Rough Groove

Infanta flagellant-penitents, 2

Continued from Infanta flagellant-penitents, 1

I first came across the Infanta flagellant-penitents last year while reading the book Cuaresma, edited by Gilda Cordero-Fernando and published by Bookmark. Its really a very good reference coffee table book despite the bad binding of its soft covered version which I have. The first time I saw the photo and I was struck.

The flagellant-penitents start the preparation as early as Palm Sunday, or depending on what free time they have. Usually, as they are mostly farmers and/or laborers, they only have this day and Maundy Thursday to come up with their ritual costume.

The headdress, locally called the tukarol is the defining part of the Infanta flagellants. It is what sets them apart with the rest from flagellants of other provinces as mentioned in yesterday’s post. Usually done on Maundy Thursday, it is made from sticks of bamboo and soft branches assembled into a conical frame with a pvc tube placed at the cone’s end. A kind of vine gathered around the uncultivated parts of the town is woven around it. Small strips from soft banana stems are then tied to the vertical parts of the bamboo where various flowers ranging from wildflowers to orchids to yellows and whites found in their garden are pierced through with the help of toothpick thin sticks. The headdress is then crowned with an assortment of objects: a crucifix or an image or photo of the Virgin Mary is tied together with buntings made from carefully cut papel de hapon (Japanese paper), ribbons and strings bound into a stick that is thick enough to be inserted into the hollow cavity of the pvc tube. In one flagellant, I even saw a Chinese emblem in gold characters with red tassels bound together with the image of Mary, surely, not a catholic related accessory! A hole is also made so that the penitent can see through the headdress. I tried wearing one and really, its heavy, rugged, uncomfortable and one has to balance it while walking.

The pangyabat or the panghampas consists of wooden pegs made from soft wood but usually from the salab or lucban (a kind of citrus) trees. The number of pegs, I was told is either 12 or 13 to represent the 12 apostles and the thirteenth usually represents the penitent. The preparation is usually done on Palm Sunday by looking for and gathering the wood, carving and polishing it. It is then attached to a rope or a synthetic fiber. Usually white and clean before the start, it becomes red after the ritual. Because of the effort given in preparing this one, they might save this for a few years use. In some areas, the number of pegs designate the number of years that the flagellant will perform this ritual. In Siniloan, Laguna, the wooden pegs are replaced with heavy chains or metal tubes.

The saya (skirt) is made from dried banana leaves woven together. The leaves’ ribs are folded onto a rope or synthetic cord and then bound by a string or straw which is then tied around the waist with the tie at the front. It takes around 30 – 50 dried banana leaves to form the skirt. In the towns of Laguna where flagellation is also practiced, the skirt is disappearing with a few handful only wearing this one.

To be continued…