Did you know that an indigenous transgender priestess led one of the fiercest anti-colonial uprisings in history? Who exactly was the fearless Babaylan Tamblot? What’s up with their uprising? Let’s dig deeper and learn more! 🔔 Subscribe: http://goo.gl/yDgQmK 🎥 Be my Patron: https://www.patreon.com/kirbynoodle 📚 My books, ebooks, coloring books, merch etc. - https://www.kirbyaraullo.com/shop Related Videos & Playlists: 🔥 The Fierce Women of Southeast Asia Playlist: https://bit.ly/FierceSEA 📜 Demystifying Southeast Asia: https://bit.ly/KnowSoutheastAsia 🏳️‍🌈Gender in Precolonial Philippines - https://youtu.be/6T2SIl8x5Qc 🌕The Babaylan - Badass Priestess of the Philippines! - https://youtu.be/DDCmfbBy464 🔥 Dagohoy Revolt: The Longest Anti-colonial Rebellion in Asia - https://youtu.be/7puQVta8daE Salámat! ❤️💛💚 #KnowHistoryKnowSelf #Philippines #SoutheastAsia Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:44 Gender in Precolonial Philippines 03:25 What led to Tamblot’s Revolt? 06:

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Did you know that one of the fiercest anti-colonial uprisings in history

was led by an indigenous transgender priestess?

So despite the misconceptions that the Philippines was easily conquered by the Spaniards,

that the native people of our islands were easily defeated,

and that our ancestors quickly converted to Christianity or the Catholic faith,

there were actually a lot of uprisings and resistance against colonialism in the Philippines.

So by the time of the proclamation of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898,

there were already around 200 native and indigenous revolts and uprisings

against the Spanish Empire that were recorded throughout what is now the Philippines.

And among the most iconic yet almost forgotten of these anti-colonial uprisings

happened on the island of Bohol back in the 1600s.

And it was led by the fearsome babaylan or priestess known by the name of Tamblot.

So who exactly was the fearless and fearsome babaylan Tamblot?

What is up with their uprising?

Let's dig deeper and learn more!

Welcome back to my channel!

It's me Kirby Arayo, your friendly Pinoy historian.

And if you like learning about history, culture, and everything in between

from the Philippines, Southeast Asia, the diaspora, and beyond,

don't forget to like, share this video, comment down below, and please, please subscribe.

And in today's video, we will be learning and digging deeper into one of the most fiercest

uprisings in the history of the Philippines and Southeast Asia, if not in the entire world.

So before we begin learning about the Tamblot Revolt,

it is important for us to remember that there are no gender pronouns

in the many indigenous languages of the Philippines.

Gender and sexuality were seen by our ancestors as something fluid, colorful, and beautiful.

And Tamblot was someone who in the modern day would be identified as a transgender.

So in this video, I'll be referring to Tamblot with the English pronoun she.

Because she was recognized by her own people, her own community, as their babaylan.

And was therefore accepted by her people to be undoubtedly one among the women.

And yes, unknown to many, not all babaylan or pre-colonial priestesses were women.

There is significant evidence to indicate that some babaylans

of our ancestors were actually transgenders.

They were known as the asog in the Visayas or bayuk or bayugin in Luzon.

And they wholeheartedly embraced and embodied indigenous femininity

of their respective ancient cultures and pre-colonial societies.

In fact, they were accepted and beloved for it.

Now, I understand that gender and sexuality, these topics are still very hot and controversial.

Not just in the Philippines, but across the many societies all over the world.

Including the United States.

But you know, to understand our people's history and to fully appreciate our roots

and the significance of our past, we must truly look beyond our personal prejudice.

Beyond our standards based on our present day understanding of the world around us.

You know, we must keep an open mind to the many lessons we may learn

from the wisdom of our ancestors.

And I'm telling you, there's a lot to learn from our ancestors.

Lessons that would make our world today a much better place.

Okay, so who exactly was the fearless and fearsome babaylan Tamblot?

You know, why did they lead an uprising?

Why did she lead an uprising?

Why were they revolting?

