Anything Under the Sun
Our festivals have religious origins (2)
On the Ati-atihan - one of the ten Bornean datus who arrived in Panay was Datu Bankaya who settled in Madianos (now Kalibo). For years, they were bothered by the Ati attacks. His ascendants finally made truce with the Atis which they celebrated with dancing to thank Hino-o. Thereafter, the Atis and the Malays held annual celebrations.
During the Spanish time, the first encomendero of Aklan, Antonio Flores, arranged with Datu Malanga and Datu Madayag, the Malay chieftains, that the celebration be fixed to January after the feast of the Three Kings to coincide with the feast of Santo Niño which the Spaniards explained as their Hino-o. That was how the Christian element enter. That was how the religious element entered into the affair.
So, this celebration is not of purely pagan origin because God was already there since its very beginning.
Halaran of Capiz- A story goes that five of the ten Bornean datus who arrived in Panay who were assigned to Capiz by their leader Datu Puti. While exploring the lands, the datus and their families rested to feast. The feast developed into an orgy by the warriors who became drunk. An old woman advised them to be moderate but the warriors ignored her. At last, the earth opened and swallowed the disobedient ones.
The Datus gathered the survivors and went to the shore they called Baybay. There they built a bamboo raft and loaded it with their produce--grains, chickens, swine and fruits as their halad (offering to Hino-o). They pushed the raft into the sea towards Mantalinga isle which they believed to be the abode of Hino-o. This was the first Halaran.
When the Spaniards came, they modified this thanksgiving rituals by introducing the Thanksgiving Mass offered to Hino-o. Again, this is how the Christian element entered the picture and so, this festival is not purely pagan origin because God was already there at its beginning.
In the Binirayan - This is the re-enactment of the landing of Datu Sumakwel and his followers at Malandog, Hamtik, Antique. This more-than-a- hundred-cast grand open field pageant unfolds with the appearance of a fleet of barangays (boats) in the ocean's horizon upon which the aboriginal Atis at the shores became awed and apprehensive .
When the lead barangay hits the shore, Datu Puti alights and kisses the ground. The other datus follow suit and the Malays led their babaylan Bangot Banwa, kneel to pray in thanksgiving to Hino-o who they sometimes also called Borolakaw.
Again, this is now the Christian element entered the picture and so, this festival is not of purely pagan origin because God was already there at its very beginning.
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The first set of five booklets (Books 1-5) of West Visayas Beautiful and Wonderful, authored by this writer is now available for P500 at his office address at No. 4 Sta. Ana St., Molo, Iloilo City, 5000. We are starting the second set (Books 6 to 10) this January.