Author Topic: Motuo Ka ug Barang? (Read 8660 times)

MikeLigalig.com · « **on:** May 15, 2012, 08:35:19 PM »

Motuo Ka ug Barang?

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islander · « **Reply #1 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:03:48 PM »

oo. it's nothing but negative energy and there are those with the ability to bestow it, strongly at that. but since it's negative, then there must be an equal and opposite side, the positive. this is in the form of prayers and protection. matakilpo man gani ta kun naay manungo, kana pa ba kahang barang nga grabeg destructive energy.

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islander · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:05:17 PM »

pero, kwidaw, grabe sad mo-backfire. di pod lalim ang gaba (o karma). mapikhan pod ug dobleng hapak ang gapabarang, ang mamamarang bisag unsaon pag kamang ug paningkamot one-day-one-eat ra gyod intawon. wa man tingali ta makadungog ug mamamarang nga living it up, right? gawas tingali ug atong pasumanginlan ning mga dato in our midst nga nadato tungod kay namarang... which is impossible kay si sir balong lang daan, kahibawo man ta nga nadato because of his knowledge and risk-taking in the stock market.

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islander · « **Reply #3 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:12:37 PM »

we always get back what we give, and more, matod pa. we reap what we sow, di ba? in the case of barang, sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.

mao nga kun naa moy kontra unya di gyod mahiluna imong kalag kun di ka kabawos ug di gyod pod ka kapasaylo, na, maayo pay layugon na lang nimo. ang punoan sa saging, i mean. tagbaw gyod ka, and you do no harm gawas sa environment because there would be one banana plant less.

go to a mamamarang at your own peril.

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islander · « **Reply #4 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:21:58 PM »

The mambabarang & the mangkukulam

For several years I have searched the island hoping to find a genuine mangkukulam or mambabarang (witch). I have talked to many of the islandâ€™s residents and most agree that mangkukulams probably do not exist. However, the same people have also advised me to be very careful in my search.

There is a simple difference between a mangkukulam and a mambabarang. The mangkukulam needs to use a piece of the proposed victimâ€™s personal property. The more powerful mambabarang needs only the memory of the victimâ€™s face to cast a spell.

Most of the healers (mananambals) that I have spoken with deny the very existence of witches in general. On the other hand, some claim that they can only heal illnesses caused by dark spirits and that they direct individuals sick from natural causes to medical doctors. Regardless of their stance on the issue, the majority of the healers offer some sort of potion or amulet to keep evil spirits at bay.

In my quest to locate a local mangkukulam (or mambabarang) I met a very talkative healer that nervously asked to remain anonymous. He informed me that if a â€œbad side healerâ€ would reveal their identity they would be killed. He assured me that it would take me many years to win the confidence of a witch to a degree that they would expose themselves.

It has been said that most mangkukulams prefer to notify their â€œsubjectâ€ that they have been cursed. Consequently, I am quite confident that the power of suggestion plays a vital role in the successful casting of a spell.

Though I have never personally met an authentic mangkukulam/ mambabarang, or seen proof of their powers, I cannot dispute their existence. Considering the numerous tales of sorcery, and the level of fear that is often present whenever the subject of witchcraft surfaces, who can really say? As for me, I will continue my search so hopefully one day I can witness the kulam first hand.

Siquijor Gary
http://www.mysiquijor.com/MagicBlack.html

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islander · « **Reply #5 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:43:42 PM »

â€œHow do you call your form of sorcery?â€ I began.

â€œThere are three procedures that I can perform,â€ Manong Edol said, â€œpaktol, barang, and gaway. The paktol is a curse I put on a person I want to suffer or die. The barang, on the other hand, is commanding insects to hurt a person. Lastly, the gaway involves a rag or waxen doll which I pierce in the part where I want the hex victim to suffer.â€

I have been hearing about paktol, barang, and gaway for years. A sorcerer who uses the paktol, barang, or gaway is known as a mangkukulam, mambabarang, or manggaway, respectively. Manong Edol is all three, although he prefers using paktol than the other two.

