An insight on our primal roots

Vibal Foundation, Inc. will be launching Narciso C. Tan's book, “Púgot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice in the Philippines,” at VFI’s monthly virtual tertulia. Encyclopedic and analytical in its approach, this scholarly book dissects the ritualized forms of violence such as human sacrifice, ritual cannibalism, and head taking in the prehistoric Philippines.

“Púgot” weaves together historical data and archaeological studies with traditional myths, legends, and songs to create a seamless narrative of some of the most misunderstood aspects of Philippine culture and to shed light on deeply rooted cultures of violence.

The book also reveals these practices not in isolation but as part of the wider Southeast Asian and Austronesian milieu. The multilingual primary and secondary texts used for this work are sourced from across centuries and disciplines, including 13th to 18th centuries Chinese records, Spanish-period missionary chronicles, and European and American ethnographies from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries, as well as folkloric accounts and epics.

Preceding the emergence of Islam and Christianity, deeply held religious beliefs led various Philippine communities to sanction ritualized forms of violence—human sacrifice, cannibalism, and head taking. Today, many Filipinos see these practices as primitive, barbaric, or pertaining only to so-called “tribes” and therefore not related to the national dynamic. “Púgot” forces Filipino readers to contemplate and confront the not-so-ancient past, when their ancestors sported loincloths, battle gear, and talismans as they participated in violent community-wide celebrations and rituals.

This book is the latest addition to VFI’s Academica Filipina+, which is an interdisciplinary series that pushes the boundaries of scholarly publishing with smart, literate, and thought-provoking works exploring the Philippine past, present, and future.

“Púgot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice” in the Philippines will be available for online purchase at the Vibal Online Shop, Lazada, and Shopee.