TAUSUG

By:RICHARD DIMAYUGAJOHN MAR ABRIZA

•The Tausug is a native tribe  found in Jolo at the Sulu archipelago of the Philippines. 

•The name Tausug is derived from two words: “tau” meaning man and “sug “ or “suluk” meaning current thus making Tausug as “people of the current”. 

ECONOMY

Farming, fishing, and trading are the principal economic activities of the tausug, who can divided into two groups: the parianon (people of the landing) and the guimbahanon (hill people).

POLITICAL SYSTEM•Before the sultanate of Sulu was founded, the Tausugs were organized into various independent communities, each community was called a Banwa. When the sultanate was established, it was divided into districts administered by a mayor called as the Panglima.

ruma bichura (state council advisers); datu raja muda (crown prince),  datu maharaja adenduk (palace

commander)  datu ladladja laut (admiral),  datu maharaja layla(commisoner of

customs),  datu amir bahar (speaker of the ruma

bichara),  datu tumangong (executive secretary), 

datu juhan (secretary of information) datu muluk bandarasa (secretary of

commerce) datu sawajaan (secretary of interior), datu bandahala (secretary of finance) mamaneho (inspector general),  datu sakandal(sultan’s personal envoy) datu nay (ordinance or weapon commander) wazil (prime minister).

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND CUSTOMS

1.    Nobility

2.    Commoners3.    Slaves  – They are either war captives, sold into slavery or are the children of slaves. - They are the free people of the sultanate

 - Comprised of the sultan’s family and court

FAMILY SYSTEMTausug Family Terminologies1.    Magtaymanghud – to people of the same generation2.    Magtaliapu – Relationship between alternate generations (grandparents – grandchildren)3.    Ama – Father4.    Ina – Mother5.    Apu – Grandparent or grandchild6.    Taymanghud – relationship between siblings7.    Magulang – Older siblings8.    Manghud – Younger Siblings 

FAMILY SYSTEMTausug Family Terminologies

9.    Inaun – Sister of the father10. Amaun – Brother of the father11. Pagtunghud – Cousin12. Anak – Child13. Anakun – kin of child’s generation14. Bana – Husband15. Asawa – Wife16. Ugangan – In-laws 

RELIGION BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

• The Tausug are a Muslim tribe that follows standard Islamic beliefs and cultures. Together with all other muslims, they believe that the Quran as the words of Allah given to Muhammed by the archangel Gabriel.  They follow the 5 pillars of Islam as a declaration of Beheb in the oneness of God.

• they are also concerned with the presence of spirits who inhabit nature such as rocks and trees who they believe are the cause of human pain and suffering.

• Indigenous healing practices were headed by the mangungubat (curer) who is believed to have direct access to the spirit world.

PERFORMING ARTS•Varied musical instruments are available to the Tausug for their cultural performances and celebrations. • the Kulintangan ensemble which consists of two gandang(drums), a tungallan (large gong), a duwahan (Set of two paired gongs), and thekulintangan (a graduate series of 8 to 11 small gongs). The ensemble is usually played to accompany dances or to provide music during celebration.

The most popular instrument in Sulu is the Gabbang. It is a traditionl xylophone with 14-24 keys divided into 7 note standard scales. 

•They have two forms of vocal music,  the narrative and lyric songs. The lyric songs express ideas and feelings and consist of the langan batabata (Children’s songs), the baat(occupational songs), baat caallaw (funeral songs) and the bridal songs (funeral and bridal songs).

VISUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS•The tausug sunduk or grave marker are wood or stone carvings of geometric or floral forms. Women’s grave markers are flatter with the carved geometric designs, those of the men are more floral.

• Tausug mananasal or blacksmiths produce bolo, kalis, and barong (bladed weapons).• Gold and silver-smithing for jewelry remain lucrative. Items produced include thesingsing (ring), galang (bracelet), gantung liug (necklace), bang (studearring), aritis(dangling earring), pin (brooch), gold teeth, and tambuku (buttons).•An example of tausug woodwork is the puhan (wooden handle) of bladed weapons which may be simple or decorated with gold or silver wires, strings, and rings. 

•The tausug male hat is made by weaving bamboo strips over nipa leaves. The femalebiyatawi is a blouse made of plain material like satin and is ornamented with tambuku(gold or silver buttons) on the breast, shoulders, and cuffs. It is usually worn with sawwal(loose trousers) of silk or brocade. 

•The patadjung is an all purpose skirt worn by male and female. It has various other uses: as turung or head cover, sash or waistband, blanket, hammock, and others.•Men wear the sawwal kuput (tight and loose trousers respectively), and match this with the badju lapi, a collarless short tailored jacket similar to the biyawi.

• Calligraphy is found printed on doors and gates, as well as on tapestries. Musical instruments, especially the gabbang (native xylophone) are also decorated.

ARCHITECTURE AND COMMUNITY PLANNING

•The Bay sug or the house of the tausug si usually a one-room partitionless structure. The nine posts of the tausug home correspond to varius parts of the human anatomy:

•The center post, the pipul (navel); the southeast and southwest corners, the pigi(hip); the northeast and northwest  corners, the agata (shoulder); the eastern and western sides of the center post , the gusuk (ribs); the north post, the liug (neck); and the south post, the hita (groin). All the eight noncenter posts support the roof, which is given form by the ridge beam and is made from sari, nipa, sago palm, or plaud(coconut palms from the marang tree.)•The sungan is a roof style, which is ventilated by a hole formed by having only two slopes meeting at the apex. 

•They decorate the bilik (room) with a large luhul or rectangular cloth to catch leaves, dust, and pests. 

•Usually on flatland, the house is entered through sala (porch), a roofless platform attached to the sides of the structure. 

•the porch serves as a welcoming area for visitors

•Sometimes the porch has railings of bamboo and wood. On the front porch is a long high bench comfortable enough for resting on especially during warm weather. Here older people gather to smoke or chew their tobacco and buyo.

THE END