-from Conversations with a Sorcerer, an interview-based article by Dennis Villegas
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/6101-kulam-is-alive-and-well-in-mystical-siquijor.html

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islander · « **Reply #6 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:45:30 PM »

contrary to my belief (pre-reading of this article), the mambabarang (di diay mamamarang as i've written earlier kay prutas man diay na) subject sounds benign and gentle.

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islander · « **Reply #7 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:53:40 PM »

Barang and gaway

The barang is a powerful procedure that involves keeping an army of insects. The insects are kept inside a bottle or a bamboo tube and are trained to hurt a guilty person. A piece of paper with the name of the person to be hexed is tied with a string to the neck of the insect. It is then commanded to lodge itself into any of the body openings of the victim. The insect wreaks havoc inside the body that results in death.

According to Manong Edol, he no longer performs barang because of the difficulty of "disciplining" the insects.

"These little creatures can be very unruly," he said, "so I no longer use them. Besides, they cannot hurt someone who has already fled to another island. The insects cannot travel across the sea. Barang is a very old and outdated procedure, and I doubt if there are any more mambabarang in Siquijor. Otherwise I would have already felt their powers."

Manong Edol is right. By now, the barang is a lost craft. The barang was described by a Spanish chronicler as early as the 16th century. In 1578, a Spanish traveler named Diego Lope Povedano wrote: "They( the Visayans) have another way of killing their enemies who do them harm. In a bamboo tube, they put some insects similar to house flies, but with hard skins. They call these barangâ€¦â€

The gaway, on the other hand, involves making a rag or waxen doll in the likeness of the person to be cursed. The sorcerer sticks a needle into the part where he wants his victim to suffer; if he sticks a needle in the stomach, the victim will suffer a terrible stomachache, and so on. Sometimes needles are not necessary; simply applying force to the part of the doll is enough. Nevertheless, Manong Edol avoids doing gaway because he wants to concentrate his powers on the paktol.

-from Conversations with a Sorcerer, an interview-based article by Dennis Villegas
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/6101-kulam-is-alive-and-well-in-mystical-siquijor.html

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islander · « **Reply #8 on:** May 16, 2012, 02:58:02 PM »

the terminologies seem clearer now. i thought paktol was just a joke. i never heard of gaway, until now. barang seems a more common term.

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islander · « **Reply #9 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:07:44 PM »

-all pictures by Dennis Villegas at http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/6101-kulam-is-alive-and-well-in-mystical-siquijor.html

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #10 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:08:35 PM »

I never heard of the term "barang" until I scanned through this thread. It's interesting to read about this.

Isles, do you know why people say "Pwera Bujag" ? What is the meaning of that? Is it supposed to reverse a curse or something?

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #11 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:12:03 PM »

I remember when I was in Valencia, while I was buying food supplies in the merkado, I couldn't help but overhear a converesation between two old women selling fish in the fish market. One woman said, "Hoy Nisya! Naka kita ka in Jeboy? Ay susmarihosep na daku na gajod." The other lady replied, "Mao lagi." Ingon pod ang usang baji, "Nisya, guwapo lagi si Jeboy...liwat lagi sa imong kagwapa.."

The other lady then said, "Pwerja Bujag!"

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islander · « **Reply #12 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:24:21 PM »

it's supposed to be a phrase for avoiding the reverse of a flattering statement. as for its beginnings, that would be worthwhile exploring. i haven't come across this phrase's history. (if it isn't out there yet, this is something for the cebuano studies center at the university of san carlos in cebu or the cultural office of holy name university in tagbilaran.)

an example: wow, kalami niyag mata uy.
answer: puwera buyag.

(mahadlok tingali nga malibat, hahaha! they say those with violet tongues can cause the reverse, so some flattering remarks from strangers could actually be curses in disguise.)

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islander · « **Reply #13 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:26:42 PM »

since your example is an exchange between friends, the context of "puwera bujag" there seems more like a display of modesty. some of us can't take much flattery, so instead of saying "salamat", we say "puwera bujag".

