July 13, 2008
DAW-ES, The culture that transforms
How far are oral literatures, indigenous rituals and practices capable of developing those qualities in a man which entitle him to be regarded as one whom, in the broad sense, we call a good man? This question is of importance to all who are concerned with culture. It is a theme that often confronts individual whose passion is linked to people’s way of life traditionally at this point in time. It becomes acute for some whose tastes, inclinations, and abilities seem to point equally in the direction of classical beliefs and of indigenous characters and personalities.
The municipality of Sabangan, known for its Gagayam festival is endowed with a mark gift of culture -based activity to wit; oral literatures, indigenous sports, and the like were accommodated in this annual feast. Further, this festival was designed to fit eSabangan cultures perfectly from the rising of the sun to its setting. For such is likely to achieve its full and natural unfolding, this festival had showcased the typical materials of eSabangan in the field of agriculture, science, literature, and ethics.
Daw-es as they call it remains strong in this village. This had served as golden rule among members of the community who kept fit blunders against anybody within or outside the town. Daw-es is a ritual needed to cleanse any person whose involvements are on crimes which include killing and rape; concubinage and adultery.
If this high estimate of the cultural value of Daw-es, as congruent with the education in the Humanities, is still widely prevalent; if the headmasters of the lal-lakay (amam-a) are more often recruited from the classics than anybody in the modern society, it is possibly a symptom of the discernment that persists in the lay mind according to which culture is equated with values and an Ap-apo with a sacrificial animal in his strap.
This has somehow denoted the reality that Daw-es is better qualified process than most disciplines to achieve cleansing contentment. For culture is the harvest of enquiry and settling disputes and misunderstandings, the motive most frequently attributed to the lal-lakay is the will to do it. The joy of practice and the satisfaction it brings are certainly among the major pleasures of cultures.
Any person who uses bullets to hurt or take other’s life is still subject to court proceedings. In this way, the culture itself speaks realization of justice in which the victim deserves fairness. As expected, the one who committed the crime when proven guilty would stay behind bars depending on the range of verdict awarded to him in the court. By the time of his release (out from his cell), such person may call for Daw-es ritual purposely to bathe him from the grave failure in order to establish himself willfully as improved person. The Daw-es, besides serving as ritual for cleansing is aimed at ending any form of misfortune to the person (including his family) involved in the process.
It may be observed in passing that the diffusion through society of this obligatory respect for values and rational thinking is one of the important social functions of culture. The lal-lakay influence society for good by upholding the claims of reason as opposed to prejudice and passion. The individual who has been trained to respect the methods and outlook of culture will not be so easily led astray in his social outlook by the evils of the deceitful fate. Persons in the community will prefer judgments based on a dispassionate assessment of facts and will refuse to be swayed by further influence of bad action when Daw-es is successfully initiated.
This is it, the importance of Daw-es in ones life. But for how long will the Daw-es live? Time will tell. (For comments, please leave them in my website at www.lesiomhar.page.tl or in my cp at 09182658221).
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July 13, 2008
Daw-es, the culture that transforms
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