Bulul: The Ifugao's Rice Granary God; The Myth of Indigenous Deity

     I have been to many museums in the Philippines and through all of my visits, I couldn't  help to notice what they have in common.  they usually have exhibit of wooden  human shape figure called the 'Bulul.'  I have seen alot of them in three national museums in Manila specialy in the museum of anthropology, Baguio museum and in BenCab museum.   I have one that was given as a token of friendship.

The Bulol wall in BenCab museum

A pair of bulols mounted on top of the rice granary
- The Philippine National Museum of Anthropology -

     I was so curious about what this bulol is all about and it's  origin.  My travel to Banaue made me learned and realized that it plays an important part of culture and mythology of the indigenous people of Ifugao called the 'Igorots.'

A native of Ifugao and I

     The Bulol is also known as 'Tinagtaggu'- The ifugao rice god.  It is curved human figure or relic which is believed to have some sort of anito ( spirit ) dwells in it brought by mumbaki ( shaman) using a form of ritual.  The ritual involved bathing the finished curved bulul in the wild boar's blood accompanied by some sort of chanting to summon the anito to dwell in it.   Bulol was highly worshiped by the igorots and they would make offering of wine and rice cakes beliveving that it would bring properity and good harvest of rice in return.  Bulols are usually kept in the house or granary and were usually come in pairs. 

     Bulol indeed has become the symbol of prosperity  and fertility among the ifugao people.  According to some elderly , the bulol should be treated with care and respect to avoid the spirit of the ancestors bringing misfortune and sickness.  This reminded me about a documentary program about how a bulol caused a chain of paranormal events to a well known tv host Ms. Cory Quirino. 

     The bulul is one of the favorite items of antigue collectors.  Alot usually go to Banaue to purchase bululs that are hundreds of years old or even thousands believing to bring luck but one had a different story to tell.   

     Ramon Tapales, a well known composer and conductor who was a former husband of Ms. Cory Quirino had a hobby of collecting old and primitive relics.  He had predilection of collecting antique bulols.  He even transformed their house into a museums of some sorts.  He was able to purchase a very old bulol about a century year old.  Instead of bringing prosperity into their home,  it brought nighrmare to her wife Ms. Quirino.  The well,  known Philippine TV host will not forget the terrible experience she had after acquiring the antique relic. 

     

     According to her, the night after  the bulol was brought into her house by Ramon,  she was awakened by heavy sounds of foot steps in the living room. She tried to wake up her husband but was too sleepy to get up and just asked her to go back to sleep.  She went down to investigate but she found no one.  From then she continued to hear trampping of steps every night.  Things had escalated that she began seeing shadowy figures and even her maids started seeing wierd things and went on.   

     Things got worse when she heard ghastling voice.   "This is my domain you don't belong here. Get out. "  These were the words came from the bulol.   She tried to convince Ramon Patales to get rid of the bulol but he just refused to believe. 

     She became more prettified as the unexplainable  things kept on occurring as days went on.   

     One day she finally decided to seek help from a paranormal expert named Jaime Licuaco.   Mr.  Licuaco approached the  bulol. As he probed it, he suddenly felt a strong jolt.  He was convinced that the piece of antique  was heavily  cursed and needed to be disposed.  Mr.  Tapales couldn't  get rid of it because it was very expensive 

     Gradually, Cory began to lose weight and sick.  The doctors were puzzled of her condition.  They couldn't  identify the cause of it despite of advance diagnostic measures.

     Because of her worsening condition, Ramon Tapales decided to remove the bulol out of their house.  Since then, Cory began to gain weight and recovered.

     According to the elders of Ifugao tribe. The bulols that were originally hand crafted by their ancestors were only exclusive to their tribe and must not be sold.  When Ramon Tapales bought the antique bulol,  it was removed from it's  territory making the spirit in it upset causing a chain of paranormal events to Ms.  Cory Quirino.  This was featured in a special TV  documentary program 

    Well,  after learning this,  I began to think if I should still keep the bulol that I've been keeping 

    During the pre-hispanic era,  the ifugao people made bulol with a strange ritual to incorporate anito and made into god to be worshiped to bring good harvest.  Now adays,  the people of ifugao still manufacture bulols for tourist trade and alot are being sold particularly in Baguio city and Banaue as souvenir items.  You can buy one with out the worry having anito dwells in it. According  to a former ifugao mumbaki, the last last traditional rituals of making bulol held in 1960s. 

     So if you decide to get one, buy the newly made and not the antique ones. 

     

 Sources:

www.metmuseum.org

thefinestwriter  > bulul

opinion.inquirer.net >bulul

news.abs-cbn.com >bulul