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #14 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:29:06 PM »

Very interesting. Thank you for explaining that, Isles.

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islander · « **Reply #15 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:32:53 PM »

Very interesting. Thank you for explaining that, Isles.

most welcome; i'm not sure about my explanation though. i just took it in context, hehe.

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #16 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:36:23 PM »

He he he, I really learn a lot just by reading your postings here, Isles. One can't help but be amazed by the terminology our fellow Bol-anon use in their daily speech. All this time, I never really asked what was the meaning of 'Pwera Bujag', I had always thought it meant "Thank You" , pero wrong man to'ng assumption nako.

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islander · « **Reply #17 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:41:39 PM »

Arrival of clients

Meanwhile, two people appeared at the door: a young woman in her twenties and an older lady who looked like her mother. Manong Edol welcomed the guests, bade them to come inside, and introduced them to me.

The young lady and her mother live in Dumaguete and came to Siquijor to seek Manong Edolâ€™s help.

The young woman requested me not to take photographs while she was around and I agreed.

She then told us her story, the intimate details of which I cannot divulge here for obvious reasons. In summary, a white man seemed to have taken advantage of her. In other words, her honor was besmirched. She wanted revenge, she said, as she pulled out from her purse two small photographs of the offender.

I soon found out that in this remote region, people very rarely go to the police to seek justice. For many, the mangkukulam is the chief judge in many disputes: whoever he finds guilty he punishes by death or illness.

From what I gathered, anyone who needed the service of Manong Edol must first convince him that revenge is truly justified. Manong Edol explained he does not take every case presented to him. He listens to the account of what took place, weighs the facts, and only takes the case when he is satisfied someone has been truly aggrieved, hurt, or disgraced. Apparently, there are three very serious offenses that merit the use of the paktol: an insult cast on a family; dishonoring a woman; and murder. Manong Edol ignores cases involving politicians or petty crimes.

Manong Edol assured the mother and daughter that he will now take the case. They gave him the two pictures, and wrote the name of the white man on a piece of paper. Before leaving, they gave Manong Edol an envelope containing money. He did not tell me how much money was inside, but he confided later that he usually charges P6,000 to P40,000, depending on the clientâ€™s status in life.

(color emphasis mine)

-from Conversations with a Sorcerer, an interview-based article by Dennis Villegas
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/6101-kulam-is-alive-and-well-in-mystical-siquijor.html

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islander · « **Reply #18 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:51:04 PM »

He he he, I really learn a lot just by reading your postings here, Isles. One can't help but be amazed by the terminology our fellow Bol-anon use in their daily speech. All this time, I never really asked what was the meaning of 'Pwera Bujag', I had always thought it meant "Thank You" , pero wrong man to'ng assumption nako.

actually, it does seem that you're not wrong. "puwera bujag" can also be an acknowledgment that one agrees with the other person's estimation. you know how we filipinos (and most especially boholanos) are; sometimes we communicate in a slanting manner, probably because talking straight is talking rude. instead of saying no, we say "tan-awon lang nako" (i'll see what i can do). you bet it's so un-american.

this "cultural style" may spill over to appointments (thus the filipino time?) and even traffic lights! green is go, amber is go with caution, red is go at your own risk!?

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #19 on:** May 16, 2012, 03:54:54 PM »

ha ha ha ha! oh this makes sense. yea, one thing i notice about Filipinos or Bolanons is that they can be very indirect at times.

When I was in Bohol, Isles, a friend of my auntie, Eddie Borja, tried to introduce me to his niece. So I met up with her Tagbilaran for lunch ka gi arrange man mi duha to meet up. When I first met her , I asked her if she was hungry, she said, "Dili man, uhaw lang gamay, Bran..."

So, I ordered her fruit juice, then some buko salad. When I ordered lunch, she then got hungry. So, i decided to get her food, and i mean, i bought a lot for her. I was surprised that she ate everything. I joked with her and said, "Ingon ka you were not hungry, pero, gutom man diay kaayo..."

She kept on laughing and smiling.

