were from actual accounts narrated by an acquaintance who met with the natives of Samal, but both accounts confirmed similarities)

Manny the Maharlikan

A few days ago, I noticed considerable increase of readership in the blog that prodded me to trace its origins. I discovered that most of these came from surfers around the world who typed in search engines the word, "maharlikan." It seemed unusual since many of the researchers didn't come from the country, until I found a recent article about Manny Pacquiao entitled "Is Pacquiao a Symbol of the Return of the Maharlikan?" by Gareth Davies of telegraph.co.uk. It is most likely this article that prodded world curiosity about the term Maharlikan.

Here is an excerpt:
"The Philippines has lost the essence of being a true Maharlikan nation. Long before the Spanish conquered the island [and renamed it after the Spanish royal Felipe] the Maharlikans were a great nation. The spirit of the Maharlikan was imbued with a sense of royalty, and one of divinity. Manny has that parallel in his life. He has the truism of a real national hero."

Incidentally, among the individuals interviewed by Mr. Gareth was Mr. Granville Ampong, editor and publisher of the Maharlikan Times, and he was the first to post comment in this blog. It's an honor indeed, Sir.

Manny Pacquiao has become a household name in this country. So endeared was Manny that he was given such titles as "Pambansang Kamao" (National Fist) and became the first Filipino boxer to be printed on postage stamps. it is even written in the country's law that the Army will go to Pacquiao's aid in the event of danger to his family.

Manny's early life was one of hard poverty that his family even lived in dwelling made of cardboard boxes. Manny's mother raised the future hero with belief in God and at first wanted him to be a priest. A crucial event happened in Manny's life one day when he brought home a stray dog. Enraged, his drunk father cooked and ate the stray dog to punish him. Horrified, Manny packed his bags and stowed away in a boat bound for Manila, about 500 miles from his home in Southern Mindanao. From then on, he has continually made unprecedented mark in world boxing history.

Arakan

Arakan, Burma

In Burma (presently known as Myanmar), there is a place called Arakan. Among its inhabitants were an indigenous tribe known as "Mon." The other name for these people are "Talaing."

In Marilog, Davao City, a vantage roadside overlooks a scenic, panoramic landscape known, "coincidentaly," as the Arakan Valley. It is a municipality of North Cotabato that borders the city. Many indigenous and migrant inhabitants settle in the area. Among them were the tribes known, also "coincidentaly," as "Talaingod," which means "mountain people" and a sub-group of the Ata-Manobo tribe that inhabit the Arakan Valley. A certain municipality in nearby Davao del Norte was also known as Talaingod.


Arakan Valley, North Cotabato as seen from Davao City boundary

There are discussions as to the origin of the word Arakan. in Burma, it was locally known as Rakhine, and among its versions the possibility that it originated from Rakkhapura meaning the people of Rakhasa in honor of preservation of national heritage or ethics. The Arakan Valley in North Cotabato, Mindanao was supposedly derived from the Manobo words "Ara," which means abundance of resources, and "Kan" that means bravery, valor, and also referring to one of the rivers of the valley.

Inanna

I recently discovered that the Sumerian artifact posted from the previous blog was the image of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.



Inanna, according to Sumerian account was given dominion over the Indus Valley region (now presently located in Pakistan, but the region had been very prominent in ancient Hindu narratives). Akkadians and Babylonians called her Ishtar. In ancient times she was addressed as Queen of Heaven. Although she was not considered a "mother goddess," she headed a long line of female deities identified with feritlity of the natural world. The Babylonians however, call Ishtar as "High-Mother-Goddess."



Could it be possible that the Tagalog words Ina and the Visayan Inahan, which means "mother," originated from the Sumerian goddess Inanna?

enigmatic Samal

Even for locals living in Davao City, nearby Samal (that's only about 7 minute ride by barge from the mainland) is an island now gradualy revealing not just her beauty, but also her mystery. It is a paradise-like island we thought we knew. We thought the island was just the next byword for tourism destination owing to its pristine beaches with even some areas having powdery white sand so fine that its shore could diffuse heat of the tropical sun as one walks over it, an island of breathtaking sceneries and unspoilt wonders that Davao region hopes to keep that way while balancing with progress. Just a few years ago, it was also discovered that the island's batcave shelters the world's largest fruit bat colony (Geoffrey's Rousette species). It turned out there's even more to the island.

