Balatik, Filipino hunting trap inspired by Orion: On reading about Philippine pre-colonial astronomy
By Col. Romeo Solina, PA, retired
A few weeks ago, “Resti” Santiago, an astrologer friend, sent me a book entitled “BALATIK.” It is a book written by a University of the Philippines professor Dante L. Ambrosio, and subtitled “Etnoastronomiya, Kalangitan sa Kabihasnang Pilipino” and obviously in the Tagalog (Filipino) language.
Although I was born in Manila and an a Tagalog, I found it rather a problem reading the contents of the book. Still, I must go over it since I must be knowledgeable in my own native language.
On the other hand, the author must have a doctorate, having gone through the baccalaureate and master degrees to be able to write this treatise in the university as I also have gone through.
The Balatik book concerns the methods used by the natives of the Philippines using the signs in the skies in order to determine certain seasons for their activities, such as fishing, sailing, hunting, planting, harvesting, and so on.
Instead of using astrological jargon involving the planets of the solar system, our natives look to the skies for the positions of the constellations or the star systems.
I did not find any of my familiar astrological jargons, such as the positions of the planets in relation to any birth of any person like a “trine” or angles between them in the solar system. Rather, they looked at the positions of the Sun and the Moon, the weather, and the other stars and constellations, in order to determine what they are supposed to do or engage in.
The chapters in Dr. Ambrosio's book are as follows (the translations are mine):
Actually the names and positions of the stars and groups vary according to their uses. Among Christians, the main stars in the Orion constellation are called Tatlong Marya or the Three Maries.
However, for the purpose of this write-up, Orion is the concept behind the crafting and utility of the hunting trap used by the natives prior to the onset of the new religions. There are other constellations, such as the Big Dipper, the Alpha and Beta Centauris, the Hyades, the Pleiades, and the Major and Minor Canises. These have their own local names.
In the diorama I had decided to work on, there are a few main items I made. It is supposed to be during nighttime, which is the reason why only a few colors – mostly green -- are involved. The main items are the Orion constellation in the sky (without the archer and appurtenances), the forest, the hunter, the trap (or balatik), and the hunted.
I tried to follow the illustration of the trap as shown on the cover of the book, but I found that my personal interpretation does not follow what it is supposed to do. However, the one I have on my diorama works, as long as I manipulate the appropriate string – the trigger that loosens the trap.
Initially I referred to the illustration on the cover of the book, but I realized that I had to use the images in the Internet. There is one picture where the cover illustration is shown, but together with it shows a drawing that indicates the various positions of the trap. The curved portion is the “spring” or trigger for the trap, while its end shows where an arrow is positioned and tied to the trigger. There is another image in the Internet where the trap in the forest is shown to have been released and the hunted – a wild animal -- tries to struggle out of it. There is no hunter shown in the illustration.
In my diorama, I did not copy the illustration but had my own version of the trigger and its arrowhead.
The hunter in my diorama is about to arm his bow with an arrow, having seen his quarry approaching the trap he has laid. For the hunted about to be trapped, I utilized the wild boar that supposedly wanders the forests at night.
The hunter with his bow and arrow is hidden by the clump of trees and shrubs near the hunted wild boar. I had wanted to utilize the modern hunter, but I know no hunter uses the balatik anymore but only those who have no guns in the mountains.
Thus, my hunter is supposed to be a native, garbed simply in loin cloths and armed with arrows, and not in camouflage uniform with a shotgun. By the way, among the Muslims, the hunted animal is no longer the wild boar because eating pork is forbidden to them.
Thus, have I made a simple illustration of Dr. Ambrosio’s book. There is no mention about the various planets or wandering stars (planetes) seen by those who watch the skies and considered as astrological indicators, namely, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. As far as I am concerned, the Moon is not a planet like the other wandering stars in the solar system but an asteroid of the Earth.
The book "BALATIK" is the astronomical knowledge of our natives – the Mindanaoans, the Bicolanos, and those who live in the mountains of Luzon. And the meanings must have come from those who watch the heavens or the native astronomers during the ancient days. Dr. Ambrosio showed how native Filipinos interpret the skies so as to guide them on what they are supposed to do and when.
(By the way, there are several types of astrology, such as the Vedic or the Hindu way of knowing character and future, the horary or knowing what a particular time means, the electional or choosing the propitious time, and several others. They differ from each other depending on their usage.)
The language of the astrology we know seems to have originated in the West of the Philippines – from India and the Middle East -- and is supposed to interpret the meanings of the wandering stars or planets on the fortunes of humanity and nations. Thus, we know that the Magi interpreted the positions of Saturn and Jupiter as signals for the coming of the Christ. Only later did astrology concerned itself with individuals, or the fortunes and futures of presidents and kings and of ordinary mortals.
Articles about Dante Ambrosio's book "Balatik"
Dr. Dante L. Ambrosio and Ethnoastronomy in the Philippines
Raven Yu, Journey to the Stars blog
2011
Folk knowledge and MLE
By Ricardo Ma. Duran Nolasco
2011
Stargazing
By Michael Tan
2013
 |
| Col. Romy Solina and his BALATIK diorama |
Although I was born in Manila and an a Tagalog, I found it rather a problem reading the contents of the book. Still, I must go over it since I must be knowledgeable in my own native language.
On the other hand, the author must have a doctorate, having gone through the baccalaureate and master degrees to be able to write this treatise in the university as I also have gone through.
The Balatik book concerns the methods used by the natives of the Philippines using the signs in the skies in order to determine certain seasons for their activities, such as fishing, sailing, hunting, planting, harvesting, and so on.
