Hudhud Chants of the Ifugao

Philippines
The hudhud is recited and chanted among the Ifugao people - known for their rice terraces -
during the sowing and harvesting of rice, funeral wakes and other rituals. Estimated to have
originated before the 7th century, thehudhud - comprised of some 40 episodes - often take
three or four days to recite. The language of the chants, almost impossible to transcribe, is
full of repetitions, synonyms, figurative terms and metaphors. Performed in a leader/chorus
style, the reciter - often an elderly woman - occupies a key position in society. There is only
one tune, common to the entire region, for all of the verses. Very few written examples
of hudhud exist.
Threats: The conversion of the Ifugao to Catholicism weakened their traditional culture.
The hudhud was linked to the manual harvesting of rice which is now mechanized. It has
been replaced at funeral wakes by television and radio. Although the rice terraces are
inscribed on the World Heritage List, the number of cultivators continues to decrease. The
few people who know all the poems are very old, and young people are not interested in
this tradition.
Action plan: The rights of indigenous peoples are protected by Philippine law, including their
intellectual property. Publication of historical and ethnological iconographs is planned. The
government also proposes festivals and indigenous ceremonies. The National Library and
National Museum are responsible for a complete archive of thehudhud. A project teaching
the tradition to young people is foreseen.
The Hudhud consists of narrative chants traditionally performed by the Ifugao community, which is well known for its rice terraces extending
over the highlands of the northern island of the Philippine archipelago. It is practised during the rice sowing season, at harvest time and at
funeral wakes and rituals. Thought to have originated before the seventh century, the Hudhud comprises more than 200 chants, each divided
into 40 episodes. A complete recitation may last several days.
Since the Ifugaos culture is matrilineal, the wife generally takes the main part in the chants, and her brother occupies a higher position than
her husband. The language of the stories abounds in figurative expressions and repetitions and employs metonymy, metaphor and
onomatopoeia, rendering transcription very difficult. Thus, there are very few written expressions of this tradition. The chant tells about
ancestral heroes, customary law, religious beliefs and traditional practices, and reflects the importance of rice cultivation. The narrators,
mainly elderly women, hold a key position in the community, both as historians and preachers. The Hudhud epic is chanted alternately by the
first narrator and a choir, employing a single melody for all the verses.
The Hudhud consists of narrative chants traditionally performed by the Ifugao community, which is well known for its
rice terraces extending over the highlands of the northern island of the Philippine archipelago. It is practised during
the rice sowing season, at harvest time and at funeral wakes and rituals. Thought to have originated before the
seventh century, the Hudhud comprises more than 200 chants, each divided into 40 episodes. A complete recitation
may last several days.
Since the Ifugaos culture is matrilineal, the wife generally takes the main part in the chants, and her brother occupies
a higher position than her husband. The language of the stories abounds in figurative expressions and repetitions and
employs metonymy, metaphor and onomatopoeia, rendering transcription very difficult. Thus, there are very few
written expressions of this tradition. The chant tells about ancestral heroes, customary law, religious beliefs and
traditional practices, and reflects the importance of rice cultivation. The narrators, mainly elderly women, hold a key
position in the community, both as historians and preachers. The Hudhud epic is chanted alternately by the first
narrator and a choir, employing a single melody for all the verses.