So, the research on Lachan Bachor and corns and Vitamin C went on and I discovered the Bulols.
The
bulol, or "Ifugao rice god," is a carved human figurine into
which a certain class of anito is said to incorporate itself when worshipped.
Bulols are kept in the house or granary, and are usually made in pairs.
They are carved of narra wood, which represents wealth, happiness, and well-being.
Every step in their production requires a ceremony, from tree selection to arrival
at the owner's house; a consecrated bulol has been bathed in pig's blood,
had myths recited to it, and received offerings of wine, ritual boxes, and rice
cakes.
taken from here.
I could see Lachan Bachor as the guardian of the house, the watchman and some sort of god at the same time. I planned to do more research on these forms and most probably, if I were to visualize how Lachan Bachor would look like, he'd be like the Bulols.
Also, there was a show at the Vargas Museum (it is the University of Philippines' museum) by Ronald Venture in which he used the bulols as his main subject. However, the show had already ended and I could only see one work installed in front of the museum. Looked like it was too heavy to be moved around, or the museum made it a permanent piece. But a general walkthrough with pictures of the show can be seen here.
The next few images are not by Ventura, but by another artist whom I could not get the name. They are also not bulols, but I found the forms of the works were very interesting, which I supposed might have inspired me to create the pieces I did at the end of the residency.
Also in the same museum, as part of their ongoing show, I came across these images.
I guess I was constantly looking for mythical references during the say, but Manila just like any other metropolitan city, looking for traditional items might be a little too difficult for me. Traveling was tough too as I was not used to it so I would want to return, soon.