Instead of using astrological jargon involving the planets of the solar system, our natives look to the skies for the positions of the constellations or the star systems.
I did not find any of my familiar astrological jargons, such as the positions of the planets in relation to any birth of any person like a “trine” or angles between them in the solar system. Rather, they looked at the positions of the Sun and the Moon, the weather, and the other stars and constellations, in order to determine what they are supposed to do or engage in.
The chapters in Dr. Ambrosio's book are as follows (the translations are mine):
Kabanata 1 - Kapaligiran at Kabihasnan (Chapter 1 - Surroundings and Culture)In this blog, I have considered working on a diorama involving Chapter 7 regarding the making and use of a hunting trap or the balatik which is inspired by the emergence in the skies of the Orion constellation. Its appearance is supposed to signal the onset of the hunting season, since it is supposed to disappear after a few months by sinking below the southern horizon.
Kabanata 2 - Batis at Panahon (Chapter 2 - Sources and Seasons. I tend to relate the first word to Lake, and then the second to Time. Analyzing the usage of the word batis cued me to the word “source” or “origin” of a particular system.)
Kabanata 3 - Daigdig at Langit (Chapter 3 - Earth and Sky)
Kabanata 4 - Araw (Chapter 4 - Sun)
Kabanata 5 - Buwan (Chapter 5 - Moon)
Kabanata 6 - Bakunawa (Chapter 6 – Sea Dragon or Eclipse. I tried to look for another term, because the author has his word for “eclipse”, but could not find any. The natives, who do not know the scientific reasons for eclipses, know them mostly as Laho or disappearance. The Moon was said to be “eaten” by a large sea dragon or bakunawa and thus it becomes laho but is regurgitated later when the natives make a lot of noise to drive the monster away. The other term is naga, a Hindu word for snake. )
Kabanata 7 at 8 - Bituin 1 at 2 (Chapter 7 and 8 - Stars or Constellations)
Kabanata 9 - Kalangitan at Kabihasnan (Chapter 9 - The Skies or Universe and Culture)
Actually the names and positions of the stars and groups vary according to their uses. Among Christians, the main stars in the Orion constellation are called Tatlong Marya or the Three Maries.
However, for the purpose of this write-up, Orion is the concept behind the crafting and utility of the hunting trap used by the natives prior to the onset of the new religions. There are other constellations, such as the Big Dipper, the Alpha and Beta Centauris, the Hyades, the Pleiades, and the Major and Minor Canises. These have their own local names.
In the diorama I had decided to work on, there are a few main items I made. It is supposed to be during nighttime, which is the reason why only a few colors – mostly green -- are involved. The main items are the Orion constellation in the sky (without the archer and appurtenances), the forest, the hunter, the trap (or balatik), and the hunted.
I tried to follow the illustration of the trap as shown on the cover of the book, but I found that my personal interpretation does not follow what it is supposed to do. However, the one I have on my diorama works, as long as I manipulate the appropriate string – the trigger that loosens the trap.
Initially I referred to the illustration on the cover of the book, but I realized that I had to use the images in the Internet. There is one picture where the cover illustration is shown, but together with it shows a drawing that indicates the various positions of the trap. The curved portion is the “spring” or trigger for the trap, while its end shows where an arrow is positioned and tied to the trigger. There is another image in the Internet where the trap in the forest is shown to have been released and the hunted – a wild animal -- tries to struggle out of it. There is no hunter shown in the illustration.
The hunter in my diorama is about to arm his bow with an arrow, having seen his quarry approaching the trap he has laid. For the hunted about to be trapped, I utilized the wild boar that supposedly wanders the forests at night.
The hunter with his bow and arrow is hidden by the clump of trees and shrubs near the hunted wild boar. I had wanted to utilize the modern hunter, but I know no hunter uses the balatik anymore but only those who have no guns in the mountains.
Thus, my hunter is supposed to be a native, garbed simply in loin cloths and armed with arrows, and not in camouflage uniform with a shotgun. By the way, among the Muslims, the hunted animal is no longer the wild boar because eating pork is forbidden to them.
Thus, have I made a simple illustration of Dr. Ambrosio’s book. There is no mention about the various planets or wandering stars (planetes) seen by those who watch the skies and considered as astrological indicators, namely, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. As far as I am concerned, the Moon is not a planet like the other wandering stars in the solar system but an asteroid of the Earth.
The book "BALATIK" is the astronomical knowledge of our natives – the Mindanaoans, the Bicolanos, and those who live in the mountains of Luzon. And the meanings must have come from those who watch the heavens or the native astronomers during the ancient days. Dr. Ambrosio showed how native Filipinos interpret the skies so as to guide them on what they are supposed to do and when.
(By the way, there are several types of astrology, such as the Vedic or the Hindu way of knowing character and future, the horary or knowing what a particular time means, the electional or choosing the propitious time, and several others. They differ from each other depending on their usage.)
The language of the astrology we know seems to have originated in the West of the Philippines – from India and the Middle East -- and is supposed to interpret the meanings of the wandering stars or planets on the fortunes of humanity and nations. Thus, we know that the Magi interpreted the positions of Saturn and Jupiter as signals for the coming of the Christ. Only later did astrology concerned itself with individuals, or the fortunes and futures of presidents and kings and of ordinary mortals.
Articles about Dante Ambrosio's book "Balatik"
Dr. Dante L. Ambrosio and Ethnoastronomy in the Philippines
Raven Yu, Journey to the Stars blog
2011
Folk knowledge and MLE
By Ricardo Ma. Duran Nolasco
2011
Stargazing
By Michael Tan
2013
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