Beliefs and superstitions of these islands
The general condition of these islands is paganism. From Sangil to
Samboangan, the dwellers along the beach follow the law of Mahomet,
as well as those of the islands of Basilan and Joló. This last is the
metropolis of the false religion, and the Mecca of this archipelago;
for there is the tomb of their first master, concerning whom the
caciques [i.e., Kasis], for the credit of his deceits, have been
establishing innumerable fables, which have already become a lying
tradition in this century. One is that he came from Paradise with
three others, of whom one went to Java, and another to Burney, and
the other two landed at Joló, and thence one went to Mindanao. He of
Mindanao was ill received; and because of that, and of having been
shipwrecked in the sea by driving on a reef, he went in anger to an
island to become a hermit, walking upon the water. But he who was
wrecked in a ship could ill keep his footing in the water. Such is the
character of lies, that some are quite contrary to others. The outfit
that he carried consisted of a net, and it is said that he caught
fish on the mountain with it, by dragging it over the ground. But if
he found fish on the mountain then the fish surely could not escape
him, unless indeed it were a flying-fish. When his followers went
to seek him, Satan had already carried him away, and they found only
the net--and that stretched out, for it had been placed to dry. From
that point they took occasion to discuss so disconnected bits of
nonsense as we have mentioned. Thereupon he who remained in Joló
obtained the chair of the evil [doctrine], and, as he is accredited
with not fewer deceits, he was able to authorize his person and his
doctrine with the barbarians; for he also gave them to understand that
he could get fresh water from the sea, that he could sail on land,
and could establish fisheries on the mountain, as did the other. The
use of these errors gave authority for the common people to invent
others. They believe that the enchanted boat which they never saw, and
whose anchorage they never knew, still exists. The respect that his
deceits gained him in life became ignorant and infamous adoration at
his death. A sepulcher was erected for him, which became the mausoleum
of his memory, and the Mecca of his deceits. They erected it on the
famous hill [of Joló], and it was very elegant. [56] At its foot they
planted the singular fruit which they call the king's fruit, [57]
which is unique in this archipelago, and of which no one ate except
himself, although for devotion the shells were given to the others. As
we said, they planted many jasmines, and made their defenses there,
so that animals might not defile the mausoleum. As an entrance to it,
there was arranged in front of it a little house which was placed at
the beginning of the stockade, as if it were an entrance into the well
of St. Patrick. There they made their offerings, all of which went to
the benefit of the prebendaries of the house, who were generally of
the blood of the hypocrite. Thence they took their auguries for the
war, for, putting water in a vase, together with some earth from the
sepulcher, if it became bitter to the taste the outcome would be bad;
but if sweet, it would be happy. It is said that this test was made
for the war waged on them by Don Sebastian, in consequence of which
the king was always inclined to treat for peace.
By the entrance of our forces upon the hill, that place lost its
worship and esteem; for the soldiers turned it all upside down, and
dug it up in the hope of finding some treasure, and found no trace of
a human body. The Indians were terrified at their boldness, and asked
whether those who dared to do so much would not die. Thereupon, those
people were left with only the staff [of that teacher], which the Kasis
[caciques] keep; for that is the staff of all virtues, and in going
out with it (which is at the time of any necessity), all make it great
reverence, and attend to all that is asked of them. For if they do not
do so, he excommunicates them, with two blows with it which he gives
on the house or the boat, and there can be neither health in the one
or good luck in the other. All these are the artifices of cupidity,
which holds them fast in a deceitful fear by vain terrors.
The other relic is the cap, [58] which is the hereditary possession
of the kings, and to swear by it is to use the sanction of a great
sacrament.
Notwithstanding so many lies that are made up to sustain this deceit,
there are but few who esteem it; and in general they are all atheists,
and those who have any religion are sorcerers. For as Moros, beyond not
eating pork, and practicing circumcision, and [having] a multiplicity
of women, they know not anything. They drink wine more than we do, and
all their happiness consists in drunken revels--[to them] a positive
act of greatness; and thus all their knightly deeds consist in emptying
more or fewer jars [of wine], and there is a wedding in which they
empty two hundred. All their festivals consist in this. They live in
all respects like men without any law who do not know God, and without
any mode of worship, and unmindful that there is such in the world. All
regard the law as little more or less, and, according to the land they
inhabit, follow its customs and laws. Accordingly they are neither
Moors, heathen, nor Christians, but barbarous atheists. Corralat,
who has civilized his country somewhat, has his mosque, and makes
his people attend it. But when they leave their village, each one
does as he pleases--except some of the chiefs, who, following the
example of the king, have made it a point of honor to appear to be
Moors. But the common people, assuredly, lay no stress on that point.
