Balatik: Katutubong Bituin ng mga Pilipino
Balatik: Ancient Stars of the Filipino People
By Dante L. Ambrosio
(Translated by K.S. Villoso)
Whenever the ancient Filipinos gaze upwards, they behold not just the heavens. They also see the history of their civilization, particularly with regards to the stars. Just like in other cultures, they stamped their essence upon the sky, claiming it for their own. The sky formed the basis of their reason, conduct, and way of living, conceiving a treasury of perspective, beliefs, knowledge, and behaviour according to the heavens.
As far back as the early days of civilization, people have known of the blessings and perils brought by the skies as part of the forces of nature. From the heavens, they glimpsed the rays of the sun, the moon, and the stars that—whether it be day or night—give brightness and splendour to the world. The rhythm of their lives followed the rise and fall of the sun, the certainty of the waxing and waning of the moon, and the eventual emergence of the stars.
It was only in 1982 that it was discovered that Filipinos had their own stars. At the time, I had read the stories on Magbangal of the Bukidnon (Cole, 1956). I previously knew about Tatlong Maria (Three Marys), Supot ni Hudas (Judas’s Sack), Krus na Bituin (Cross of Stars), and Koronang Tinik (Crown of Thorns) of the Tagalogs, which was taught to me by my grandmother. But these were stars of the Christians, which I didn’t put much value on. It was only when I learned of the stars of the Teduray of the Cotabato that Schlegel named in 1987 according to modern astronomy did I become certain: Filipinos have their own stars! My interest in the ancient knowledge as taught by the stars, and their influence on the lives of people, blossomed. This study is called ethnoastronomy, the study of civilization with regards to astronomy.
This sort of study holds great value for historians. It involves the analysis of ancient viewpoints and the formation of the reasoning, conduct, and way of living of our ancestors. In other words, ethnoastronomy serves as an addition to the study of the essence, consciousness, civilization, and history of the Filipino people. It is not only in parsing through documents or reading into ancient artefacts, but in considering the prevailing viewpoints, beliefs, knowledge, and behaviour do we catch a glimpse of the nation’s pre-colonial past. Through these studies, we can connect the present and the past, and grant significance to the changes brought over by colonial times.
Our study reveals the similarities of various indigenous civilizations, unearthing a wealth of knowledge while also highlighting the unique characteristics of each. Through this, we were able to shed light on forgotten fragments of history, gathered from national records and scholarly accounts. From all of this emerges different scenarios of how the skies and stars formed the basis of Filipino civilization.