The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER LXIII 310
refinement.--TR.
[104] A metrical discourse for a special occasion or in honor of some distinguished personage. Padre Zuñiga
(Estadismo, Chap. III) thus describes one heard by him in Lipa, Batangas, in 1800, on the occasion of General
Alava's visit to that place: "He who is to recite the loa is seen in the center of the stage dressed as a Spanish
cavalier, reclining in a chair as if asleep, while behind the scenes musicians sing a lugubrious chant in the
vernacular. The sleeper awakes and shows by signs that he thinks he has heard, or dreamed of hearing, some
voice. He again disposes himself to sleep, and the chant is repeated in the same lugubrious tone. Again he
awakes, rises, and shows that he has heard a voice. This scene is repeated several times, until at length he is
persuaded that the voice is announcing the arrival of the hero who is to be eulogized. He then commences to
recite his loa, carrying himself like a clown in a circus, while he sings the praises of the person in whose
honor the fiesta has been arranged. This loa, which was in rhetorical verse in a diffuse style suited to the
Asiatic taste, set forth the general's naval expeditions and the honors he had received from the King,
concluding with thanks and acknowledgment of the favor that he had conferred in passing through their town
and visiting such poor wretches as they. There were not lacking in it the wanderings of Ulysses, the journeys
of Aristotle, the unfortunate death of Pliny, and other passages from ancient history, which they delight in
introducing into their stories. All these passages are usually filled with fables touching upon the marvelous,
such as the following, which merit special notice: of Aristotle it was said that being unable to learn the depth
of the sea he threw himself into its waves and was drowned, and of Pliny that he leaped into Vesuvius to
investigate the fire within the volcano. In the same way other historical accounts are confused. I believe that
these loas were introduced by the priests in former times, although the fables with which they abound would
seem to offer an objection to this opinion, as nothing is ever told in them that can be found in the writings of
any European author; still they appear to me to have been suited to the less critical taste of past centuries. The
verses are written by the natives, among whom there are many poets, this art being less difficult in Tagalog
than in any other language."--TR.
[105] "The old man of the village," patriarch.--TR.
[106] The secular name of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order.--TR.
[107] A Spanish official, author of several works relating to the Philippines, one of which, Recuerdos de
Filipinas (Madrid, 1877 and 1880), a loose series of sketches and impressions giving anything but a
complimentary picture of the character and conduct of the Spaniards in the Islands, and in a rather naive and
perhaps unintentional way throwing some lurid side-lights on the governmental administration and the friar
régime,--enjoyed the distinction of being officially prohibited from circulation in the archipelago.--TR.
[108] "Magcanta-ca!" "(You) sing!"--TR.
[109] Europea: European woman.--TR.
[110] In 1527-29 Alvaro de Saavedra led an unsuccessful expedition to take possession of the "Western Isles."
The name "Filipina," in honor of the Prince of the Asturias, afterwards Felipe II (Philip II), was first applied to
what is probably the present island of Leyte by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, who led another unsuccessful
expedition thither in 1542-43, this name being later extended to the whole group.--TR.
[111] A barrio of Tanawan, Batangas, noted for the manufacture of horsewhips.--TR.
[112] The actors named were real persons. Ratia was a Spanish-Filipino who acquired quite a reputation not
only in Manila but also in Spain. He died in Manila in 1910.--TR.
[113] In the year 1879.--Author's note.