Now, to answer these questions, we must first look at some historical context

and some background on what led to their revolt.

As many of you know, during the 16th century or the 1500s,

European kingdoms expanded their imperial ambitions throughout the world.

Overall, it was an age of conquest, colonization, you know,

centuries of extraction of resources and the exploitation of indigenous peoples

in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

And you know, it was a period characterized by the escalation in the spread of Christianity.

And it was a direct result of the evangelization that the Portuguese and the Spaniards

carried out to spread the Catholic faith across their many new territories.

You know, from the Americas to Asia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean,

Christianity spread everywhere.

And in many cases, these were accomplished through force and violence

in which the indigenous spirituality and the many traditional religions

of these lands were violently and brutally overthrown and demonized.

And to be honest, it was a process of evangelization that

was meant not just to spread the Christian faith

but also to eradicate the power base of the native societies.

In other words, to dismantle indigenous power.

Therefore, making these indigenous lands and these indigenous people

easier to suppress, control, and conquer.

Unsurprisingly, this was not always well-received by the native populations.

And thus, uprisings were recorded in many of these colonized lands.

And the Philippines was no exception.

So the first recorded Europeans to arrive on the islands we now call the Philippines

happened in 1521, exactly 100 years before Tamblot's revolt.

However, unknown to many, including the majority of Filipinos today,

the conquest of the islands was not actually carried out until 1565

by the conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi.

In fact, the island of Luzon was not even conquered

until the following decades, in the 1570s and the 1580s.

Nonetheless, the beginning of the colonial era in the Philippines

started in Legazpi's conquest of the Visayan Islands back in the mid-1560s.

And along with this colonial conquest,

was the evangelical spread of Christianity

driven by the efforts of the Spanish missionaries.

Now, unknown to many, there was quite a lot of diversity

of pre-colonial religious beliefs in these islands.

Ranging from the indigenous traditions

marked by the belief in the deities and the spirits of nature.

To the many syncretisms of the Hindu-Buddhist traditions.

And later on, with the advent of Islam in Southeast Asia.

In fact, overall, the spirituality of our ancestors.

Now, these were very similar and interconnected with our neighbors

throughout what we now call Southeast Asia.

And as mentioned in my previous videos,

in these indigenous societies,

the figure of the spiritual leaders and healers

known to us as the Babaylan stood out.

And just in case you didn't know,

there are different terms used

in the different ethno-linguistic groups of the islands.

So for example, the most popular term today, Babaylan,

was used amongst the Visayans.

They were known as Catalonan in Tagalog,

Mamaluyan and Katulunan amongst the Kapampangans,

Walian and Meranao and Maguindanaon,

or Balian amongst the Lumads and many more.

But when Christianity began to spread across the islands,

the Babaylans were relegated to the background.

From being the dominating spiritual leaders of our societies,

they were suddenly persecuted and killed at the stake

if they refused to convert.

Indeed, they were accused of being devils,

of being evil witches,

the unholy malevolent forces that must be eradicated.

In fact, they were even fed to crocodiles.

And you know, just in case you missed it,

just in case you are new to my channel,

I've already talked about quite a lot,

quite a few times about the Babaylans

in my videos, my previous videos and even in my books.

So if you want to learn more and dig deeper

and expand your knowledge,

here's a few reminders.

Today's video is just an introduction

to this fascinating topic.

So check out the links below

for a list of resources and recommended readings.

And if you want to support my channel and my research,

please be my patron on Patreon

or be a member of my YouTube channel

and get copies of any of my books,

coloring books and ebooks

or any of the merch linked down below.

Maraming salamat po.

And actually, today's video is also an entire chapter

in my book, The Fierce Women of Early Southeast Asia,

where you can learn more

and meet over four dozen inspiring women

from the histories and the oral traditions

of our ancestors,

including the fearless and fearsome

heroic Babaylan, Tamblot.

Kaya naman, if you want to learn more

and dig deeper and expand your knowledge

beyond the limits of this YouTube video,

don't miss out and order your copies today.

Now back to our topic,

back to the fearless and fearsome

Babaylang, Tamblot.

