Vicente Sotto Lecture 2024 November
“The Making of a Legend: Shaman-warrior Narratives of Cebu”
Ms. Maricris Lauro-Henderson
ABSTRACT:
The variations of the shaman-warrior narratives deserve examination. These narratives share magically endowed characters who are invulnerable (kublan or pabukol) and can fly (e.g. stand on the tip of a banana or cogon leaf). The narratives at times tax credulity and the central characters were controversial revolutionary figures. Two things will be examined: The socio-psychological conditions that potentially prompted the creation of the legend and how the baylan-led revolts became the precursor of the shaman-warrior in the symbolic representation of the central figure in the narratives in the legend-making process. The developed version among the legend variations seemingly adhered to Honko’s paradigm of evolution that view “narratives are constantly developing, becoming more complex, branching out, attaining new elements and characteristics, growing from modest beginnings to splendor and perfection.” What characterizes the legend will then be deduced and its cathartic implications will also be explored.
Date: November 29, 2024
Category: Vicente Sotto Lecture Series