Code of Kalantiaw

1.In 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).

2. The mythological legal system known as "The Code of Kalantiaw'' is mentioned in the well-

known epic tale of Maragtas. It was given the name Datu Kalantiaw in honor of the claimed

author. It was created on the island of Negros by a chief was known as Datu Kalantiaw. Jose E.

Marco discussed it in his historical fiction work "Las Antiguas Leyendes de la Isla de Negros"

from 1913. (The Ancient Legends of the Island of Negros). He credited Jose Maria Pavon, a

priest, as its originator.

Marco was a prolific writer on Philippine history, yet his work was full of mistakes and

downright lies. Nevertheless, many academics in the Philippines and the US accepted Marco's

precolonial "source materials" at face value throughout the 20th century.

3. The Code of Kalantiaw was allegedly written in 1433 and is called for its purported creator,

Datu Kalantiaw.
4. W.H. Scott's study and research has debunked the validity of the documents. According to

W.H. Scott's finds, the documents have been discovered of anachronisms, invalid dates,

improper use of orthography, and more. Those who first checked and read the manuscripts also

have been expressing skepticism regarding the validity of the said documents. Quoting W.H.

Scott, "each and all of the Jose E. Marco manuscripts... are all deliberate and definite frauds."

Though the original documents were lost in World War II, Marco's manuscripts remained in the

Philippine history studies for quite some time. And it was just recent that the documents have

been proved a forgery, this year of 2004, more than three decades passed by since W.H. Scott's

findings were published for the said document.

5. The Code of Kalantiaw is not used today. It contains severe punishments in which they

become inhumane. Many of his laws were contradicting one another and his punishments were

extremely brutal, usually having no relation to the severity of the crime committed. Offences to

the law ranged from as light as singing at night to as grave as murder. Those punished were

made either as slaves, beaten, drowned, had their fingers cut off, exposed to ants, lashed, stoned,

burned, boiled, chopped to pieces, or fed to crocodiles, and other wild beasts.

6.

A. Primary

The Code of Kalantiaw was given that name in honor of its purported author, Datu Kalantiaw,

who is thought to have composed it around 1433 on the Island of Negros. The first person to

write it was Datu Kalantiaw, and it was later found on Panay Island. This was a primary source

since it had records and images that serve as proof of what transpired at the time.
B. Secondary

Jose E. Marco then examined the Code of Kalantiaw. Marco was a prolific writer on Philippine

history, yet his work was full of mistakes and downright lies. Nevertheless, many academics in

the Philippines and the US accepted Marco's precolonial "source materials" at face value

throughout the 20th century. One of the most important of them was the Code of Kalantiaw,

which provided 18 rules for the appropriate punishment of various moral and social offenses.

The severity of the offense determined the punishment, which may be anything from a small fee

to being dismembered and fed to crocodiles. The validity of the code was called into question by

historians as early as the 1960s, although many Filipinos still viewed it as a crucial legal

document.

C. Tertiary

Kalantiaw has historical basis (1) Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2016, August 16).

Code of Kalantiaw. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Code-of-

Kalantiyaw (2) Code of Kalantiyaw | purported penal code, Philippines [1433]. (n.d.).

Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 14, 2022, from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Code-of-Kalantiyaw (3)

https://kapwatagalog.wordpress.com/2021/03/04/fake-news-and-the-code-of-kalantiaw/

(4) National Historical Commission of The Philippines. (2004). Declaring that Code of

Kalantiao has no valid historical basis. https://nhcp.gov.ph/2004-board-resolutions/ (5 )William

Henry Scott, Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History, revised ed. (6)
Struggle for Freedom’ 2008 Ed. (n.d.). Google Books. https://books.google.com.ph/books?

hl=en&lr=&id=4wk8yqCEmJUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=code+of+kalantiaw+punishments&ots

=DRYe9qy1yt&sig=To3QbQ5X0iLXcOkSFRM7ASo-pus&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=code

%20of%20kalantiaw%20punishments&f=false

D. Types of historical sources

The primary sources

References:

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2016, August 16). Code of Kalantiaw. Encyclopedia

Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Code-of-Kalantiyaw

Code of Kalantiyaw | purported penal code, Philippines [1433]. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica.

Retrieved September 14, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Code-of-Kalantiyaw

https://kapwatagalog.wordpress.com/2021/03/04/fake-news-and-the-code-of-kalantiaw/

National Historical Commission of The Philippines. (2004). Declaring that Code of Kalantiao

has no valid historical basis. https://nhcp.gov.ph/2004-board-resolutions/

William Henry Scott, Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History, revised

ed.

Struggle for Freedom’ 2008 Ed. (n.d.). Google Books. https://books.google.com.ph/books?

hl=en&lr=&id=4wk8yqCEmJUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=code+of+kalantiaw+punishments&ots

=DRYe9qy1yt&sig=To3QbQ5X0iLXcOkSFRM7ASo-pus&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=code

%20of%20kalantiaw%20punishments&f=false