Code of Kalantiaw

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The Code of Rajah Kalantiaw was a supposed legal code in the epic history Maragtas that is said
to have been written in 1433 by Datu Kalantiaw, a chief on the island of Negros in the Philippines.
The code is now believed by many historians to have been a hoax and that it had actually been
written in 1913 by Jose E. Marco as a part of his historical fiction Las antiguas leyendas de la Isla de
Negros (English: The Ancient Legends of the Island of Negros), which he attributed to a priest
named Jose Maria Pavon.
Philippine historian Teodoro Agoncillo describes the code as "a disputed document."[1] Despite
doubts on its authenticity, some history texts continue to present it as historical fact.[2]

Contents

 1History and doubts of authenticity

 2Laws of the Kalantiaw Code
 3See also
 4Notes
 5References

History and doubts of authenticity[edit]

In 1917, the historian Josué Soncuya wrote about the Code of Kalantiaw in his book Historia
Prehispana de Filipinas ("Prehispanic History of the Philippines") where he moved the location of the
Code's origin from Negros to the Panay province of Aklan because he suspected that it may be
related to the Ati-atihan festival. Other authors throughout the 20th century gave credence to the
story and the code.
In 1965, then University of Santo Tomas doctoral candidate William Henry Scott began an
examination of prehispanic sources for the study of Philippine history. Scott eventually demonstrated
that the code was a forgery committed by Marco. When Scott presented these conclusions in his
doctoral dissertation, defended on 16 June 1968 before a panel of eminent Filipino historians which
included Teodoro Agoncillo, Horacio de la Costa, Marcelino Foronda, Mercedes Grau
Santamaria, Nicolas Zafra and Gregorio Zaide, not a single question was raised about the chapter
which he had called The Contributions of Jose E. Marco to Philippine historiography.
Scott later published his findings debunking the code in his book Prehispanic Source Materials for
the Study of Philippine History.[3] Filipino historians later removed the code from future literature
regarding Philippine history.[4] When Antonio W. Molina published a Spanish version of his The
Philippines Through the Centuries as Centuries as historia de Filipinas(Madrid, 1984), he replaced
the Code with one sentence: "La tésis doctoral del historador Scott desbarate la existencia misma
de dicho Código" (The doctoral dissertation of the historian Scott demolishes the very existence of
the Code).[5]

Laws of the Kalantiaw Code[edit]

In his book, Struggle for Freedom (2008), Cecilio Duka provides a full reproduction of the code for
the reader's "critical examination... to decide on its veracity and accuracy".[6][7]
Article I
Ye shall not kill, neither shall ye steal nor shall ye hurt the aged, lest ye incur the danger of death. All
those who this order shall infringe shall be tied to a stone and drowned in a river or in boiling water.
Article II
Ye shall punctually meet your debt with your headman. He who fulfills not, for the first time shall be
lashed a hundredfold, and If the obligation is great, his hand shall be dipped threefold in boiling
water. On conviction, he shall be flogged to death.
Article III
Obey ye: no one shall have wives that are too young, nor shall they be more than what he can take
care of, nor spend much luxury. He who fulfils not, obeys not, shall be condemned to swim three
hours and, for the second time, shall be scourged with spines to death.
Article IV
Observe and obey ye: Let not the peace of the graves be disturbed; due respect must be accorded
them on passing by caves and trees where they are. He who observes not shall die by bites of ants
or shall be flogged with spines till death.
Article V
Obey ye: Exchange in food must be carried out faithfully. He who complies not shall be lashed for an
hour. He who repeats the act shall, for a day be exposed to the ants.
Article VI
Ye shall revere respectable places, trees of known value, and other sites. He shall pay a month's
work, in gold or money, whoever fails to do this; and if twice committed, he shall be declared a slave.
Article VII
They shall die who kill trees of venerable aspect; who at night shoot with arrows the aged men and
the women; he who enters the house of the headman without permission; he who kills a fish or shark
or striped crocodile.
Article VIII
They shall be slaves for a given time who steal away the women of the headmen; he who possesses
dogs that bite the headmen; he who burns another man's sown field.
Article IX
They shall be slaves for a given time, who sing in their night errands, kill manual birds, tear
documents belonging to the headmen; who are evil-minded liars; who play with the dead.
Article X
It shall be the obligation of every mother to show her daughter secretly the things that are lacivious,
and prepare them for womanhood; men shall not be cruel to their wives, nor should they punish
them when they catch them in the act of adultery. He who disobeys shall be torn to pieces and
thrown to the caymans.
Article XI
They shall be burned, who by force or cunning have mocked at and eluded punishment, or who have
killed two young boys, or shall try to steal the women of the old men (agurangs).
Article XII
They shall be drowned, all slaves who assault their superiors or their lords and masters; all those
who abuse their luxury; those who kill their anitos by breaking them or throwing them away.
Article XIII
They shall be exposed to the ants for half a day, who kill a black cat during the new moon or steal
things belonging to the headmen.
Article XIV
They shall be slaves for life, who having beautiful daughters shall deny them to the sons of the
headman, or shall hide them in bad faith.
Article XV
Concerning their beliefs and superstitions: they shall be scourged, who eat bad meat of respected
insects or herbs that are supposed to be good; who hurt or kill the young manual bird and the white
monkey.
Article XVI
Their fingers shall be cut off, who break wooden or clay idols in their olangangs and places of
oblation; he who breaks Tagalan's daggers for hog killing, or breaks drinking vases.
Article XVII
They shall be killed, who profane places where sacred objects of their diwatas or headmen are
buried. He who gives way to the call of nature at such places shall be burned.
Article XVIII
Those who do not cause these rules to be observed, if they are headmen, shall be stoned and
crushed to death, and if they are old men, shall be placed in rivers to be eaten by sharks and
crocodiles.

