14/07/2024
'Bulul': An Ifugao Masterpiece
The ‘bulul’ or pronounced as 'bulur' in our town, is a product of woodcarving in Hungduan, Ifugao. Woodcarving originated during the construction of a nipa hut. Before, the locals live in an ‘abong’, a very tiny house nestled on the ground without posts. The natives later learned how to build an elevated native house through a ‘manudtudu’ named Pati, believed to be from ‘dadayag’ (sky). Pati taught about the style of a native house to the people. He said that a native house should be a “hintakdog” (height of a person) with four posts to prevent any creeping animals such as ants, mice, snakes, and centipede from entering the house. Pati also taught the names of the different parts of the native house and its use.
When the native houses were finished, the locals enjoyed living inside. However, one man got sick while he was inside the native house. Somebody told the family that they need to perform ‘bumaya’ where a ‘hugu’ or ‘bulul’ must be present during the ritual. Before the ‘bumaya’, they must perform the ‘koh-ag’ for 6 days and 6 nights. After these days, they must butcher 6 pigs. If the man was not cured, they must continue to ‘bumaya’ which runs from 15 to 30 days with 7 pigs to be butchered. Before it ends, they must make a ‘hugu’ or ‘bulul’, a naked pair (male and female) made from Narra wood. The two men will dance the ‘hugu’ to cure the sick person or to pacify the god/deity who gave the illness.
According to an 83-year-old Apu, born before World War II, someone back then dreamed of how to make ‘hugu’ so he was able to make it.
The natives' skills in woodcarving were discovered when Americans saw the unique ‘gulingngay’ (smoking pipe) used by a local who went to Baguio City. The Americans bought the ‘gulingngay’ and asked if the natives could make more wood-carved products which he replied affirmatively.
A 96-year-old ‘mumbaki, one of the early woodcarvers in Hapao, also a skilled blacksmith, revealed that the first orders Americans asked them to carve were ‘tinaggu’, ‘kayabang’, hanging flower vase with petal, smoking man, ashtray and spoon. He further revealed that Americans use the ‘tinaggu’ (humanlike) as decorations in their houses.
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