From my recent personal research posted in the previous blog, enigmatic Samal may also have one of the country's oldest history, with its rich past even inhabited by legendary giants of yore (well, not necessary "legend," there were actual discoveries of giant skeletal remains that unfortunately were looted or neglected, add up the Philippines authorities' lack of enthusiasm in archiving these otherwise valuable legacies).

It also made me recall of another enigmatic religious group in Samal, the Moncadistas. They are a religious colony known for their tradition of eating uncooked and raw food with no fish or meat. The group was founded by Hilario Camino Moncado (1898-1956). At nine years of age, he graduated with honors from the College of Mystery and Psychics in Calcutta, India. During earlier times, many of the group's male members sported long hairs and beards. The Moncadistas are known to be peaceful and law-abiding citizens.

Another personal observation that I tend to notice while in Samal, were the local dogs, yup, the local canines. Unlike their counterparts in the mainland, it seemed that most local dogs in Samal do not have the habit of barking at strangers. Perhaps it was due to the geographical confines of the island, but I least expected that even these creatures could create a " canine culture" that is uniquely Samal. I wonder if other visitors had noticed it too.

It makes one wonder, even with locals, what enigmatic character would this beautiful island reveal next.

ancient Sumerian links?

I read before in a newspaper article that some of the earliest settlers in the country arrived in the shores of Southern Mindanao and landed particularly in the present municipality of Palembang, Sultan Kudarat (Palembang was also the name of the capital city of the ancient Sri-Vijayan empire based in Sumatra, Indonesia)sometime in the 5th century. This was somehow reconfirmed by this report that I read a while ago wherein stolen artifacts were discovered that could lead to a lost tribe:

Artifacts discovery may lead to lost tribe

http://forums.yellowworld.org/showthread.php?t=35565

However, I find the faces of these anthropomorphic artifact intriguing:



As anyone may notice it seemed to have striking similarity, particularly with the distinct "eyebrow" pattern, with that of an ancient Sumerian artifact:

Not surprisingly, I had once read about the creation mythology of another indigenous group, the Samal tribe in Davao hours away from the find but still south of Mindanao, having similarity with the creation mythology of the ancient Sumerians. Ancient stories also narrate about a certain giant race known as the "Dinagat" that once inhabited Samal Island. But these giants were rude and bullying, and would often raid neighboring mainland villages, stealing and violating their women. The giants were eventually eliminated by the opressed villagers by drifting a boatload of poisoned food, in retaliation for their offenses. Skeletal remains of these giants were said to be discovered in some parts of the island, but some of these were looted through the years. These reminded of the biblical giants of yore that were offsprings of nephilims, part 'god' and part humans. It is evident that biblical accounts borrowed their sources from ancient Sumerian knowledge.

The Sumerians were considered to be the oldest yet strangely advanced civilization that existed in the Fertile crescent (present day areas in Iraq) during the post-deluvian era (after the Flood). The father of biblical Abraham (his name was changed from Abram after converting to monotheism, supposedly from the Sanskrit word "Brahma") was a Sumerian priest. The Sumerian civilization mysteriously vanished thousands of years ago.

If tisoy, chances are your great great grandparents invaded Rome

Chances are if you're Pinoy na tisoy (slang for spanish word mestizo, or of mixed lineage) with Spanish blood, your great, great and great grandfather may be a terrible invader of, what else but the magnificent, mighty, ancient city of Rome. They were known as the Visigoths.

As Roman historians claimed, this dreadful, hideous, wandering tribe entered the formidable walls of the great city between the years 408-410 AD. The horrible "barbarians" pillaged and looted the once mighty capital of its wealth and splendour. According to them, that was. But heck, the credibility of some of the paid hacks may as well be compared to the puppet corporate media of today that duped you to non-existent WMD's for the oil blessings war. At least though, they didn't mention much about raping and grudgingly admitted that the "barbarians" murdered, but just a little bit.

