Visayan dances in Spanish colonial era dictionaries

The study of Philippine history during the Spanish colonial era is never a task solely relying on digging of chronicles, travel accounts, books published during that time, letters, government documents, statistical reports, catechisms and various ethnographic reports written (and most were published) by the frailes themselves.  While the invaluable pieces of information the aforementioned offered can't be discounted, something  as paramount and as encompassing are on vernacular dictionaries and lexicons!

The foreword written by Fr. Jose M. Cruz, S.J. for  prolific writer William Henry Scott's book Barangay: Sevententh Century Philippine Society  mentioned the importance of dictionaries in the reconstruction of 17th century Philippines Society and culture:

Dictionaries figure importantly in this book.  in the sixteenth century, there were only about a million and a half natives and only a small number of missionaries.  Aware of the acute imbalance between their number and that of the native population, and the enormous challenge of teaching the Spanish language to the natives, the Spanish missionaries decided to communicate in the local language...A consequence of the decision was the serious effort toward the production of tools to aid the teaching the missionaries the local languages.  Among these tools were Spanish-vernacular, vernacular-Spanish dictionaries.  Some comprising more that seven hundred printed pages, these dictionaries not only list hundreds of  local words but also provide in the glosses sample of actual usage of words.  In a way not possible for most other sources, these dictionaries open for us a window to how things were perceived in local categories....  (viii) (emphasis, editing and italics supplied)

Among these dictionaries which dealt with Visayan languages were Fr. Mateo Sanchez's 1617 Samarenyo dictionary Bocabulario de la Lengua Bisaya, Fr. Alonso de Mentrida's 1637 Bocabulario de la lengua Bisaya-Hiligueyna y Haria de las islas de Panay y Sugbu y para demas las islas, Francisco Encina's 1760 Arte de la Lengua Zebuana, sacada del que escribio (Julian Bermejo), Domingo de Ezguerra's  1663 Arte de la Lengua Bisaya en la Provincia de Leyte, and Fr. Juan Felis de Encarnacion's 1851 (2nd edition 1866) Cebuano Diccionario Bisaya-Espanol.

A treasure trove for dance scholars who want to foray into Philippine dance traditions during (and even before) the Spanish contact are such dictionaries. An interesting thing to note would be what the word sayaw originally meant in those days.  Present-day Visayans use the term to mean dance. Dance to mean the simple verb and noun form, and all its variants.  Old Visayan dictionaries, however, use the words (in my modern orthography, of course) sayaw, sabay, saot, taruk, sadsad and parang to refer to dance without distinction to its nuances.  Along with the five terms were the bayle  and danza, which betrayed how far  the Spanish language "crept" into Visayan language around that time.

In the Samarenyo dictionary, an old dance popular in Northern Samar was identified - Abalolay.  Nowadays, the Abalolay is no longer danced as is.  It has been danced as a part of the more popular Kuratsa where the slow portion of it is the Abalolay.  Whatever dance notation for this dance found in contemporary books or manuscripts never mentioned the origin of the dance to be Samar or even Visayas.  Four versions of the Abaruray and its variant Baruray are from Tayabas, Quezon; Mindoro; Catanauan, Quezon and Barrio Matuya-tuya, Torrijos, Marinduque.  The Abaruray was associated by Francisca Reyes-Aquino to the Pandanggo sa Baso, Hapayan and Tagayan.  She claimed that various localities call the Abaruray as such.  Aquino must have been referring to the Abaruray version which involve balancing of glasses (filled with wine or water) on the dancers' heads while performing their dance routines. In Samar,  such dances exist and two of two these are Catbalogan's Tagay-tagayan danced to the folksong An Limon and Eastern Samar's An Lubi depicting the various managgete activities.  Less daring are the Abaruray of Catanauan and the two versions of Baruray which are courtship or social dances of the "reserved" type.  National Artist for Dance Ramon Obusan believed that the Catanauan version was introduced from Marinduque but was also keen to identify a typical Bicolano hand movement called banog-banog.  The proximity of Bicol to Northern Samar closes this thesis.

Another dance mentioned in most of dictionaries were the song-dance debate genre Balitaw.  The Balitaw is actually an extemporaneous song debate where dancers/singers throw lines revolving on a given topic.  After a few exchange of lines, the singers do simple folk dance steps to take "rest" or gather thoughts for the next lines to sing.  It is popular across Visayas until the 1960s.  Balitaw versions from Samar were from Palapag, Dolores and Borongan.  The luwa and dance of Amoracion, Amoral and lately of Ismayling are versions of the Balitaw popular in Western Samar and Capul.

