Who were the Babaylan?

In pre-colonial Philippines, the Babaylan (or Katalonan in Tagalog) were more than just priests or priestesses. They were the community's primary intellectuals—serving as healers, botanists, spirit-mediators, and most importantly, the keepers of collective memory.

The Living Library

They memorized thousands of lines of epics (like Biag ni Lam-ang), ensuring that tribal history was never lost despite the lack of permanent paper.

Spiritual Mediators

They communicated with the Anito (ancestral spirits) to seek guidance for harvests, wars, and communal crises.

The "Fluid" Nature of Truth

Because the Babaylan's medium was the spoken word and the ritual chant, our ancient literature was never "frozen." It was a living thing. If a community faced a new challenge, the Babaylan would adapt the narrative to provide fresh wisdom.

"To the Babaylan, a story was not a product to be owned, but a spirit to be shared. This is why we say the 'author' was the community itself."

Why they were targeted

During the Spanish colonization, the Babaylan were viewed as the greatest threat to conversion. Their scrolls and ritual items were burned, and they were often forced into hiding. However, their influence remains etched in our modern Karunungang Bayan and our resilient spirit.