T’boli Literary Arts

Posted on October 11, 2012 by khevinstinct

Introduction

In the mountainous part of Cotabato is where an ethnic group called T’boli resides. They are also
called as Tagabili or Tau-bili, chiefly because they went down from the mountains to the plains to
buy some of their necessities such as salt. These people are medium in stature, some have square
jaws and with either straight or curly hair. The women wear long-sleeved but collarless of tight and
waist length blouses, together with an ankle-length tubular skirts. However, they dress in a pin-
striped linen shirt on special occasions. On the other hand, T’boli men do not wear their traditional
dresses nowadays anymore. Instead, they use ordinary shirts and pants but still carrying with them
their sword on their side.

Within a T’boli family is a patriarchal system wherein the father heads the family and whose
decision is followed. His wife gives opinions or suggestions. Polygamy is also allowed, depending on
the capacity of the husband to rear another family with another woman. The wives live in the same
house; however, the first wife is responsible for assigning the household chores proportionately
among them.

The T’boli earns their living through farming, fishing, and hunting. The rich water forms in the place
where they reside are the main sources of their fishing, specifically lakes.

The community is governed by a “Datu” who serves several functions among his people, such as
political, religious, and economic leader. There are several “Datus” in the society with differing
degree of power, fame, and status which can be gained not by heredity but according to his
experience and expertise, and by recognition from his followers. One Datudoes not enjoy primacy
over the others, nor does he exercise specific jurisdictional control over specific areas or groups.
Other Datu might accord deferential treatment to one of their members, but this is not a sign of his
superiority over of them.

Fixed marriages and dowry are also present in T’boli culture. Marriage is a long process, and during
the wedding, their epic, Tudbulol, is sung.

The T’boli people believe in gods and goddesses like Kadaw La Sambad, the god of sun, and Bulon
La Mogoaw, the moon goddess. They also believe in mythical creatures as Muhen, a bird who is the
god of fate, and Busao, the evil beings.

The folk literature of T’boli mirrors their life, their customs and traditions, and including their
beliefs.

T’boli Literature

The literary forms that T’boli find most appealing are folksongs and folktales. This is because they
can easily express themselves through these literary forms of art, showing their emotions, thoughts,
and ideas about many aspects of their lives. In fact, literary arts such as folksongs and folktales that
T’boli have reflects their identity as a people. Like the creation story which shows their belief that all
people are brothers, and who existed after surviving a great flood by hiding inside a large bamboo
tree. Another T’boli legend tells that the T’boli people are descendants of the survivors of a great
flood. A man named Dwata warned the people of an impending great flood. But the tribe refused to
listen, except for two couples, La Bebe and La Lomi, and Tamfeles and La Kagef. Dwata told them to
take shelter in a bamboo so huge they could fit inside and in this way survive the flood. The story
tells that the first couple is the ancestors of the T’boli and other highland ethnic groups The second
couple descended the other Filipino indigenous groups.

Their epic Tudbulol depicts the important role of marriage, hunting, farming, and even the betel nuts
to the T’boli culture.

T’boli Folksongs show how they live, of what they do in day to day basis, how they rear their
children, of what they usually do, how they plant, and even how they hunt for food in the jungle.
Folksongs also teach the youngsters how to act properly, how they should treat the elderly, and to
show their love and respect for others. Values and moral lessons are also conveyed in folksongs. On
the other hand, for the elderly, folksongs serve as their entertainment. They sang songs after a hard
day’s work, together with their family or with some friends.

T’boli folktales, like folksongs, depict the way of living of the T’boli tribe. It also mirrors their
customs, beliefs, and traditions. Like their epic Tudbulol which shows how they give importance to
marriage, hunting, and rituals as part of their customs and traditions as people.

The story “Ana ne Tau Bawik” teaches that the husband must stay with his wife especially during
pregnancy for the Busao will come and would threaten her life and of the baby that she is carrying in
her womb. Methods of hunting are taught in their folktales as “Walo Nga Libun”, “Bulol Hulon”,
“Oko ne Ye’en”, “Kwaay”, “Kramel”, and “Krongoy.”

A story about greediness which shows the reasons why animals are afraid of people and that men
must hunt them to get their meat. Another story with greed as a subject matter is about a village
where famine strikes and only one man has enough foods but doesn’t want to share it with the other
people. The Datu led his men to get some food, but the man was so selfish that by seeing this he was
so angry and that he captured the Datu and his men right away and put them in a sack. However,
the Datu and his men have escaped and the greedy man fed his family with what was left in the sack
from his farm. But after eating, the greedy man and his family died. His land was taken over by
the Datu and his men and famine never strike their village again.

Another story which reflects T’boli values is about Kumucol, the eldest son of La Sambad and
Bulon La Mogoaw, who was given a cohort of fire; a sword and a shield; a magical horse which can
be as small as a mouse, which can be kept in a small box, when not ridden. This mirrors the honor
that the T’boli people give to their eldest son and how they value horses.

The role played by folksongs in their lives is to relate to them the way of how their ancestors have
lived their lives in the past and that the present day T’bolis must use it as their guide in living the
present day. These were handed down through hundreds of generations. Folksongs also serve as their
way of expressing themselves, their thoughts and emotions on many aspects regarding their life
because there are occasions that one sang songs in impromptu, using mainly of the things he can find
around him, such as things in the house that takes part of their daily lives, the trees, and other objects
found in nature, in a creative and poetic manner. Folksongs not only serve as a form of entertainment
for the T’boli. Its uses vary. It can be used to express joy at an abundant harvest or serve as outlet for
the pent-up emotions of a distressed wife. Take the case of Ye Bon. Unable to lash out at her
husband’s wrong doings, she softly hushes a lullaby which not only puts her child to sleep in a cloth
hammock but also calms her down after the musical outpouring. In the T’boli world which smacks of
‘machismo’, tribal women had to be gentle and obedient. Thus, tribal music has its own variety.
These folksongs can be didactic in nature, and at times, entertaining, depending on the singer’s
intention, the listener’s interest, and on the subject matter; thus, making it still a strong and
significant part of their folklore.

T’boli folksongs usually depict nature, of how lucky they are to witness its wealth and beauty which
provides them their necessities. There are also some folksongs which depict the ideal place of T’boli
people, the Lemlunay or paradise, where they have lived. Most characters of their folktales reside in
this plays. And most of their folktales are set in this idealized place. They also have songs which
show their way of living: farming in the highlands, and hunting in the jungle. Folksongs are also used
by T’boli to praise their gods and goddesses, showing how thankful they are for the blessing they
have received. T’boli people also use folksongs to express their love for someone, pouring all his
emotions in a creative and poetic manner.

Tudbulol is vital to the T’boli culture because it shows how wealthy and creative their culture is. The
identity of these people is depicted in the story. The story shows the important elements of the T’boli
culture, how they treasure and value marriage, hunting and farming, and the use, or chewing, of betel
nuts as to be part of their living. Tudbulol is their principal means of preserving and transmitting
customary law. It is normally sung in its entirety only during the moninum, a grand ceremonial
complex which may be completed only every seven years. The epic story tells of the mythical hero
leading his people’s battles against foreign invaders on a white flying horse with sword raised to the
sky. Said to be taught to her in a dream by her spirit guide Lintinum, the song describes the hero’s
successful war exploits and announces the advent of the golden age of civilization, Lemlunay, a
mythical place of abundance, justice and harmony.

Therefore, we could still say that Tudbulol is still an elan vital to the T’boli culture because it is
where the center and foundation of their identity as a people lies.