Boholana girls are truly very sweet. They will refuse an offer until you give it to them, then they will take it openly.

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islander · « **Reply #20 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:25:34 PM »

i swear she wouldn't have refused if you offered her the whole restaurant.

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #21 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:27:21 PM »

i swear she wouldn't have refused if you offered her the whole restaurant.

he he he! cute pod to sija, isles. she was a nursing graduate from HNU. Cute tong bajeha, taga Guindulman raba sija.

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islander · « **Reply #22 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:30:03 PM »

oooppps, did you say eddie borja? oh-oh. if he's leonides borja, then he's a relative of mine. (second degree, once removed.) it is beginning to look like all boholanos are relatives.

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #23 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:34:20 PM »

ha ha ha ha! yes, his wife is part of the labastida clan of guindulman.

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islander · « **Reply #24 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:35:13 PM »

Performing the paktol

After the clients left, Manong Edol led us to a small nipa hut at the back of his house. By then, the rain had diminished into a drizzle and we navigated easily the short distance, carrying lighted candles to see our way. The house was about ten square meters in size. In the middle was a small table, on top of which was a human skull, a white candle, a small tin can, a piece of white paper, and a pen. It is here where Manong Edol performs the paktol.

In one corner was a small altar with a Santo Nino and various other miniature statues and pictures of saints. He confirmed he was Roman Catholic, when I asked. In another corner of the room were three cats that seemed very still and quiet, and beside them, more skulls.

Meanwhile, Manong Edol started to perform the ritual. He knelt before the altar and prayed in whispers. He then took out a small book from where he recited more prayers, but in a mysterious language, which Johnson did not understand. It was definitely not Visayan.

After praying, Manong Edol lit the candle and put it inside the tin can, which he placed beside the skull. Taking a piece of paper, he wrote the name of the white man on it and inserted it into the skull. He then burned both photographs given to him by his client, using the candle light. When the photographs disintegrated into ash, he placed them in the tin can and whispered the paktol.

-from Conversations with a Sorcerer, an interview-based article by Dennis Villegas
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/6101-kulam-is-alive-and-well-in-mystical-siquijor.html

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islander · « **Reply #25 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:44:28 PM »

The white man has now been cursed.

â€œWhat will happen to him?â€ I asked.

â€œHe will suffer a terrible illness,â€ he answered. â€œThen he will die.â€

â€œWhat if he asks for forgiveness?â€

â€œIf the aggrieved woman forgives him, then I will release the curse. But he must do so soon. When his illness turns to worse, I can no longer reverse the paktol."

â€œHow will you know if the curse took effect?â€

â€œI will receive a call from the client telling me that the person has died.â€

The paktol, according to Manong Edol, will take effect as soon as he is finished with the procedure. At this very moment, he told me, the white man would already be suffering from nausea, vomiting, and a terrible headache. In a few days, his stomach will bloat and he will bleed from the inside. No medical doctor can cure the illness caused by paktol. The torment will end with death. The doctors will say that this or that illness caused the patient to die, but he would have actually died because of the paktol.

â€œHow many people have you already put to death by means of the paktol?â€

â€œHundreds,â€ he replied. He then pulled out a high school notebook containing all the names of the people he has cursed with paktol. Indeed, there were hundreds of name written there. I was curious to know if there were familiar names listed in the list. I was relieved when I did not find any.

(color emphasis mine)

-from Conversations with a Sorcerer, an interview-based article by Dennis Villegas
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/6101-kulam-is-alive-and-well-in-mystical-siquijor.html

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islander · « **Reply #26 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:47:57 PM »

Sorcerer versus sorcerer

â€œCan you also cure a person who has been hexed by another sorcerer?â€

â€œOh yes,â€ Manong Edol said with a hint of pride in his voice, â€œEveryone here knows my work. If someone has been cursed by another sorcerer, they just come here and I heal them.â€

â€œHow do you cure them?â€

â€œI can command the other sorcerer to release the spell.â€

"What if he refuses?â€

â€œNo sorcerer has refused my command. Otherwise he will be punished by my own hex.â€

â€œDoes that mean you have to meet the other sorcerer face to face?â€ I asked, bewildered.

