Viv Yumul

In revisiting stories that tell of the way of life of the katutubong (native peoples) Batak of Palawan, one sees a consciousness moved to a sphere of understanding that the visible plane is supported by the unseen, more powerful than the human animal. Where they have to feed, a performance of the act of nature itself, which requires the slaughter of animals or cutting a portion of the resources in the forest, appropriate rites are done in appeasing the spirit master. Here, we may rediscover, tucked in what readers may find as quirky or distasteful myth of the master of bees, an essential philosophical inference of the 'first men' regarding the nature of the world, that lead to their practices (how to act), embracing the conditions of their specific locale.

"Magburak na tu banebegan,

magtaray na tu manga babae, amen

garamiten pabanglu manga

ilamenen, burak, bau ikug it biatat.

Manaray kami para magpustura.

Da’gwa mabuay magtarek na kami

manga babae para may niguan.

The banebegan tree is

blossoming: let’s wear flowers,

scented herbs and squirrels’ tails.

Let’s make ourselves beautiful.

Soon we’ll be dancing with bees." (Novellino, 2018)

When the rainy season had passed, many trees are prospering plump, delicious fruits, and the banebegan trees begin to flower, it is the season for thousands of bees to arrive. (Novellino, 2018) The Batak knows about seven kinds of bees, but they especially look forward to the children of the master of bees headed for the floras, dancing into the tree trunks and hollows, and making honey through the warm breeze of the beating of their wings. Since, cassava is usually almost out at this point of the year, they anticipate the next harvest, by way of appealing to the master of bees (Aputa or Ungaw), and his wife, the master of rice (Bayta), whose robust cycles are understood to depend on each other. There's a special place at the edge of the world whence they come, they call the gunay gunay, part of a seven-layered world, full of spirits (panya'en) rather than things, with whom continuous social relationships are maintained, sometimes, just like dealing with other human beings. (Novellino, 2008)

A visit to the edge of the universe

There was a time when apu (grandfather) Kawali, a mythical ancestor, hiked for countless hours but could not spot any hives. By a slab of rock, he happened on a group of bees drinking water from a creek. "Abe!" to his surprise, and addressed the Putiukan (Apis dorsata) as if talking to their master. For the bees are only passing by, and will be on their way afterwards, they agreed to clasp each other to fly him to their abode. Kawali is ushered into a house of honeycombs on every corner at the edge of the universe. There, he meets the bald, long- bearded master of bees, Aputa, and sat with him. (Padaw, n. d., as cited in Novellino, 2018)

The hosts desires to please the guest, so, when asked if Kawali wanted to eat his arubang (nasal mucus), he gladly accepts a full plate by virtue of some strenuous blowing. When offered to eat the master's excrement, Kawali expresses not the slightest hesitation. The master feels very pleased, and finally asks whether he prefers to have pork, chicken, vegetables or fish. Kawali knows that meat is prohibited in the gunay gunay. He would rather have vegetables. Aputa is all the more delighted. He sends him home with instructions to perform the ritual of Lambay, and a resin mixture for clear eye-sight to be rubbed on the region of the eyebrows. Kawali follows the ritual as soon as he goes to his wife. The sabag (percussion) is played along with the dancing of the tarok for the master of bees to see. He comes home the next day, to his wife's astonishment, carrying a jar full of honey! (Padaw, n. d., as cited in Novellino, 2018)

Kat taga’impen it babalian

nagleganan kanya tu paga kat

dibwat na sanga. Nagtaeg kanya

kanaken: sapu’un mu ay pisien

mu kat lambayan."

"In his dreams the shaman

(babalyan) saw a huge beehive

high up in the canopy. He told

me where it was, and asked me

to gather it for the Lambay

ritual.” (Novellino, 2018)

Kawali's kin, seeing that honeycombs were hanging everywhere in the forest, harvests as much as he could for days. On the third day, the hives and the bees are all gone. Just like Kawali, on a desperate walk, he finds bees fetching water, and hitches a ride to the gunay gunay. But, when he was received, he eats neither the master's mucus nor his excrement. He also chose to have chicken for his side dish. The master, terribly displeased with his attitude, prohibited him from leaving, and devoured him saying, "No way! You are not going anywhere-- You are my chicken now!" (Padaw, n. d., as cited in Novellino, 2018)

Those who do not forget the finiteness of nature's productions, sophisticatedly align themselves at the foot of the panya'en (spirits), as a friend to the forest. Dancing like bees in the summer, prohibiting conflict during the ritual, and celebrating the value of the insects in spreading seeds by means of constructing an intricate wooden hive, and balasbas, like the hairs of the master of rice, are expressions of regarding all life as 'messengers' of its owners. It is the same as when Tagalog people say "tabi-tabi po!"

The heart of the Batak's metaphors is true in their practice. They support the bees by clearing trunks and hollows of trees ideal for nesting. In harvesting, a portion is left to allow the rebuilding of hives. In the case of the Niguan (Apis florea or Apis indica), the cut is re-closed with stones, enough for bees to come in, consequently keeping the shelter warm, for the bees are storing food for the rainy season as well. (Novellino, 2008)

An offering is placed on top of a bamboo stand for the spirits to take part. It also sends a message to Aputa, that his importance in the lives of the katutubo is remembered. In our language, it means to regard the source and give back by sharing with other organisms. The Batak are at the mercy of the spirits, but at the same time, given a portion of its goods. So, in eating, nothing must go to waste, and bee larvae are included in the meal for an extra source of protein. No piece should fall to the ground, or it will infuriate the master. (Scott Dodds, 2020)

Such beautiful thinking has been instrumental in preserving Palawan's rainforest. It extends to all of the Batak's activities, that over-harvesting of any resource is strictly avoided. As simple as the myth and the ritual may sound, it is an invitation to assess the blame generally pointed towards native honey hunters, being the principal cause of the decline in bee colonies. While it may already be a contributing factor, now that the tribes live off wild bee honey, sold as commodity, along the chain of causes, acknowledging the lack of integration of ancestral knowledge in education, and deforestation that lead to both the natives becoming barely familiar with the bee species and practices, is crucial. (Matias, Borgemeister, & Wehrden, 2018)

Reference:

Baconawa, A. (2002). Economics of bee pollination in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.apiservices.biz/en/articles/sort-by-popularity/811-the-economics-of-bee-pollination-in-the-philippines-2002

Hennessy, G., Harris, C., Eaton, C., Wright, P., Jackson, E., Goulson, D., & Ratnieks, F. (2019). Gone with the wind: effects of wind on honey bee visit rate and foraging behaviour. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347220300026

Matias, D., Borgemeister, C., & Wehrden, H. (2018). Ecological changes and local knowledge in a giant honey bee (Apis dorsata F.) hunting community in Palawan, Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6230330/

Novellino, D. (2018). Batak: the first people. Paris: Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail (CFDT).

Novellino, D. (2008). Kabatakan, the ancestral territory of the Tanabag Batak on Palawan island, Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.iccaconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/KABATAKAN-IT-TANABAG.pdf

Palmer, M. (2022). Landscape and spatial ecology. Retrieved from https://www.sesync.org/resources/landscape-and-spatial-ecology

Scott Dodds (2020, April 2). Batak: ancient spirits modern world. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DzsIsJOUt0

Wong, A. (2017). The honey hunters of Palawan. Retrieved from http://cers.org.hk/index.php/en/preserving-culture/culture-and-history/251-the-honey-hunters-of-palawan

Wright, J. (2014). Pollination in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://beephilippines.info/pollination-in-the-philippines/