Obviously, history classes at school didn't mention everything either. The root of the historical conflict may be probed due to the corrupt and unreliable Roman leaders of that time. For many years the Visigoths waited for the promise of Rome to give them land in exchange for the service of fighting against a common barbaric enemy, the Huns. But corruption, prejudice and the unfulfilled promise caused much resentment among the Visigoths who finally threatened to lay siege to Rome. The Visigoth king, Alaric I, an admirer of the city's magnificence, made ways to avoid destroying it by agreeing to withdraw upon payments of gold and silver. When the exiled emperor, Honorius, refused to sign the treaty, Alaric I demanded the surrender of Rome and the terrified inhabitants opened its gates (courtesy of Visigoth 'slaves'). He then appointed another emperor for Rome, but the bloke ruled so badly. Amazingly, Alaric I decided to restore Honorius, but the emperor's barbarian chief treacherously attacked Alaric, which proved unsuccesful. The angered Visigoth King finally laid siege to Rome, and, after the previously botched attempt at appointing another individual, crowned himself and sat at the emperor's throne (parang si Bonifacio).

Curiously, Alaric I made clear his command to spare the Christian churches. Modern historians theorize that the Visigoths may not necessarily be "barbarians" as the olden Roman historians wanted people to believe, but rather they may be a Christianized tribe that had to deal with a decaying and corrupt Roman Empire.

Eventually, the Visigoths proceeded westwards and created a powerful Kingdom with boundaries that stretched into what are now the modern regions of France, and, the home of the country's colonizers, Spain.

a comment

A comment I posted at a Philippine forum that discussed about phenomenons that my occur in this planet as 2012 approaches:

Being skeptical may be beneficial, but it remains to be seen whether one has enough discernment amidst the hoaxes, the fragility of the truth would be noticed and preserved when the valuable moment finally comes. In this case, especially in this country with a naive people subliminally manipulated to servitude of outside 'masters' seen or otherwise, so obviously glaring by name of country itself yet they do not even notice it, the lack of discernment could result to destroying and loosing certain fragile truth such that the damage could be tragically wasted like pearl thrown to a pig stye.

The issue does not rely whether you or I believed it or not when such mysteries in the universe will always exist and extend and it will always be there in the great vastness that starkly contrasts arrogant but myopic, narrowminded opinions like tiny irrelevant speck.

Pinoy ka kapag...

This is my recent post to a pinoyexchange thread entitled "Pinoy ka kapag.." (You're Pinoy if...)

A poster commented on his/her professor who mentioned that Maharlikan meant royal blood. I believe however, that Maharlika is a state of mind.

"Ok. Maari rin namang maging kadahilanang ang isang tao ay Maharlikan sa sinaunang panahon sa dugo kung ipinanganak ka ng Maharlikan na magulang. Pero ang wastong kahulugan talaga ng Maharlikan sa mga ancestors natin ay isang Malayang Tao. Marahil naging Maharlikan siya dahil sa mga magulang niya. Nguni't maari ring Maharlikan siya dahil sa noble act or great effort upang makamtan ang kalayaan.

Siguro kung alipin ang isang tao sa isang imperyo malayo sa bansa natin at nanaiisin niyang maging malaya, tatawirin niya ang malawak na karagatan tungo sa bansa natin at kapag makaligtas sa mapanganib na paglakbay, tumpak maging malayang tao siya at makapagbagong-buhay sa bansang ito. O di kaya pinalaya siya ng kanyang amo dahil sa kabutihang nagawa. Kaya noong sinaunang panahon napakaganda bansaging Maharlika ang isang tao (na binastos ng isang pilipinong 'iskolar kuno' centuries later).

I believe being Maharlikan is a state of mind dahil sa Sanskrit na maha lekha na ibig sabihin ay Noble Creation or Great Effort. Matindi kasi ang Sanskrit, ang quality nito ay maihahambing sa Greek at Latin na malalim ang definition ng mga salita.

Ang kinaiinisan ko lang bakit ang mga educational institutions ng bansang ito hindi gaanong nag research sa pre-colonial history ng bayan. Kaya pala when compared to other countries' universities palaging kulelat sa quality, kahit magaling pa kuno sa ingles. Kasi sa ibang bansa tinuturuan sila on building their very own countries, strengthening its culture, fostering its creativity as a nation. Eh dito sa Pilipinas tinuturuan lang how to be efficient commodities for the economic machinery at dinidisregard ang pagpapalakas sa kultura natin bilang isang bayan at palaging naka inculcate sa mga estudyante to serve efficiently the foreign masters, and that the struggle against them only results to futility. Eh karamihan nga hindi marunong mag appreciate ng Art sa nation building. Kaya kahit yang mga premiere schools pa ipinagmamalaki ninyo, kulelat pa rin mga yan to compare with other countries' educational institutions (kahit hindi magaling mag-ingles mga teachers) pagdating sa survey kasi sa kanila they empower their very own countries, unlike dito sa pinas. Dapat magdemand kayo ng pagbabago sa mga schools ninyo at iba pang govt insitutions, magdemand kayo sa mga professors ninyo na mag research sila sa pre-colonial history natin dahil hindi pa nila ginampanan ang dapat matagal nang ginawa nila, at naging kulelat ang bayan dahil sa kakulangan nila bilang educational institutions.

