Shamanic Crossovers in the Southern Philippines: Vocal Worlds

This book offers a close-up study of annual cycle rituals among the southern Tagbanwa of Palawan Island in the Philippines, with a particular focus on shamanic oratory and vocalized performance. Drawing on rich ethnography and extensive fieldwork, it reflects on the interconnectedness of humans, nature, and the spirit world. The chapters shed light on the role of female (babalyan) and male (manlalambay) protagonists and how people, including the deceased, relate to each other through vibrant natural and crafted motifs. The study transports readers into a world of shifting cultivators and invites us to delve into animist dialogue in vivo. Offering a valuable contribution to debates on new animism and perspectivism, Shamanic Crossovers in the Southern Philippines will be of particular interest to scholars of anthropology, religion, Southeast Asia, and Indigenous studies.

Arne Røkkum is Professor Emeritus and former curator of the East Asia collections at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, Norway. He has been a Visiting Professor at the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan, and the National University of the Philippines, Quezon City. His previous book with Routledge is Nature, Ritual, and Society in Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.