So by 1620, more than 50 years

after the Spanish conquest of the Visayas,

traditional beliefs and indigenous religions

across the islands were still of wide importance

in the Philippines,

especially in isolated and mountainous regions

such as the huge island of Bohol.

Now, the details of Tamblot's life

before the revolt remains unknown,

but she later rose to fame

thanks to her fearlessness and spiritual activities

as the Babaylan who led the rebellion.

Now, although there were other religious figures

on the island,

in fact, during this time,

there were still many Babaylans around,

but Tamblot stood out

and was recognized for her ability

to perform miracles,

which attracted the attention

of the native population.

For example, according to oral traditions,

Tamblot was able to cut bamboo canes with a knife,

after which wine and rice sprouted from them.

And then the Christians claimed that

it was just a false trick of a so-called devil.

Nonetheless, this was enough to gain more followers,

faithful followers of the Babaylan's miracles.

And thus, Tamblot became among the most

important figures of the Bol-Anon people.

And Babaylan Tamblot urged her followers

to settle in the mountains,

in the most isolated parts of the island,

where they could live freely

under their traditional beliefs

and indigenous faith,

without interference from the Catholic Church

and the colonial authorities.

Babaylan Tamblot ensured that

all their food and need

would be covered through the miracles

of the indigenous deities,

to whom they would offer a sanctuary

for this purpose.

In this way, she established herself

with hundreds of her followers in Bohol.

At any rate, she was aware

that she represented a threat

to the Christians and the Spanish rule.

She also understood the need

to get rid of the colonizers

to preserve their indigenous beliefs.

And as a result,

together with her followers

and fellow Babaylans,

she urged the people of Bohol,

the Bol-Anon people,

to rise up against the Spaniards.

Babaylan Tamblot assured her people

that they would be protected

by the deities and the spirits.

Who, in turn, would guide them to victory.

And this is how

she transmitted her message

to the Bol-Anon people.

She was aided in this endeavor

by many of her fellow Babaylans,

who were also tired of being persecuted

and vilified and demonized

by the conquistadors.

And their movement grew stronger

with each cycle of the moon.

They gained new followers

and warriors across the island.

It was said that

only a very few villages refused to join.

Many of those who refused

have already professed

to the Christian faith.

While many more feared reprisals

from the colonizers.

But this did not stop the movement

from catching the attention

and the support

not just of those who lived in Bohol,

but also across the many islands

of the Visayas.

It was no surprise that their movement

aroused the hatred

of the Spanish officials

in the city known then

as the Villa del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús

or what we now call Cebu City.

However, at first,

the colonial authorities in Cebu

did nothing about it.

Despite the pressure from the priests

to eradicate the movement,

the Alcalde Mayor

or the governor of Cebu,

Juan Alcarazo,

only demanded that they

lay down their arms.

Now of course,

the Bolonon people refused.

They refused to surrender

and laid down their arms.

But the colonial authorities in Cebu

did not actually do much about it.

Because the Alcalde Mayor

claimed that

he did not have

the authorization

of Governor General

Alonso Fajardo de Entenza

to launch an expedition

against Tamblot.

Anyhow,

due to the urgency of the situation,

Alcalde Mayor Alcarazo

eventually began to form an army

to face the indigenous Bololon forces.

Alcarazo's forces were composed

of only 50 Spaniards

backed by around

a thousand native Cebuanos.

And they were armed with swords,

shields, and firearms.

And this force landed

on the island of Bohol.

But unknown to them,

Tamblot was already

anticipating the attack.

And thus,

ordered her forces to withdraw

to their bases

in the interior of the island.

And the Babaylan Tamblot

and her forces

have also gathered provisions

in preparation

for the possibility

of a long siege.

And the search for this

isolated settlement

began in the new year of 1622.

However,

it would not be an easy task

as the fierce Babaylan Tamblot

had chosen a very remote area,

which along with its isolation,

was difficult to access

due to the forests,

the mountains,

and the swamps surrounding it.

So the first five days

of this search

were unsuccessful

until on the sixth day,

when the Spaniards

and their Cebuano allies

located the base.

