Pugot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice in the Philippines

Prior to the introduction of Islam and Christianity deeply held religious beliefs led various Philippine communities to sanction ritualized forms of violence: human sacrifice, cannibalism, and head taking. Today, many Filipinos see these practices as "primitive,” "barbaric," or pertaining only to so-called "tribes" and therefore not related to the national dynamic. Púgot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice in the Philippines forces Filipino readers to contemplate and confront the not-so-ancient past, when their ancestors sported loincloths, battle gear, and talismans, and participated in violent community-wide celebrations and rituals. The book also reveals these practices not in isolation, but as part of the wider Southeast Asian and Austronesian milieu. The multilingual primary and secondary texts used for this work are sourced from across centuries and disciplines, including 13th to 18th century Chinese records, Spanish-period missionary chronicles, and European an