In this barrio of Kabayan (north East-Benguet) this dance is called Bindian . Further north of East-Benguet, they call it Tchungas. In Kabayan, it is a common practice that all people present in a cañao must participate in this dance. In the villages between Ambuclao and Bila where they celebrate the Tchungas, all people present dance together for an hour or so, after which the dance is kept going by a couple as it is in the Tayaw.
This interpretation of the Bindian and Tchungas are identical as if it is a sort of a victory over the ghosts of all the enemies who were slain by their ancestors, and whose heads were brought home as trophies.
The dance goes this way: When the mambunong (priestess) arrives, some men follow her as she retires to a nearby ravine, taking with them a small pig. Two of the young men adorn their heads with crowns of woven bamboo made colorful by sticking rooster feathers on them. These crowned men are called oro-ols. One of the oror-ols wear a necklace of silver called tipabokel. Both men fasten rattan baskets on their backs. Each basket contains the enormous bill of a certain bird called kalao. Each oro-ol carries a hatchet in a scabbard and armed with spears and shields. The mambunong sits near the pig, begins to pray and invokes the spirits-who are living in the ‘hades’ who are living in the sources of all waters-who are living where the waters stop-who are living in the sun and in the moon.
This interpretation of the Bindian and Tchungas are identical as if it is a sort of a victory over the ghosts of all the enemies who were slain by their ancestors, and whose heads were brought home as trophies.
The dance goes this way: When the mambunong (priestess) arrives, some men follow her as she retires to a nearby ravine, taking with them a small pig. Two of the young men adorn their heads with crowns of woven bamboo made colorful by sticking rooster feathers on them. These crowned men are called oro-ols. One of the oror-ols wear a necklace of silver called tipabokel. Both men fasten rattan baskets on their backs. Each basket contains the enormous bill of a certain bird called kalao. Each oro-ol carries a hatchet in a scabbard and armed with spears and shields. The mambunong sits near the pig, begins to pray and invokes the spirits-who are living in the ‘hades’ who are living in the sources of all waters-who are living where the waters stop-who are living in the sun and in the moon.
She invokes the spirits who have commanded the performance of the Tchungas to help them to pray and to sing the angbe (Tchungas war song) and at the same time pleads that she be informed of the names of the valiant head-hunters.
After the invocation, the oro-ols execute the war dance around the small pig. They hop and jump to the rhythm of the solibao and the ganza which are being played near the house of the host. At a certain point of the dance, their companions in the ravine yell shouts of honor. ”Oo-wa-ay…Oo-wa-ay!” In the meantime, they butcher and prepare the small pig for cooking. At the command of the mambunong , they all partake of the boiled pork.
The oro-ols resume the dance after everybody is through eating the boiled pork. The oro-ol with the necklace around his neck bends a little forward and gazes fixedly at a distant tree. He Advances and slowly creeps toward that tree, as if it personifies an expected enemy. As soon as he is near that tree, he leaps suddenly. The other oro-ol follows him, amking similar contortions and movements. Finally, they thrust their spears into the tree trunk. “The foe is slain.”
The oro-ols pull their spears out from the tree and led by the mambunong and with all the rest of the companions who came to the ravine following, they return to the house of the host
At the house of the host, the oror-ols are offered cups of tapae (rice wine). Before drinking the tapae, they dip the points of their spears in the cup of wine. Then they are asked to name the enemy that they have killed. In reply, they mentioned the name of an old man famous headhunter. Then they drink the tapae.
At the entrance of the house, one of the oro-ols plants his spear in the ground and the other oro-ol hangs his basket and shield on the planted spear.
The mambunong comes forward with her arms lifted. She leads the oro-ols and the other people to dance the Tchungas around the spear planted by one of the oro-ols. Inside the circle going towards the opposite direction, the women with long blankets over their shoulders, join the dance. They interrupt the dance with shouts of triumph as they hop and skip in a victorious manner, their arms are stretched horizontally. They continue to hop and skip, as they simultaneously yell and shout of honor “Oo-wa-ay…Oo-wa-ay!”
