The Itneg (

exonym An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, ...

"Tinguian" or "Tingguian") are an Austronesian

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

from the upland province of Abra in northwestern

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

, in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Overview

The Itneg live in the mountainous area of Abra in northwestern Luzon who descended from immigrants from Kalinga, Apayao, and the Northern Kankana-ey. They refer to themselves as ''Itneg'', though the Spanish called them ''Tingguian'' when they came to the Philippines because they are mountain dwellers. The Tingguians are further divided into nine distinct subgroups which are the Adasen, Mabaka, Gubang, Banao, Binongon, Danak, Moyodan, Dawangan, and Ilaud.

Culture

The Tingguians still practice their traditional ways, including wet rice and

swidden Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed vegeta ...

farming. Socio-cultural changes started when the

Spanish conquistadors Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to ...

ventured to expand their reach to the settlements of Abra. The Spaniards brought with them their culture some of which the Tangguians borrowed. More changes in their culture took place with the coming of the Americans and the introduction of education and Catholic and Protestant proselytization.

Social organization

Wealth and material possessions (such as Chinese jars, copper gongs called , beads, rice fields, and livestock) determine the social standing of a family or person, as well as the hosting of feasts and ceremonies. Despite the divide of social status, there is no sharp distinction between rich () and poor. Wealth is inherited but the society is open for social mobility of the citizens by virtue of hard work.

Shamans Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...

are the only distinct group in their society, but even then it is only during ceremonial periods. The traditional leadership in the Tangguian community is held by (old men), who compose a council of leaders representing each or settlement. The are chosen for their wisdom and eagerness to protect the community's interest. Justice is governed by custom () and

trial by ordeal Trial by ordeal was an ancient judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by subjecting them to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. In medieval Europe, like trial by combat, tri ...

Head-hunting Headhunting is the practice of hunting a human and collecting the severed head after killing the victim, although sometimes more portable body parts (such as ear, nose or scalp) are taken instead as trophies. Headhunting was practiced in his ...

was finally stopped through peace pacts ().

Marriage

The Itnegs’ marriage are arranged by the parents and are usually between distant relatives in order to keep the family close-knit and the family wealth within the kinship group. The parents select a bride for their son when he is six to eight years old, and the proposal is done to the parents of the girl. If accepted, the engagement is sealed by tying beads around the girl's waist as a sign of engagement. A bride price () is also paid to the bride's family, with an initial payment and the rest during the actual wedding. No celebration accompanies the Itneg wedding and the guests leave right after the ceremony.

Clothing

The women dress in a wrap-around skirt () that reaches to the knees and fastened by an elaborately decorated belt. They also wear short sleeved jacket on special occasions. The men, on the other hand, wear a G-string () made of woven cloth (). On special occasions, the men also wear a long-sleeved jacket (). They also wear a belt where they fasten their knife and a bamboo hat with a low, dome-shaped top. Beads are the primary adornment of the Tingguians and a sign of wealth.

Housing

The Tingguians have two general types of housing. The first is a 2–3 room-dwelling surrounded by a porch and the other is a one-room house with a porch in front. Their houses are usually made of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

and

cogon ''Imperata cylindrica'' (commonly known as cogongrass or kunai grass ) is a species of perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and southern Europe. It has also been introduce ...

. A common feature of a Tingguian home with wooden floors is a corner with bamboo slats as flooring where mothers usually give birth. Spirit structures include built during the ceremony, near the village entrance, and containing jars of

basi ''Basi'' is a native ''Ilocano'' fermented alcoholic beverage or wine made with sugarcane juice, particularly those produced in the region of ''Northern Luzon'' particularly in ''Ilocos Region''. This wine is processed in ''“burnay”'' ...

Tattoos

Among the Itneg people, tattoos are known as . Tattooing is commonly practiced by both men and women, who were among the most profusely tattooed ethnic groups of the Philippines. traditions are extinct today.

Cuisine

Rice is extensively grown by the Itneg. There are two types of practices for rice cultivation namely wet-rice cultivation and swidden/kaingin. Corn is also planted as a major subsistence and as a replacement for rice. Other products consumed are camote, yams, coconut, mango, banana and vegetables. Sugarcane is planted to make wine usually consumed during traditional rituals and ceremonies. Pigs and chickens are consumed for food or for religious rituals while carabaos are killed during large celebrations. Hunting wild animals and fishing is also prevalent. Eel and other freshwater fish such as paleleng and ladgo (lobster) are caught to make viands for most families.

Weapons

The Tingguians use weapons for hunting, headhunting, and building a house, among others. Some examples of their weapons and implements are the lance or spear (), shield (), head axe (). Foremost among all these weapons and implements is the bolo which the Tangguians are rarely seen without.

Language

The native Itneg language is a South-Central Cordilleran

dialect continuum A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...

Indigenous Itneg religion

The Itnegs believe in the existence of numerous supernatural powerful beings. They believe in spirits and deities, the greatest of which they believe to be Kadaklan who lives up in the sky and who created the earth, the moon, the stars, and the sun. The Itnegs believe in life after death, which is in a place they call . They take special care to clean and adorn their dead to prepare them for the journey to . The corpse is placed in a death chair () during the wake.

Immortals

*Bagatulayan: the supreme deity who directs the activities of the world, including the celestial realms referred also as the Great AnitoPeraren, A. A. (1966). Tinguian Folklore and how it Mirrors Tinguian Culture and Folklife. University of San Carlos. *Gomayen: mother of Mabaca, Binongan, and Adasin *Mabaca: one of the three founders of the Tinguian's three ancient clans; daughter of Gomayen and the supreme deity *Binongan: one of the three founders of the Tinguian's three ancient clans; daughter of Gomayen and the supreme deity *Adasin: one of the three founders of the Tinguian's three ancient clans; daughter of Gomayen and the supreme deity *Emlang: servant of the supreme deity *Kadaklan: deity who is second in rank; taught the people how to pray, harvest their crops, ward off evil spirits, and overcome bad omens and cure sicknesses *Apadel (Kalagang): guardian deity and dweller of the spirit-stones called pinaing *Init-init: the god of the sun married to the mortal Aponibolinayen; during the day, he leaves his house to shine light on the worldCole, M. C. (1916). Philippine Folk Tales . Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Co. *Gaygayoma: the star goddess who lowered a basket from heaven to fetch the mortal Aponitolau, who she married *Bagbagak: father of Gaygayoma *Sinang: mother of Gaygayoma *Takyayen: child of Gaygayoma and Aponitolaul popped out between Gaygayoma's last two fingers after she asked Aponitolau to prick there *Makaboteng: the god and guardian of deer and wild hogsDemetrio, F. R., Cordero-Fernando, G., & Zialcita, F. N. (1991). The Soul Book. Quezon City: GCF Books.

Mortals

*Aponibolinayen: mortal spouse of the sun god, Init-init *Aponitolau: mortal who was fetched by the star goddess Gaygayoma, despite him being already married

References

External links

The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine Tribe by Fay-Cooper Cole at Project GutenbergTraditions of the Tinguian: a Study in Philippine Folk-Lore by Fay-Cooper Cole at Project Gutenberg
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