Customs of the Tagalogs by Juan de Plasencia

Tagalog Customs and Beliefs

• Datos/Chiefs: Govern and lead in wars, ranking above the Maharlica (nobles) in the social hierarchy
• Barangay: A tribal gathering or community, headed by a Boat (head of the barangay)
• Maharlica: Nobles, privileged class in the Tagalog society
• Tingues: Also known as mountain ridges, a type of land or territory
• Aliping namamahay: Commoners, a class below the nobles
• Aliping sa guiguilir: Slaves, who can be sold or traded
• Pagnagka-anak: Inheritance rules, outlining the distribution of property and wealth
• Inaasaya and Inaasawa: Terms related to unmarried women and marriage

Tagalog Spirituality and Culture

• Simbahan: A temple or place of adoration, a sacred space for worship
• Pandot: A festival or celebration, possibly related to communal worship
• Sibi: A temporary shed or structure, possibly used for ceremonial purposes
• Sorihile: Small lamps, used for lighting or ritual purposes
• Nagaanitos: Communal worship, a collective spiritual practice
• Bathala: The "all powerful" or "maker of all things", a supreme deity
• Tala: The morning star, a celestial body with cultural significance
• Mapolon: A change in seasons, possibly related to agricultural cycles
• The Pleiades: Referred to as "seven little goats", a constellation with cultural significance
• Balatic: The Greater Bear, a constellation with cultural significance

Tagalog Mythology and Folklore

• Lic-ha: Many idols or gods, possibly related to ancestral worship
• Dian masalanta: Patron of lovers and generation, a deity with specific domains
• Lacapati and Idianale: Patrons of cultivated lands and husbandry, deities related to agriculture
• Buaya/Crocodiles: Water lizards, creatures with possible symbolic meaning
• Tigmamanuguin: A serpent, rat, or bird who sings in trees, a mythical creature
• Catolonan: An officiating priest, either male or female, with ritual significance

Tagalog Rituals and Practices

• Buyos: Small fruit wrapped in a leaf with lime, possibly used in rituals or ceremonies
• Mangagauay: Witches, with possible magical or spiritual powers
• Manyisalat: Priests with the power to apply remedies to lovers
• Mancocolam: A being who emits fire from himself at night, possibly a supernatural entity
• Hocloban: Another kind of witch, with possible magical or spiritual powers
• Silagan: Attacks those clothed in white, possibly related to spiritual or ritual practices
• Magtatangal: Shows himself at night without his head or entrails, possibly a mythical creature
• Osuang: Can fly and eat the flesh of whom they murdered, possibly a mythical creature
• Mangagayoma: Creates charms for lovers using herbs, stones, and wood, possibly a ritual specialist
• Sonat: "Preachers", possibly related to spiritual or ritual practices
• Pangatahojan: A soothsayer, with possible divination or prophecy powers

Tagalog Cosmology and Afterlife

• Casanaan: A place of punishment, possibly a concept of hell or the afterlife
• Sitan: Where demons lived or dwelled, possibly a concept of hell or the underworld

Vocabulary from the "First Voyage Around the World"

• Uraca: Palm wine or arrack, a type of beverage
• Umay: Rice, a staple food
• Caphri: Naked, with cloth woven from the bark of a tree, a description of indigenous clothing
• Boloto: A small boat, a type of watercraft
• Balanghai: Large boats, used for transportation or trade
• Casi-casi: Friendship, a social bond
• Anime: Lights wrapped in palm or fig leaves, possibly used for decoration or ritual
• Piloncitos: Small gold ornaments or coins, a form of currency or jewelry
• Figs/Banana: Types of fruit
• Palmito: White mist liquor, a type of beverage
• Abba: God, our past ancestor, a concept of deity
• Laghan: Large sea snails, a type of marine life
• Areca: Pear (momma), a type of fruit or palm tree
• Betre: Betel, a type of plant or nut
• Aghon: Bells, possibly used for ritual or ceremonial purposes
• Subin: Pipes/flute, a type of musical instrument

Test your knowledge of the different social classes, governance system, and cultural practices described in Juan de Plasencia's 'Customs of the Tagalogs'. Explore details about Datos/Chiefs, Barangay gatherings, Boat leaders, Maharlica nobles, and more.