n the famous epic story of Maragtas, there was this mythical legal code called "The
Code of Kalantiaw". It was named after its supposed author, Datu Kalantiaw, who
allegedly wrote it in 1433. Datu Kalantiaw was a chief on the island of Negros. It was
written about by Jose E. Marco in 1913 in his historical fiction "Las Antiguas Leyendes
de la Isla de Negros" (The Ancient Legends of the Island of Negros). He ascribed its
source to a priest named Jose Maria Pavon.
The historian Josue Soncuya wrote about the Code of Kalantiaw in 1917 in his book
"Historia Prehispana de Filipinas" (Prehispanic History of the Philippines) where he
transferred the location of the origin of the Code from Negros to Panay because he
contended that said Code may have been related to the Binirayan festival.

The story on this Code has been recognized through the ages by known authors. In
1968, however, historian William Henry Scott called this a "hoax" in his book
"Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History". Consequently,
Filipino historians agreed to expunge the Code of Kalantiaw in future materials on
Philippine history.

Although the said Code ceases to be part of the texts of Philippine history, however,
many still believe its validity.

ARTICLE I

You shall not kill, neither shall you steal, neither shall you do harm to the aged, lest you
incur the danger of death. All those who infringe this order shall be condemned to death
by being drowned in the river, or in boiling water.
 ARTICLE II

You shall obey. Let all your debts with the headman be met punctually. He who does
not obey shall receive for the first time one hundred lashes. If the debt is large, he shall
be condemned to thrust his hand in boiling water thrice. For the second time, he shall
be beaten to death.

ARTICLE III

Obey you: let no one have women that are very young nor more than he can support;
nor be given to excessive lust. He who does not comply with, obey, and observe this
order shall be condemned to swim for three hours for the first time and for the second
time, to be beaten to death with sharp thorns.

ARTICLE IV

Observe and obey; let no one disturb the quiet of the graves. When passing by the
caves and trees where they are, give respect to them. He who does not observe this
shall be killed by ants, or beaten to death with thorns.

ARTICLE V

You shall obey; he who exchanges for food, let it be always done in accordance with his
word. He who does not comply, shall be beaten for one hour, he who repeats the
offense shall be exposed for one day among ants.

ARTICLE VI

You shall be obliged to revere sights that are held in respect, such as those of trees of
recognized worth and other sights. He who fails to comply shall pay with one month's
work in gold or in honey.

ARTICLE VII

These shall be put to death; he who kills trees of venerable appearance; who shoot
arrows at night at old men and women; he who enters the houses of the headmen
without permission; he who kills a shark or a streaked cayman.

ARTICLE VIII

Slavery for a doam (a certain period of time) shall be suffered by those who steal away
the women of the headmen; by him who keep ill-tempered dogs that bite the headmen;
by him who burns the fields of another.
 ARTICLE IX

All these shall be beaten for two days: who sing while traveling by night; kill the Manaul;
tear the documents belonging to the headmen; are malicious liars; or who mock the
dead.

ARTICLE X

It is decreed an obligation; that every mother teach secretly to her daughters matters
pertaining to lust and prepare them for womanhood; let not men be cruel nor punish
their women when they catch them in the act of adultery. Whoever shall disobey shall
be killed by being cut to pieces and thrown to the caymans.

ARTICLE XI

These shall be burned: who by their strength or cunning have mocked at and escaped
punishment or who have killed young boys; or try to steal away the women of the
elders.

ARTICLE XII

These shall be drowned: all who interfere with their superiors, or their owners or
masters; all those who abuse themselves through their lust; those who destroy their
anitos (idols) by breaking them or throwing them down.

ARTICLE XIII

All these shall be exposed to ants for half a day: who kill black cats during a new moon;
or steal anything from the chiefs or agorangs, however small the object may be.

ARTICLE XIV

These shall be made slave for life: who have beautiful daughters and deny them to the
sons of chiefs, and with bad faith hide them away.

ARTICLE XV

Concerning beliefs and superstitions; these shall be beaten: who eat the diseased flesh
of beasts which they hold in respect, or the herb which they consider good, who wound
or kill the young of the Manaul, or the white monkey.

ARTICLE XVI

The fingers shall be cut-off: of all those who break idols of wood and clay in their
alangans and temples; of those who destroy the daggers of the tagalons, or break the
drinking jars of the latter.
 ARTICLE XVII

These shall be killed: who profane sites where idols are kept, and sites where are
buried the sacred things of their diwatas and headmen. He who performs his
necessities in those places shall be burned.

ARTICLE XVIII

Those who do not cause these rules to be obeyed: if they are headmen, they shall be
put to death by being stoned and crushed; and if they are agorangs they shall be placed
in rivers to be eaten by sharks and caymans.