Quigal

Quigal, or more appropriately written in the Eastern Visayan alphabet Kigal, is an old dance appeared in a book written around circa 1668 –the Historia de las Islas de Indios de Bisayas…1668 by the Spanish Jesuit missionary to Samar and Leyte, Fr. Ignacio Alzina. A caption that goes with the illustration in the old book simply describes it as "su danza de hombre i mujer" (a dance for a man and woman).

The female dancer is depicted with her arms spread wide at the sides in a dance movement called a sabai, a movement imitative of birds in flight and the male dancer (in the fourth position) holds a handkerchief in his left hand and an unidentified implement (probably a bamboo musical instrument) in his right hand. Both dancers are clad in old costumes (circa 1660). The woman wears a baro, the predescessor of the kimona morona, lots necklaces (probably including the one Fr. Alcina himself identified as the pinarugmok) and a full skirt. Her head is covered with a kerchief. The man wears the marlota and the faldeta (“little skirt”) ensemble and the turban-like piece of cloth wound around the head, then known as the pudung. A sundang (or probably a kris) in a scabbard hangs from his waist. Both his legs are adorned with metal bangles (baklaw).

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