Of Banig and Linnawa

CULTURAL NOTES

Richard Kinnud

In my grade school days, home used to be about three or four kilometers walk to and from school passing by ricefields and forested areas. 
    The forested area is known to be burial places and even on some of the sloped side of the ricefields, there are stonewalled tombs with crosses marked RIP.  Thus, walks to and from school were often turned a run as they were coupled with fear of the banig (ghosts).
    We school kids from the same side of the barrio would go together but often outrunning each other on the premise that the one who go last would be caught by the ghost.  There were a lot of times when long cuts were taken just to avoid the forested burial areas especially when it is getting dark or when it is raining. 
    My mother used to tell me, why would you fear the graves; there is no one there to hurt you; the coffin is non-living and the bones can't get you; and besides those buried there were fellow villagers and some are even relatives. But at the back of my mind, what if those non-living moved and some unknown creatures come out?
    My growing up years in that village was also a time when the baki was still very much part of the culture.  In ceremonies, it is usually the mumbaki who does the talking and there is actually no part for the people gathered except to listen (and partake later of food).  As children, we used to mimic what the mumbaki does.  And the easiest to mimic is the part when he seemingly is calling on the dead ancestors. The mumbaki invokes "linnawa" then followed by the name of the ancestor thus he say, "Linnawan Dulnuan,Linnawan Bugan..." etc. As I would learn it later, the mumbaki is actually requesting the soul of the departed for intercession from them to the Makunongan or a High Being.
    Those childhood experiences formed part of my basis to believe on existence of banig (ghosts) and the ever presence of linnawa (soul). 
    The present faith of course teaches that we pray for the departed so that they maybe lead to peace.  In that way, we may not have the illusion that the dead are haunting us as banig.   Rather, they would be linnawa who would intercede for us.
    But is that really possible?  Can we, the living, pray for the dead? Can the saints (who are dead) pray for the us? A yes answer would NOT make sense to those who do not believe. They may even label it as “false hope.”
    Those who believe though have traditions and scriptures to support such.  For instance, there is this catechesis in the Catholic Church about the Militant Church, the Suffering Church, and the Triumphant Church. The Militants refer to people who are still living militantly having a battle against the evils of this world (at times losing the battles).
    The Suffering are those who died and awaiting purification. And the Triumphant refer to those who are already eternally rejoicing in the glory of the Lord.  The Militant, the Suffering, and the Triumphant are referred to as states of the Church.  These states of the church are bound by Christ as the head which is referred as the “communion of saints” which while divided by “wall” called death, the members are called upon to pray for each other.
    We laymen sometimes have a hard time understanding this theology, but if we continue to reflect on this even in simple experiences, we may understand a bit.
    There was one time when I was passing by a mountain that looked like a pyramid. Two sides are visible to me, one is illuminated by the sunrise and the other was still dark. I am aware there was that other side but I cannot see. If a person is in the illuminated side of the mountain, another on the side not yet reached by the sun rays, and still another is at the side not visible to me, could I not say that all three are in one mountain? 
    It can be said that they are near each other in case one needs help from the other.  All what is needed is some kind of a connection, say communication system or perhaps a road network.  This could be how Christ is to the three states of the Church – a link, or the way.
    The first two days of November, labelled as All Saints Day and All Souls Day in most Christian denomination provide an avenue for each one to reflect more on death, and the connection that we have to our dead loved ones.  Are our dead became banig who can haunt us?  Or are they souls like us who can pray even for us?  Or are they simply non-existent?
    What would those flowers and candles that we bring to graveyards and cemeteries mean?  What other else can we do for those whose remains lay there?
    May all have a happy and fruitful reflection and, of course, a happy vacation!