In 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl sailed aboard Kon-Tiki, a raft made from balsa wood, for 4,300 miles from South America across the Pacific Ocean to the Polynesian Islands to prove that pre-Columbian people from South America could have crossed the Pacific aboard wooden rafts and settled in Polynesia. For 101 days he sailed and made successful landfall in Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia.
In 1970, Thor Heyerdahl once again made a daring voyage. He theorized that it is possible for ancient people from North Africa to travel across the Atlantic to the American continent by using boats made from papyrus reeds. Aboard the vessel Ra II, Thor Heyerdahl set sail from Morocco, crossed the Atlantic and reached Barbados in the Carribean sea.
In 1976, a relic of an old wooden boat was discovered in Butuan, this is was carbon dated to be 1,600 years old. This is boat is the Balangay, the boats used by the ancestors of the Filipinos in crossing the distant islands of the South Pacific. This discovery was hailed to be the South East Asian equivalent of viking boats discoveries in Northern Europe.
One June 27, 2009 a wooden boat replica of the balangay set sail and embarked on an ambitious 4-year voyage that will take its brave crew of Filipino adventurers around South East Asia, to Micronesia, to Madagascar and Africa. The core crew is lead by Art Valdez and the Philippine Mt. Everest Team including Nestor Emata and Leo Oracion. They will be supported by members of the Coast Guard and skilled Badjao boatsmen. The voyage will be done without the aid of modern GPS systems and will rely on the navigational methods of ancient Badjao sailors that are passed on from generation to generation. This is to prove that the our ancestors are skilled sea fearers long before Ferdinand Magellan dropped anchor on Philippine shores.
It is a shame that my family and I missed the releasing of the Balangay onto the waters of the Manila bay. I am sure that those who witnessed that event felt proud that they are Filipinos. When my family and I visited the Balangay when it is still being constructed, I wrote in the log book that “First, its the Kon Tiki, then its the RaII. Now its time for the Balangay and its time to show the world that ancient Filipinos are capable of crossing oceans on ancient boats.” Goodluck to the Balangay, may you have a safe voyage.
The balangay, christined “Ngandahig” (some sources say the boat’s name is Diwata ng Lahi, I prefer this as this is more poetic) receiving finishing touches from skilled Badjao craftsmen.
RP with her friends from MAP-Ultra, Bentong, Sarah and Irish. RP is carrying a kitten she found abandoned in Rizal Park and we christined him Balangay.
June 30, 2009 at 8:39 pm |
Wow! What an adventure! Especially during this typhoon season! I am quite worried if they every pass the Indian Ocean during Cyclone season there. May the Lord protect and guide them.
Without GPS, that’s something since it would be difficult to navigate on a cloudy night.
I remember about reading Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon-Tiki when I was 12. That really shocked me about the adventurism those Norwegians have. Real descendants of Vikings.
At least they prove long distance sea-faring during ancient times.
I was and am still mystified about Egyptian architecture that the Aztecs and Incans and other Indian tribes share that somehow are quite similar. I’ve been comparing too about their legends and gods – there are similarities.
I hope many of these secrets will be revealed as new technologies are developed for archaeology, satellite imagery, etc to at least revel these unanswered questions about these past civilizations.
Have you read the book about the Munity on HMS Bounty by Capt. William Bligh?
I was really curious about when they were set adrift by the mutineers and how they got to several Islands – Capt. Bligh mentioned about several islanders and their chief speaking a word in their native tongue, “Matai”. In which Capt. Bligh mentioned that it meant “to die”, “death”. It is quite similar to the Ilocano word “Matay” which also means die.
Interesting to think that our other ancestors might have come from other islands in the Pacific as well, aside from the land bridges or through Sabah or even from neighboring Vietnam.
We share the same features with the people of Palau and other islands west and southwest of us.