The dance goes on, the mambunong leaves the dancing group and goes to sit by a jar of tatae. Surrounded by a group of men she slowly sings the angba of the Tchungas, a sort of narratives about the victorious fights against the headhunters of the north very long time ago. After the narrative, the mambunong rises and prays a short exorcism, after which she joins the other to drink their share of the tapae. Finally, everybody is served with cooked pork and boiled rice.
After the meal, leads in a ceremony in which everybody join hands and encircle the house. The mambunong whispers a sort of prayer.
The solibao and the ganza which were silent for a time are suddenly heard again and everybody dance the Tchungas again. After some rounds the dance is kept going by one couple who dance just the way the Tayaw is performed. When the first couple gets tired of another couple takes over.
The oro-ols by this time have gone back to the ravine to bathe , after which they eat their share of the pork and boiled rice.
Everybody stay in this particular house for two or more days. The Tchungas goes on and on night and day as long as the food and the tapae last.
[youtube src="WVmqBi3bWG0"/]
After the invocation, the oro-ols execute the war dance around the small pig. They hop and jump to the rhythm of the solibao and the ganza which are being played near the house of the host. At a certain point of the dance, their companions in the ravine yell shouts of honor. ”Oo-wa-ay…Oo-wa-ay!” In the meantime, they butcher and prepare the small pig for cooking. At the command of the mambunong , they all partake of the boiled pork.
The oro-ols resume the dance after everybody is through eating the boiled pork. The oro-ol with the necklace around his neck bends a little forward and gazes fixedly at a distant tree. He Advances and slowly creeps toward that tree, as if it personifies an expected enemy. As soon as he is near that tree, he leaps suddenly. The other oro-ol follows him, amking similar contortions and movements. Finally, they thrust their spears into the tree trunk. “The foe is slain.”
The oro-ols pull their spears out from the tree and led by the mambunong and with all the rest of the companions who came to the ravine following, they return to the house of the host
At the house of the host, the oror-ols are offered cups of tapae (rice wine). Before drinking the tapae, they dip the points of their spears in the cup of wine. Then they are asked to name the enemy that they have killed. In reply, they mentioned the name of an old man famous headhunter. Then they drink the tapae.
At the entrance of the house, one of the oro-ols plants his spear in the ground and the other oro-ol hangs his basket and shield on the planted spear.
The mambunong comes forward with her arms lifted. She leads the oro-ols and the other people to dance the Tchungas around the spear planted by one of the oro-ols. Inside the circle going towards the opposite direction, the women with long blankets over their shoulders, join the dance. They interrupt the dance with shouts of triumph as they hop and skip in a victorious manner, their arms are stretched horizontally. They continue to hop and skip, as they simultaneously yell and shout of honor “Oo-wa-ay…Oo-wa-ay!”
The dance goes on, the mambunong leaves the dancing group and goes to sit by a jar of tatae. Surrounded by a group of men she slowly sings the angba of the Tchungas, a sort of narratives about the victorious fights against the headhunters of the north very long time ago. After the narrative, the mambunong rises and prays a short exorcism, after which she joins the other to drink their share of the tapae. Finally, everybody is served with cooked pork and boiled rice.
After the meal, leads in a ceremony in which everybody join hands and encircle the house. The mambunong whispers a sort of prayer.
The solibao and the ganza which were silent for a time are suddenly heard again and everybody dance the Tchungas again. After some rounds the dance is kept going by one couple who dance just the way the Tayaw is performed. When the first couple gets tired of another couple takes over.
The oro-ols by this time have gone back to the ravine to bathe , after which they eat their share of the pork and boiled rice.
Everybody stay in this particular house for two or more days. The Tchungas goes on and on night and day as long as the food and the tapae last.
[youtube src="WVmqBi3bWG0"/]
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