BRIDGING THE GAP
Traditional farming & folkways in WV
Traditional beliefs and practices in farming are handed down from generation to generation as part of the community's culture and tradition. They have evolved into more complicated folkways that include folksongs, folk sayings, folk idioms, and many others. In more recent times, however, most of these folkways have been relegated into the background due to modernization and globalization. Luckily, there are still a few of these people in the hinterlands of Panay that practice them or are still familiar with them.
Many folksongs are related to the farming activities of the people in the upland areas. While the farmers plant their crops, they hum these songs to soothe their tiredness. These include the "Maya-maya, "Lusong kag Hal-o", and " Ako nga Nangayaw".
"Maya-maya" is a harvest song that talks about the varieties of rice cultivated in the past. It goes without saying that rice is a favorite food for the Maya birds. It says:
Maya-maya ngaa nalipay ka?
Nalipay ako kay tig-alani na
Ngaa gid ikaw malipay?
Pula, puti ang amon humay.
Kinarabaw nga duag rosa
Katuhaw nga duag pula.
Mulan-ay namit kaunon
Kamuros hamot simhuton
Kalubad hapos tig-angon
Giniron namit kuyamon.
The song "Lusong kag Hal-o" is a harvest song suggestive of sexual meanings. The feminists may not like this but it projects the gender dichotomy of male prowess and femal passivity in procreation. A portion of the song runs this way:
Sumabat ini si Lusong,
Ako ang babaye nga magayon
Kon sa humay gani itutu
Daw wala sing kinuyong-kuyong
Sumabat man ini si Hal-o
Ako ang lalaki nga maayo-ayo
Sa humay gani itutu
Nagaerepak iya unto.
The idea of sex is also noted in the song, "Ako ang Nangayaw". The object of comparison has shifted from lusong and hal-o to arado and taramnan. The male is represented by the plow and the female, by the taramnan. The song connotes procreation or impregnation. A portion of it goes this way:
Ako ang nangayaw sa isa ka banwa
Ang akon gindala arado kag kudkuran
Ara na ako Neneng sa imo atubangan
Buot mag-arado (2x) sa imong taramnan
Folk proverbs on farming are popularly known as the hurubaton kang tagauma. These hurubaton serve as guiding principles that enable the farmers to live their lives in harmony with other people in the community and with the natural environment. They serve as golden rules that guide the farmers in their day-to-day existence. Here are five of the most common hurubaton on farming in the island of Panay:
Kon ano ang imo gintanom, amo man ang imo anihon.
Ang malain nga binhi indi magpamunga sang maayo nga bunga.
Ang saging nga sab-a wara nagapamunga rekondal.
Sobra nga pili nagkadto sa pasi.
Ang tawo nagakalisud, makamantener maskin binlud.
As to idiomatic expressions that are influenced by farming, here are some popular examples:
Daw kamatis nga mapula-pula (rosy cheeks).
Daw luto nga bayabas ang baho (bad body odor).
Daw nahulugan sang langka (a face with many scars).
Daw tagabang ang dalan (very wet and slippery path).
Daw pinapa nga luy-a (flat nose)
Pinihak nga bunga (identical or similar in appearance).
Araduhon ang talamnan (indulge in sexual intercourse)
Daw kalubay ka bahul (large female breasts).
The beliefs and practices associated with farming in the upland areas of Panay are the channels by which the farmers and members of their families are anchored to cultural traditions. Thus, despite the onslaught of modernizing trends, some upland farmers have remained basically traditional in their outlooks and practices. This can be discerned in their folksongs, folk sayings and idiomatic expressions.