Do you remember that I was reading about the Mongols? Well during one of their last sea voyage, that is their voyage to Java, there route of travel was near the Philippines. I wonder if the Mongols were blown off course and towards our islands, what exciting history would that make for the Philippines. Ah history… the mysteries it holds.
I think, it is also a possibility that Japanese traders or mercenaries might have landed in the Philippines too. With small band of Ronins who served in various royal courts throughout South East Asia. Our country’s location between the mainland and our neighboring islands makes me think that somehow our country has historical secrets that are waiting to be discovered pertaining to those times.
July 3, 2009 at 3:10 pm |
That is the concern shared by me and Beck. Beck’s first reaction when I told her about this adventure was, “My God, mamamatay sila”. I told her that despite the slim odds and the danger that they may encounter, i still have the firm belief that they will finish the trip and return safely to the Philippines.
The Egyptian and South American pyramids have lots of similarity if you will look from afar. But if you will study them closely, they are very different. The one big reason most people think that they are similar is because of their shape. But if you will consider the technology at the time that these were built, a pyramid shaped structure is the only logical way to build tall structures, because it gives you a wide and stable base and enables you to pile up more and more materials (or floors) to make your structure higher. Whereas building structures today, because of technological advances in engineering, skyscrapers do not need to have a wide base.
Egyptian pyramids served a different purpose, that is to be burial places of their pharaohs. Whereas South American pyramids are used for religious ceremonies such as offering human sacrifices (though some do serve as burial places of their emperors, but this is not the main purpose). And that’s why the difference in their shape. Egyptian pyramids are pointed and are perfect diagonal lines, whereas South American pyramids are “step-pyramids”, like big stairway to the heavens and they are flat on the top. South American pyramids are “flat-topped” because sacrifices and other religious ceremonies are performed at its apex. Whereas Egyptian pyramids need not be “flat-topped” because they don’t serve the same purpose. Because of the ceremonies that are repeatedly be done on South American pyramids, they have long staircases on its sides, to enable people to go up its highest point. Whereas “stairways” like these are absent in Egyptian pyramids. This is the reason why the sides of South American pyramids have ornate carvings. Think of it as one big outdoor church. Which is not the same case with Egyptian pyramids.
Perhaps the Nubian pyramids might interest you more. A stone found in a Nubian pyramid has a writing that roughly says, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God….”. The stone dates back hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
July 5, 2009 at 8:13 pm |
Hey thanks for the additional info!!!! What about the ziggurats? Weren’t they some sort of step-pyramid built by the Sumerians and Bablyonians, etc? But their ziggurats served as temples and lunar calendars.
That’s an interesting note about the Nubian pyramids.
July 11, 2009 at 4:01 pm |
Sorry for the delayed reply, Ray. Was extremely busy at the office. About the ziggurats, they served almost the same purpose like the South American pyramids. At the tops of ziggurats are shrines where priests perform religious ceremonies. Which explains why they are flat topped like their South American counterparts. If you observe the stairways on the sides of the ziggurats, these are very narrow, unlike the pyramics found in Latin America. There’s a practical reason for this, narrow stairways enable a small band of guards to secure the top of the ziggurats from marauders or bandits. Another practical reason for building the ziggurats, aside from the ancient Persians’ belief that these tall structures connect heaven and Earth, these edifices protects the priests and other religious objects from the regular flooding of the Persian and Mesopotamian lowlands.
July 15, 2009 at 11:18 am |
Hi Pierre,
Here you can virtually immersed yourself with the balangay launch.
http://virtualjournals.net/2009/06/29/salinlahi-the-launch-of-the-balangay/
Just click the individual images. Warm regards,
July 22, 2009 at 8:01 pm |
Hey Fung,
Thanks for the link. Where can I have updates regarding the journey of the Balangay?
July 23, 2009 at 12:15 pm |
Hi Pierre,
You can get updates from their website: http://www.balangay-voyage.com
Regards,
July 24, 2009 at 3:39 pm |
Hi Fung,
Thank you very much for the link.
Regards,