The Biay is an ancient (antiguo) Samarenyo dance which was also found in some other parts of the Visayas, probably in Leyte.  The closest Leyte dance to the pronunciation of the word Biay (read bia-y) is probably the Biya-i popular in the olden days in the eastern part of Leyte.  The Biya-i song which accompanies the dance is an advise to a young lass to stop pursuing his elusive and inhospitable love interest so she'll get old alone (basi lugod mag-usahan) rather than loved.  An interesting find by this blogger in one of her researches is a Biya-i version from Zamboanga.  Zamboanga's version is called Biya-e Zapateado is a version of the Balitaw recorded by the late Norberto Romualdez - who himself hailed from Leyte...small world.  Zapateado is of course, the Spanish shoemaker's dance which involve's hearty heel clicks or tapping similar to the tap dance. Whether the Biya-e Zapateado is a hybrid of Visayan and Spanish dances is something worth a research.

Katsutsa is the Samarenyo equivalent to the Spanish Cachucha.  The Katsutsa has been introduced by Spanish in Samar.  The short entry in the 1917 reprint of Suplemento al diccionario Visaya - Español / compuesto por el R. P. Fr. Antonio V. Alcázar. reads:

Catsutsa. s. (Cachucha). Baile antiguo; aun suelen usarlo en los barrios y visitas.   

Fr. Alcazar claimed that the Katsutsa is an "ancient dance" and around 1917 (or probably earlier, when the dictionary entry was compiled) it was "still danced in barrios and sitios [visita]."  Queries and research on the Katsutsa's prevalence in Samar in the earlier days confirmed that it was indeed popular in the whole island of Samar.  Juan Miel author of Samar Folk Dances  mentioned its existence in his intruction. However, he wasn't able to include a dance notation of it on his book.  One dance included in his book, the Surtido Samareno, had an excerpt on how the Katsutsa is danced.  Contemporary to Miel was Trinadad Apita who researched on Samar's folk songs and music for her master's thesis.  A gem-of-a-song find of hers was the folk song Ay, ay mga Langit which is the accompanying song/music of the dance Cachucha Boronguena of Borongan, Eastern Samar.  Katsutsa has also been popular in two other towns in Samar particularly Hernani and Taft as confirmed through this blogger's queries in the 1990's.  Norberto Romualdez also recorded a version popular in Samar and Northern Leyte. An incomplete score, here given, present a familiar Jota air.

Also from Northern Samar was the Ingkoy-ingkoy a rustic social dance popular during gatherings, fiestas and wedding feasts (convite).  The Surtido Samareno, previously said had this dance for the first figure.  In no other instance is this dance found in "modern" publications except for a version reported in Albay.  Aquino (the author) said the dance is "also popular in the Visayas".  There is also a reported version found from the Tagalog region - Uncoy-uncoy! The original province is undeaniably Visayan because Ingkoy is the Visayan nickname for Francisco while Tagalogs usually call them Isko.

Kinampilan is not only "to wield a saber, lance or any weapon" but also refers to a dance of the Moro-moro with which Visayans of old "reminisce their old skirmishes or battles against the Moros".  The name of the dance is obviously derived from the Visayan sword kampilan.  Present-day Cebuanos perform the Kinampilan as a part of the Sinulog.  The Sinulog as performed nowadays is consist of five parts:  the Saludar, Mabolo steps,  Kinampilan, Estokada and a finale. The Kinampilan as found in the book Folk Culture of Central Visayas (MECS, 1986) is executed the following way:

(a)  Step right (R) foot forward, lift left (L) foot in rear (ct 1); cross L foot behind R foot, lifting R foot in front (ct 2).  Step R foot backward, lift L foot in front (ct 1).  Step L foot over R foot and lift R foot in rear.  Bring down R foot close to the L foot (ct 2).  Repeat four times moving sideward R..........4M 

(b)  Repeat (a) moving sideward L, starting with the L foot......4M


An equally interesting fact that can be found from Spanish colonial dictionaries was the use of agong in many Visayan dances.  While present-day Visayan musical instruments have been Western, our ancestors were typical as Asian musicians.  It can be remembered that 30 Samarenyos boarded Legazpi's flagship to hold a celebration -which involved dancing to gong music- to celebrate the culmination of the blood-compact between an Oras, Samar native chief (or datu) and Legazpi. Magellan also witnessed a babaylan ritual dance (Taruk) performed accompanied with agong.

Visayan terminologies which relate anything to dancing won't be found wanting.  A makeshift shade made purposely for dancing on weddings is called opakan, which is derived from the name of the stalk of bananas (opak) stripped and arranged to make a roof.   Food during weddings are also served on opak. Samarenyos who are very expressive in speech who make hand gestures suggestive of dance moves are called tigwalas.  An invitation to dance in Samar is called alap, in Cebu, however, Alap is a dance itself performed during a kumbera sa kasal similar to a wedding  Kuratsa. Alap is popular in Cebu's northern towns of Santander, Daan Bantayan and Camotes  as well as in Santander, the southernmost town.  The Cebuano Alap is said have been an influence of the Ilonggo.

The blessing of modern technology our generation enjoys has made access to these dictionaries easy and fast.  A quiet time and patience is all we need to have a good research foray.

MABUHAY ANG KULTURANG PILIPINO!!!