Ancient Kapampangan planting beliefs

Many precolonial Philippine societies were agricultural, including ancient Kapampangans. As with all ancient societies, natural phenomena were understood through the lens of myth and religion, with ceremonies and festivals performed and celebrated to stay on the good side of the gods and spirits.

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In the third installation of my conversation with Mike Pangilinan, administrative officer of the Kapampangan Language Services Unit under the Office of the Mayor and Administrator of the Sinupan Singsing Center for Kapampangan Culture and Heritage, we discussed harvest traditions, some of which exist in different forms to this day.

Pangilinan explained how folklore is deeply intertwined with agriculture. “In Kapampangan, we have the term ‘ariya.’ It’s simply understood as superstition, but it’s actually the old beliefs,” Pangilinan explained. This can refer to traditions that have to do with land preparation and harvest. “We cannot just move or hurt the land without following specific rules.”

Land preparation and blood sacrifice

For instance, a blood sacrifice must be made before tilling the land, something practiced in many cultures to this day. In Tagalaog, it’s called “padugo,” where an animal, commonly a chicken, is sacrificed to appease the spirits of the land and to ensure a bountiful harvest. In Kapampangan, it’s called “paraya.”