Now,

as they're trying

to approach

the native Bololon encampment,

a brief skirmish began

in which a native ally

of the Spaniards died.

Although the Spaniards

had some technological advantage,

Babaylan Tamblot

and her forces,

the Bololon people,

knew the terrain very well.

The forest was thus

an advantage

to the Boholanos.

And so the next day,

the forces,

the warriors

led by Tamblot

decided to launch

a surprise attack

against the colonizers.

It was their initiative

to destroy the enemy vanguard

and weaken the Spanish forces.

And that was how

1,500 Bololon warriors

led by Babaylan Tamblot

ambushed the front

of the military formation

made up of only about

16 Spaniards,

accompanied by

300 native allies

from Cebu.

And even though

it was a surprise attack,

the Spaniards

and their allies

began to use their firearms,

an advantage with which

they tried to kill

as many Bololon warriors

as they could

thanks to their muskets.

Now sadly,

Tamblot's forces

were unable to counteract

these attacks.

They had no choice

but to withdraw

after suffering

heavy casualties.

And thus,

they fled to a nearby forest

to regroup.

But this, however,

did not mean a defeat

because suddenly,

a rainstorm

started pouring in.

And this

raised the morale

of Tamblot

and her people.

The Bololon people

attributed the rain

to the spirits,

believing that the deities

were on their side

launching an attack

against the colonizers.

So while it's true that

the rain shower

reduced the firepower

of the Spaniards,

they were still able

to keep their weapons dry

by using the well-made

native shields

of the Cebuanos.

And this is actually similar

to the indigenous

bulletproof shields

used by Datu Lapu-Lapu

in the Battle of Mactan

back in 1521.

Now, unfortunately

for the Boholanos,

the Spaniards would continue

in decimating

Babaylan Tamblot

and her warriors.

Sadly,

the Bololons

were eventually defeated

and they retreated

into the mountains.

Now with this victory,

the Spaniards

had a clear path

to the power base of Tamblot

from where the natives

launched a last

desperate attack

by showering the Spaniards

with rocks,

hitting the colonizers,

and even managing

to injure Alcarazo.

But eventually defeated,

the Bololon people

could no longer stop

the Spaniards

and their Cebuano allies

from entering the base

and thus,

looting the settlement

and massacring

the Bololon natives.

It was sadly

the end

of the revolt

led by Babaylan Tamblot.

The Spaniards

looted everything Tamblot

and her followers

had in their fortifications.

And in the following days,

the Spaniards

were given the task

of locating

those who had fled.

They were ordered

to capture

or kill them on sight.

In this way,

Tamblot's fellow Babaylans

were sadly

all executed

while the rest of their followers

received amnesty

or even worse,

were actually

enslaved.

Now Tamblot

was probably killed

during the heavy fighting,

during the battle itself,

or was executed

after being captured.

Unfortunately,

the records

remain vague

on her final fate.

Okay,

so

did Tamblot

actually fail?

You know,

was their uprising,

was the revolt,

completely

an epic failure?

Was it all for nothing?

Well, not exactly.

And here's why.

Today,

the fearless

and fearsome Babaylan Tamblot

is remembered

for her warrior spirit

and for her courage

with which she was able

to fiercely

face colonialism.

Driven

by her spiritual fervor

and her undying love

for her people,

Babaylan Tamblot

risked her own life

to free her community

from the shackles

of colonialism.

And for this,

she has been immortalized

in the folklore

and the history

of the Bol-Anon people.

And despite

succumbing to the Spaniards,

her movement inspired

other revolts

across the Philippines.

In fact,

a mere six months later,

a new revolt

took place

in the mountains of Bohol.

In other words,

Tamblot lit the fire

of resistance

amongst the Boholanos,

a fire that continued burning

for centuries to come.

Indeed,

a century later,

in the 1700s,

the Boholanos,

led by Francisco de Gohoy,

would successfully

liberate their people.

In fact,

the island of Bohol

remained independent

from Spain

for another 85 years.

