Mt. Kalatungan, which was recently included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites, is home to the spirits that continue to govern and protect the lives of its stewards. The Talaandig-Manobo continue to live with a deep connection to these spirits, and the myths that form the basis for their Indigenous spirituality.
The baylan (known to most as babaylan in common Filipino parlance), are the healers, warriors and teachers who bridge the physical and spiritual realms.
They are the ecological storytellers of their communities, and within them live the memories of Deep Time, as well as the stories of our ancestors that speak of a world in balance and harmony.
The baylan have been persecuted for centuries, demonized by the project of colonialism which continues to the present day. But they live, albeit in fewer numbers, and this exhibit tells their stories.
In a photo series by National Geographic explorer Gab Mejia, we see the generations of baylan who hold the wisdom of ages.
From elders to fledglings, a spiritual line continues in large part to the efforts of Datu Arayan, who is destined to become spiritual leader to all Manobo tribes.
Datu Arayan is driven by visions of a convergence - a coming together of spirits - heralding a changed world, one where we are all rooted back to our planet. We see this hope in the members of Kulahi Pangantucan Performing Arts, a group of young, queer artists and baylan, who continue to write myths and perform the stories of their tribe.
“Kulahi” means to shout, and they shout, with all their might, to keep their culture alive.
The baylan of the Talaandig-Manobo are also keepers of their myths, which are populated by the many deities who are responsible for the creation of the world, and its continuing abundance.
This series of illustrations are a product of collaboration between illustrator and ritualist Alaga with Datu Arayan and the baylan elders of the tribe.
These illustrations are joined by a painting of a starry-robed woman, made by artist Issa Barte.
She is Apu Insayan, blessed by Magbabaya to be the first baylan, a human deified and destined to echo through all of eternity as a force in every living baylan.