Kultura Panggop Si Minatoy

UPDATE: Norman Daipan died on 16 January 2021. A whole library of oral traditions or folklore has gone to the grave with him. Only our memories of him and the life lessons we learned from him remain. There's not quite a culture bearer and entertainer like him in the tribe, so he will be sorely missed.

In this video, Norman explains the death or funerary practices of the Vanaw.

The Comedic Culture Bearer

"I am 99 years old!" uncle Norman said matter-of-factly, drawing giggles from all of us.

He was talking directly to Dr. Lawrence "Laurie" A. Reid who, along with his helper Mylene Balaguer and our common friend Dr. Carmen Domingo-Kirk, came with me to Vanaw for a three-day visit.

Of course, uncle Norman didn't know he was speaking to the top scholar on Philippine Austronesian linguistics. But I'm sure that even if he knew, he would still be his normal, jovial self, seeing the meeting as yet another chance to warmly welcome a kakka-ili 'outsider' and to brush up on his English.

Uncle Norman was actually turning 73 that year (2019), having been born on 14 September 1946. He often jokes about being older -- or younger -- than he actually is, especially among foreigners. A leaf music player, he can also clown around with his favorite musical instrument, a shaddock (pomelo) leaf. He lives with his wife Kapunay (Lilia Bagsao of Guina-ang, Pasil) and five children (three girls, two boys) in a small house close to the river.

The next day, we attended the wake of one of our relatives, Clayton Bittanga (03 July 1937 - 28 July 2019), a retired employee of Brent International School Baguio. As to be expected, uncle Norman was there to entertain us, especially Laurie whom he mistook for Laurence Wilson (author of Skyland of the Philippines). When Laurie started speaking in the Khina-ang language, uncle Norman responded in his "Normanesque" version of Kankana-ey complete with a flurry of hand gestures, nods, and eyebrow flashes. Part of the exchange went like this:

Norman: ...Dakayu ay susunud mi ay Isteyt... [laughter in the background]... inmali kayus na...

Laurie: Wen, inmali kamis na.

Norman: ...eheh... Kordiryera... Koldirrya... [giggles among the crowd]... ay partin di Kalinga... entero ad Abra.

Someone from his audience: Ehehey... [more giggles]

He was funny like that, especially after a gulp of gin and water, sometimes speaking in earnest but at the same time flippantly mangling language and thought. The rest of us, the inimitable linguist included, were game, delighting in a moment of levity during a period of mourning.

The wake also saw uncle Norman in all seriousness as a culture bearer, a chanter. In similar occasions, he would also serve as a mintinador (probably a corruption of 'maintain'), a moderator of sorts whose main task is to assign speakers or chanters at a particular order.

Norman Daipan strikes a pose by the spring where he gets his daily fresh drinking water. In the background is a section of the Saltan River.

The Vanaw language expert and the Austronesian linguistics expert. Norman Daipan and Dr. Lawrence "Laurie" Andrew Reid in a lively banter at the yard of the Bittanga residence in sitio Ivong, Balbalasang on 29 July 2019. sms photos

Credits: Valuable infobits about ulitog Norman are from manong ROMY TANGBAWAN (who also corrected some factual inaccuracies in this write-up) and amonakon DOLLY DAO-AYAN-PULTZ.

Bittanga Residence, sitio Ivong, Balbalasang, Balbalan, Kalinga, 29 July 2019. Norman Daipan chants an al'vaab 'dirge' during the wake of a relative, Clayton Bittanga.

by Norman Daipan