MAKING SENSE OF

THE PAST:
HISTORICAL
INTERPRETATION
HISTORY
• study of the past
• how it impacts the present through its
consequences
• “The attempt to discover, on the basis of
fragmentary evidence, the significant things about
the past” -Geoffrey Barraclough
• He also noted, “The history we read, though based
on facts, is strictly speaking, not factual at all, but a
series of accepted judgements.”
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
 Historian utilize facts collected from primary
sources and then draw their own reading so that
their intended audience may understand the
historical event, a process that in essence, make
sense of the past.
 Interpretation of the past, therefore, vary
according to who reads the primary source, when it
was read and how it is read.
An historian must be well equipped to recognize
different types of interpretation.
Code of Kalantiaw

The Code of Kalantiaw is a mythical legal code in the epic history.

Before it was revealed as a hoax, it was a source of pride for the
people of Aklan. In fact, a historical marker was installed in the
town of Batan, Aklan in 1956, with the following text:
“Code of Kalantiaw. Datu Bendehara Kalantiaw, third Chief of Panay,
born in Aklan, established his government in the peninsula of
Batang, Aklan Sakup. Considered the First Filipino Lawgiver, he
promulgated in about 1433 a penal code now known as Code of
Kalantiaw containing 18 aticles. Don Marcelino Orilla of Zaragoza,
Spain, obtained the original manuscript from an old Chief of Panay
which was later translated into Spanish by Rafael Murviedo
Yzamaney."
Code of Kalantiaw

It was only in 1968 that it was proved a hoax, when

William Henry Scott, a doctoral candidate at the
University of Santo Thomas, defended his research on
pre-Hispanic sources in the Philippine History. He
attributed the code to a historical fiction written in 1913
by Jose E. Marco titled LAS ANTIGUAS LEYENDAS DE LA
ISLA DE NEGROS. Marco attributed the code itself to a
priest named Jose Maria Pavon. Prominent Filipino
historians did not dissent to Scott's findings, but there
are still some who would like to believe that the code is a
legitimate document.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
 How does types of interpretation differ on each
other, how to critically sift these interpretations
through historical evaluation.
 Interpretation of historical events change over
time
 Historian should equipped the important skill of
history in tracking the changes in an attempt to
understand the past.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
 Many of the things we accept as “true” about the
past might not be the case anymore; just because
these were taught to us as facts when we were
younger does not mean that it is set in stone—
history is, after all, a construct. And as a construct,
it is open as interpretation.
 There might be conflicting and competing
accounts of the past that needs one's attention and
can impact the way we view our country's history
and identity.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
 It is important , therefore, to subject to
evaluation not only the primary source, but also
the historical interpretation of the same, to ensure
that the current interpretation is reliable to support
our acceptance of events of the past.
Thank you for listening 😊