Para hindi OT, sasabihin ko na lang na pinoy ka kapag ganyan ginawa sa inyo ng educational institutions ninyo.

Very sad, but I must say it."

http://pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=350490&page=3

Maharlikan individuals

I have discovered in the internet search engine some indivudals who also prefer to call themselves as Maharlikan.

I will differentiate them over the rest of typical, mediocre Filipinos who are content at even naming themselves as mere subjects of a foreign colonizer.

http://pagodkanaba.blogspot.com/2007/12/maharlika-ang-dakilang-lahi.html
http://eksite.com/x.html?http://eksite.com/osmubal.080115.html
http://kaligutpay.meemax.net/2006/06/20/maharlika-ating-bayan/

of dictators and stupidity

The Cold War Era back in the 70's and 80's was a time of turmoil and conflict in the country. The despised dictator ruling the Philippines, protected by alien interest as most 3rd world despots during those times were, wielded with iron hand against an unruly people, where civil disobedience was deemed fashionable as a way to combat the rise of his unholy powers and of his cronies, in the same manner that they deemed it fashionable to ape the culture of outside influences while trashing their very own.

But then, it seemed not everything he did was dictated straight from alien devils. The dictator sponsored the International Rice Research Institute that experts unanimously agreed had actually helped resolve the threat of worlwide food shortage during that time. Many countries actually benefited from it, and its headquarters still stood proudly in the ricefields of Laguna, Philippines. Except that, ironically, at this very moment, the host country itself is actually experiencing an acute rice crisis with blasphemous prices, courtesy of alien multi-national corporations with their sky-rocketing costs for chemical-laced fertilizer and pesticide products (for decades they managed to suppress and humiliate the advocates for organic farming over hybrid rice that rely heavily on their chemical products), criminal rice hoarders, and inept land conversion policies. And this is long after the dictator was kicked out of the country. Strange, Makes one wonder who the devils turned out to be.



The dictator, it turned out, also happened to have enough foresight over the rest of the hollywood-enthralled masses. He attempted to make a move to change the country's name from the glaringly obvious, colonial undertoned "Philippines" into the noble "Maharlika." With its invaluable benefit at inculcating nationalism and strengthening the psyche of an otherwise strife-torn country thanks to alien meddling, double-whammied with its own weakened identity, it was a move not just to empower himself, but the rest of his countrymen as well.

But, the people too embittered with hardships and atrocities committed against them courtesy of worlwide manipulation by alien interests like the CIA (you mean, up to now you still didn't get it ?!?!), immediately held him suspect, convincing it a ploy for selfish aggrandizement.



The most destructive damage done against the movement to rename the country came from a supoposedly Filipino academic "scholar". Re-echoed by a puppet corporate media (Time Magazine, 19 June 1989) to give weight to its "credibility" in the mindset of puppeteered hoardes, the supposed "scholar" convinced the gullible that Maharlika stemmed from the Sanskrit word maha lingam, which means "great phallus." Deeming it fashionable to disobey the alien supported dictator, the rest sucked up to it hook-line-and-sinker, no questions asked.

That was before the Internet Era. Research any Sanskrit dictionary search engines today and you will discover that Maharlika may have originated from the words Maha Lekha, in which Maha means "great, noble," and Lekha, meaning "work, creation, writing." Even the Tagalog language also incorporated it with "likha", which means 'create'.

The use of Internet had virtually exposed the "scholar" to be the usual crab-minded dork for the otherwise irreparable damage he had done, and the 'credibility' of that magazine should be held in question.

Ask anybody from what term Maharlika would come close into, whether maha lekha (great work, noble creation) or maha lingam (great phallus) and stupidity will unanimously choose the latter.

And the Philippines remained named up to this day, still brittle in its divisive state, lacking in national pride while the rest of its Asian neighbors race in stride with their much nourished cultural legacies (and Filipinos had the gall to wonder why).