â€œNot necessarily,â€ answered Manong Edol, â€œI can command the other sorcerers by whispering. They always obey me.â€

-from Conversations with a Sorcerer, an interview-based article by Dennis Villegas
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/6101-kulam-is-alive-and-well-in-mystical-siquijor.html

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islander · « **Reply #27 on:** May 16, 2012, 05:33:34 PM »

The skulls

At this point, I could no longer contain my curiosity and asked him about the human skull. â€œDid this belong to a victim of your paktol?â€

â€œNoâ€, Manong Edol said, â€œThat is actually the skull of a former neighbor who died of a natural cause many years ago. I asked the family if they could give me the skull for my sorcery, and they agreed.â€ Apparently, most of his neighbors feel honored if Manong Edol asked them for anything, even for the skull of a loved one.

Manong Edol used to perform paktol in a hidden cave in Cang-Atuyom. But one day, he discovered that his secret cave had been found by looters who stole his skull collection. He had to ask other neighbors for the skull of their dead kin in the nearby cemetery. It was gladly given to him. He then built the nipa house at the back of his house to use for performing his craft in lieu of the looted cave.

â€œUp to now,â€ he said with visible pride, â€œno one has ever said 'no' to me, whenever I ask them for the skull of their relative.â€

Also a healer

Manong Edol is also very much in demand for his gift of healing. He can heal those that have been hexed by other sorcerers. He can also heal illnesses that had already been declared hopeless cases by medical doctors. For this reason, Manong Edol is also considered a mananambal (shaman).

for the full text, please go to: Conversations with a Sorcerer by Dennis Villegas at http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/6101-kulam-is-alive-and-well-in-mystical-siquijor.html

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #28 on:** June 10, 2012, 06:46:35 PM »

pero, kwidaw, grabe sad mo-backfire. di pod lalim ang gaba (o karma). mapikhan pod ug dobleng hapak ang gapabarang, ang mamamarang bisag unsaon pag kamang ug paningkamot one-day-one-eat ra gyod intawon. wa man tingali ta makadungog ug mamamarang nga living it up, right? gawas tingali ug atong pasumanginlan ning mga dato in our midst nga nadato tungod kay namarang... which is impossible kay si sir balong lang daan, kahibawo man ta nga nadato because of his knowledge and risk-taking in the stock market.

Sa imong wealth of knowledge on the subject, Ms. Isle, duda ko nga former baranger ka...

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #29 on:** June 10, 2012, 06:48:23 PM »

Lain pud tong "Pwera Bujog"...

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #30 on:** June 12, 2012, 04:20:04 AM »

ha ha ha! pwera bujag!

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #31 on:** June 12, 2012, 04:20:36 AM »

what is the difference when a person says, "pwera bujag" and "pwera gaba" ?

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statesville · « **Reply #32 on:** June 12, 2012, 10:39:34 AM »

Kadungog ko anang "barang" sukad sa bata pa ko, pero ambot kon unsa ka tinood

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #33 on:** June 12, 2012, 12:41:10 PM »

he he he mo tuo lang ta ang Power sa Ginoong Hesu Kristo who is Supreme, who makes the concept of 'barang' absolutely insignificant.

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islander · « **Reply #34 on:** June 12, 2012, 01:38:24 PM »

but the barangers also believe that it's jesus christ supreme who is behind their unusual powers.

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #35 on:** June 12, 2012, 01:52:51 PM »

i admit that i do not know much about barang , except form your postings on the subject, isles. thanks for sharing information on this tho. i always learn something new here.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #36 on:** June 12, 2012, 05:39:39 PM »

what is the difference when a person says, "pwera bujag" and "pwera gaba" ?

Mabujagan ang nindot; magabaan ang ngil-ad...

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #37 on:** June 12, 2012, 05:40:28 PM »

but the barangers also believe that it's jesus christ supreme who is behind their unusual powers.

Hear ye! Hear ye!

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