What they believe in thoroughly are omens, which are almost general in
all the islands. There are many of them: of birds, like the limocon;
[59] of insects, like the lizard; of accidental occurrences, like
sneezing; of happenings, like deaths or earthquakes; of observances
at time of sowing, and of reaping, and of the hunt--all of these have
their observances, which they fulfil in order to have luck in the
work; for they believe that without these it will be unlucky, and
without any profit. Therefore, they do not undertake those things,
since in many districts it is considered an omen when anyone asks
for a portion of what may be caught (as for instance, of the hunter
or fisher), if we say to him when he goes to try his luck: "Divide
with me what you shall catch." They consider that as a bad omen, and
return to their house, for they believe that they will catch nothing.
Those who are atheists knowingly are the dwellers in mountains;
for they have no mosques, or shrines, or any method of praying to
God. Those upon whom they call in their illnesses are their ancestors,
saying "Alas, my mother!" or "my grandfather." That is rather the
natural expression of pain than a prayer in which they experience any
efficacy. Where there are some to whom the devil talks (which was more
usual in their antiquity), such people offer him their sacrifices,
[60] and the Indians have recourse to them in their illnesses, so
that they could make the same efforts for them. Today the Christian
truth has obscured the falsity of hell. At most, the descendants of
those ministers of the devil, who were generally women, do what they
saw them do without the devil taking any notice of them or talking
to them. Others, who lay but small stress on all that, do what they
heard said was the custom in the days of their antiquity, let happen
what would. But they do it with so little earnestness that it appears
to be levity rather than religion. With the same fervor they follow
any other rule, so that they always remain without any law, unless it
be where the energy and incessant constancy of the missionaries has
made them forget their ancient customs, and with continual instruction
has made it easy for them to accept the new things of our holy faith.
In Caraga there was a barbarous custom to make their ships lucky,
namely, to vow to them the first time upon some name, which was
generally the name of one of their captives.
That which has great value in all parts is sorcery; and they hold it
in such high esteem that the father hides it from the son, and unless
they receive a great profit they refuse to communicate any secret of
it. The famous sorcerers are feared, although there is no one who is
not ashamed of being called thus, and the word "sorcerer" is one of
the insulting words of these natives. My judgment from seeing these
[sorceries], so alike, is that they are implicit compacts made with
their ancestors. For it also seems impossible that there are herbs
of so powerful poison that they can kill so instantly that some
persons kill, with only the breath alone by chewing those herbs;
and others, by burying those herbs where one has to pass. They also
use figures, which they dedicate to him whom they wish to harm, and
these accordingly torment him; the figure continues to aggravate the
evil upon the sorcerer's enemy. Others work by letters, and that is
peculiar to the Moro Kasis [caciques], although the most of all this
is fabulous; but as they imagine that it is true, for any accident
for which they find no remedy, and of whose cause they are ignorant,
they throw the blame on the sorcerer. It is recounted of the king
of Burney that, on learning the name of one, he can kill him if he
chooses. Sargento-mayor Pedro Duran Monforte having made war in his
land, the king was informed of his name, and said that since he knew
his name, therefore Monforte could not live much longer, and with that
he consoled his people. But thanks to God, the sargento-mayor has been
living for three years since that threat. Thus are all their affairs.
He who unites the excellency of a powerful sorcerer to Mahometan
ardor is King Corralat. He causes the fish to enter his boat. While
one of our fathers was in his boat, a fish leaped in; the king
picked it up and, giving it to the father, said: "This is for the
father." It is also related that he makes a piece of artillery float
on the surface of the water by placing an oar in its mouth. He has a
saker, which according to report, when fired, serves him as a good
or evil augury. The fact is, that he talks very familiarly with
the devil. According to the tale of a Spaniard (and one for which
he vouched to me), when he was going from Samboangan on a certain
embassy, just as he entered the river the favorite of Corralat told
him that, the night previous, his king had asked him whether any
ship were to be seen. To his negative answer the king said to him:
"Then take note that three ships will arrive tomorrow, and one of them
will be Spanish." That was a fact, for two ships from Java entered,
and that of the said Spaniard. Thereupon the favorite exclaimed:
"Great Saint Corralat, there is no other truth." With such things
he has established so much credit that if God do not bury his body
in the depths [of the sea], the Mindanaos will worship him and will
found another house of Mecca, such as they had in Joló. With that he
has become a greater king than any of his forbears; for their fear
of him is incredible, as they recognize in him one who has superior
power to avenge himself. Consequently, they do not dare undertake
anything against his will; for they regard it as certain that they
will be unlucky. Since the devil has been so advantaged by that way,
he manages to make their fears come out true at times, by which credit
for the others is assured.