The Code of Calanciao

(Lagda ni Calanciao) – Last of two parts

Believed to have been written in 1433, centuries after the Maragtas Code was promulgated in 1212, the author of the code, Calanciao, was 81 years old then and lived in the hilly side of Pinamungajan, Cebu.

The rest of the Code are as follows:

10.) It shall be the obligation of every mother to teach her daughter secretly the things that are lascivious and prepare them to womanhood; men shall not be cruel to their wives, nor should they punish them when they catch them in the act of adultery. He who disobeys this shall be torn to pieces and thrown to crocodiles.

11.) They shall be burned, those who by force or cunning ways have mocked at and eluded punishment, or have killed two children; or shall try to steal away the women of the old men.

12.) They shall be drowned, all those slaves, who assault their superiors or their lords and masters; all those who abuse of their lust, those who disrespect their idols by breaking them or throwing them away.

13.) They shall be exposed to the ants for one-half day, those who kill a black cat during the new moon or steal things belonging to the headman and elder, however small or inexpensive they may be.

14.) They shall be slaves for life, those who having beautiful daughters shall deny them for marriage to the sons of the headman, or shall hide them in bad faith.

15.) Concerning the beliefs and superstitions, they shall be scourged, those who eat bad meat of sacred animals or herbs that are supposed to be good; he who hurts or kills the young manual bird and white monkey.

16.) Their fingers shall be cut off, all those who break wooden or clay idols in their altars and places of oblation; he who breaks priestesses’ daggers for hog killing, or breaks drinking vases.

17.) They shall be killed, those who profane places where sacred objects or their idols or headman are buried. He who gives way to the call of nature in such places shall be burned.

18.) Those who do not cause those rules to be observed, if they are headman, shall be stoned and crushed to death, and if they are old men, shall be placed in rivers to be eaten by sharks and crocodiles.