THE PRE-SPANISH PERIOD

A number of social morals and institutions, even terminology, can be understood only against a background of the experiences of a people of locality. Understanding the present thru the past, however, is rendered difficult on account of insufficient documented materials. In our case, the scarcity of reliable information when we deal with life and culture before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores, the unavailability of conscious records of their doings are left to enable us to arrive at a much precise conclusion. What we know of them is gathered from the chronicles of the gossipy inhabitants, whose memory stood sharply on what they have learned from their grandparents about this island-group in the bygone years, for the information of the people of today. The following Legends supplies us with some data which we hope are accurate.

It was reported that in general, the early people were timid. They know little of nothing of places away from their homes. They wore scanty clothing for the air around them is always warm. The abundance of fish, wild games, wild fruits and tuber like BA-AY, HAGMANG, BAILACOG, and KIOT, made the people care less to make some clearings on which to plant corn, camote, or food plants. Big and small trees grow and spread their branches, shading the ground all year round with their heavy foliage. Vines and creepers climbed the trees hanging from bough to bough, thus, giving them difficulty to cultivate bigger fields. They were very ignorant on very simple arts.