TRAILS UP NORTH

Glo Abaeo Tuazon
And the bead goes on

Beads, beads, beads. The word bead if looked up in a dictionary or thesaurus comes from the word “bidden”, an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “to pray” or the word “bede” which also means “prayer”. Beads were probably one of the earliest ornaments or accessories that humans ever possessed, as evidenced by archeological finds throughout the world. From this fact alone, we could say that beads through the eons have become essential and durable possessions of humans.

The intimate relationship of beads and humans is reflected in the fact that no matter the culture, the time or condition or situation, beads have always been part of those artifacts being unearthed from ancient graves or lost civilizations as may be. And most certainly, in most cultures where tribes are an important cluster of identification, beads are often worn and carried by its owner from birth to death, and are often buried with the person too when he dies.

A bead seems such a simple and a very little object to be given importance, but looking at stories, from such a small tribe to world history, this little bead of an object could change everything we ever perceived it to be.

In the highland culture of the Philippine Cordilleras, beads are heirlooms, passed on from generation to generation. Talking with the oldies in Sacasacan, Sadanga one time and trying a bid to haggle with a strand of beads made me realize they would not just part with it.

The old mama told me of tales as fascinating and mundane as could be. She said her ancestors got the beads from Chinese traders back then. How did the Chinese ever got to these parts of the mountains? She pointed downwards to the ever green terraces of Fokong and told me that before this land was populated by the “Sacasacans”, other people probably lived here too. When they started excavating those parts to turn it into rice fields, jars and ceramics of Chinese ancestry were found, proof of existence.

Historians believe that beads travelled to the Philippines by introduction of traders from India, China, Indo-China, Malaysia and some Arab countries. They were traded back then with other commodities such as precious metals and porcelains, silk and other cloths, teakwood and others. The flooding of the world market from beads started way back in the early 15th century when Europe started manufacturing them en masse.

In Sadanga, as also in other parts of the Mountain Province, beads are held precious and sacred by women specially. They inherit it from their mothers who in turn inherited it from their mothers and grandmothers before them. It connotes in some ways the grandeur and the wealth of the family, because these are valuable ornaments.

These strands of beads are usually worn during special occasions such as weddings, thanksgiving, or such other events that would entail a canao. Most women wear it intertwined with the hair, and we could see that from all over the highlands of the Mountain Province, whether in Sagada-Besao-Bauko-Tadian-Sabangan-Barlig-Bontoc-Sadanga-Natonin-Paracelis.

Even in Ifugao, Kalinga, Benguet, Abra and Apayao, they hold heirloom beads as precious too. If not worn on the hair, it hangs down in strands as regular necklaces or chokers do. In Paracelis, Natonin and the Kalingas, beaded wrists and arms are fascinating. Seed beads arranged in articulate designs and profusion of bright colors adorn heads, necks, wrists, arms, and even traditional garbs.

Aside from adornments, the highland culture also has other uses for beads. Status symbol is one. It could indicate one family’s wealth and rank in society. The more, the better since it dictates one’s place in society. It is worn as a show of wealth and is usually (these days) an investment. If converted to cash, it would be worth a lot.

It could also be used as amulets or charms, though people from the highlands do not go much for these as unlike the American Indians do for their medicine beads, or the Zulu Afrikans for their love beads, or the Carribeans their chant and voodoo beads.

In Kalinga (and I stand corrected if I may be wrong, email me for info), they have such beads they call “faringot” and “ong-ong”. In Sadanga, they call their heirloom beads “finlash”. But whatever each tribe call their beads one thing is true and common. Since the appearance of beads some 40,000 years ago, these tiny morsels have evolved and travelled great distances and histories. In each case, per culture, each one has developed its own unique style and design and the techniques by which they were made vary too. Through trade they spread their values depending on the uniqueness, beauty, history and their use. Email: twilight_glo@yahoo.com