From 1744 to 1829,

the Boholanos,

the Bol-Anon people,

were victorious

against colonialism.

And you can learn more about this

in my earlier video

about the Gohoy's Revolt.

So if you haven't seen it yet,

make sure to watch it

after this video.

Anyways,

as I've mentioned

many times before,

wherever there is oppression

and injustice,

there will always be resistance.

And there will always be

movements towards peace

and justice

in our communities,

many of which

are led

by our fierce

trans communities.

Now today,

queer people

in the Philippines

are known to give life

and laughter

to our people,

and oftentimes,

to lift the spirits

of our communities.

Yet,

over and over again,

they were also seen

as objects of ridicule

and humiliation.

But you know,

back in the pre-colonial realities

of our ancestors,

trans people

were seen

as highly spiritual.

They were empowered.

They were respected

at the pinnacle

of our pre-colonial societies.

In fact,

they were revered,

highly revered,

and not seen

as a curse.

Now ironically,

our ancestors

showed more inclusion

and equality

than our modern-day society.

So after this video,

make sure to watch

my other videos

about the babaylands

and about gender and sexuality

in pre-colonial Philippines.

And long story short,

our ancestors'

understanding

of gender and sexuality,

you know,

was in many ways

far more open,

more progressive,

and more understanding.

They understood

that gender and sexuality

as fluid,

as colorful,

and beautiful.

And yes,

people who today

may identify themselves

as trans

or LGBTQ

existed

in our archipelago

way before colonialism.

Long before

our people

converted to Christianity.

And maybe even

since the beginning of time.

In fact,

they were among,

and they're still among,

the fiercest leaders

of our people.

Fearless

and always ready

to be on the front lines,

standing up for our rights,

and fighting

for our people's freedom.

Just like

the fierce,

and fearsome,

and fearless

Babaylan Tamblot.

And if you think about it,

Babaylan Tamblot's

legacy

of fierce resistance,

of caring for our people,

of fighting for our freedom,

of fighting against injustices

in our communities,

burns bright

to this day.

Now, you know,

just in case you missed it,

just in case you didn't know,

just in case you had no idea,

March 31st

is actually celebrated

worldwide

as the International

Trans Day of Visibility.

So let us celebrate them,

you know,

by reflecting on what we,

what we can do better

beyond visibility,

beyond the day itself,

beyond March 31st.

And perhaps more importantly,

by taking actions

towards advancing the rights

and the well-being

of our trans family,

friends,

neighbors,

co-workers,

community leaders,

and loved ones.

You know,

let us all learn

from the wisdom

of our ancestors

who saw and understood

that being trans

was a blessing,

not a curse.

Who saw and understood

that gender and sexuality

was something that was fluid,

colorful,

and beautiful.

You know,

trans people belong.

And we,

all of us,

we must all

collectively do our part

to ensure that

they are genuinely respected,

genuinely empowered,

and truly loved.

And that is it for me today.

So let me know

what you think about today's topic

in the comments below.

And if you like this video

and learn a thing or two,

don't forget to like,

share this video,

comment down below,

and please subscribe.

But of course,

before we go,

today's shout-out goes to

my beautiful cousin,

the one and only queen

Ati Mekang of Angayla City, Philippines.

Shout-out to Ebony of Sacramento.

And to Tita Dita

from Bohol and Canada.

Shout-out to Carla from LA

and Pastor Janelle

from the Bay Area.

And special shout-out

to Bahaghari,

the National Alliance

of LGBTQIA+,

formations,

organizations,

and advocates

in the Philippines.

Maraming maraming salamat

for your pakikibiki

and for genuinely serving our people.

Mabuhay kayo!

Now, this video will not be possible

without the love

and the support

of all my patrons,

subscribers,

and viewers like you

throughout these years.

Kaya naman sa inyong lahat,

maraming maraming salamat po,

or as we say in Kapampangan,

dakal pong salamat.

And in Binisaya and Bol-anon,

daghang salamat.

See you next time,

or in Tagalog,

Kitakits,

and in Kapampangan,

Mikitiks,

and in Bol-anon,

Kitayta!