How does Ibaloi tribe practice the tradition of mummification?
In traditional Ibaloi mummification, washing was done not once but twice. A body would be washed before it was seated on the death chair, and again after the peeling of the epidermis at a later stage of the process. Historians also commonly report that mummification involves a wrapping process.
What is the symbol of the tattoos found on the skin of the Ibaloi mummy?
The Ibaloi tribe of the Benguet province in Luzon is known for the tattooing found on its artificially mummified bodies. These tattoos include symmetric lined designs that represent elements such as earth and water and cover most of the body.
How do Ibaloi do mummification with dead bodies?
Individuals from the higher societal stratum of the Ibaloi of Kabayan used to be mummified through a long ritual process over a long period of time. When the body is finally rid of body fluids, the mummy is placed inside a pinewood coffin and laid to rest in a man-made cave or in niche dug-out from solid rock.
Why are they called fire mummies?
The process drains the fluids from the body. In the municipality of Kabayan in Benguet province, the preserved bodies are called fire mummies because fire was used in addition to the herbal extract application in the preservation.
What is the tattoo of Kabayan mummies?
Some Kabayan mummies also feature less fearsome tattoos, such as circles on their wrists thought to be solar discs, or zigzagging lines variously interpreted as lightning or stepped rice fields.
What is the name of the burial cave found in Cordillera mountain ranges which belongs to the dominant Ethnolinguistic group Ibaloi?
Through the proclamation of the Presidential Decree No. 374, the Kabayan burial caves officially became one of the country’s national cultural treasures. It is known that the Ibaloi of Benguet was the only ethnolinguistic group in the country that practiced mummification during ancient times.
Where is Apo Anno now?
The National Museum of the Philippines recently returned the mummified and intricately tattooed body of Apo Anno who died more than 600 years ago.
What are the beliefs of Ibaloi?
The Ibaloi believe in two kinds of spirits (anitos). The nature spirits are associated with calamities, while the ancestral ones (ka-apuan) make their presence known in dreams or by making a family member sick.
What is Ibaloi tribe?
The Ibaloi are an indigenous ethnic group found in Benguet Province of the northern Philippines. The native language is Ibaloi, also known as Inibaloi or Nabaloi. Ibaloi is derived from i-, a prefix signifying “pertaining to” and badoy or house, together then meaning “people who live in houses”.
What is the culture of Ibaloi?
The Ibaloi are a mostly an agricultural people who cultivate rice in terraced fields. Many contemporary Ibaloi have integrated into the mainstream Filipino culture. In 1975, the Ibaloi’s population was about 89,000. The Ibaloi traditionally practised mummification.
What signify the tattoo in Anno’s body?
Apo Anno, a Kankanaey hunter, was the son of Tugtugaka, a village chief, and Cuyapon, a forest guardian and fairy. His mummified body was tattooed heavily with symbolism indicating he was a revered leader. It was stolen sometime in 1918, according to records from the provincial tourism office.
What is Kankanaey?
The Kankanaey people are an Indigenous peoples of the Northern Philippines. They are part of the collective group of indigenous people known as the Igorot people.