Moro and narcotics

[aiontay]

Staunch Moslems using drugs!?!? Next you'll be telling me followers of the Prince of Peace rode through the blood of Moslems and Jews they slaughtered. I'm shocked, shocked to find people not living up to the precepts of their religion ...

I've heard more than one first hand account of hashish use by devout Muslims in various countries, including from people from the country in question. Not to say the Moros used drugs, but where did the term "assassin" come from?

As for opium, I can't say I've had any direct experience, but I have been told that in small doses it, like booze, initially can act as a stimulant. In Burma during WWII Kachins would eat a small amount of opium to help them stay awake overnight, and US and British supply drops routinely included opium. Again, this is from first hand accounts from people there at the time. Long term use of course was problematic.

Still, I suspect that the majority of Moros didn't touch the stuff, but there always could be an exception.

[migueldiaz]

Nice topic. I too believe that they were not on drugs.

I still wonder though what's the medical explanation for withstanding so many bullet wounds before being felled.

Panglima Hassan's 33 hits before being stopped is a classic example. And if it was not the historian Robert Fulton who mentioned it, I wouldn't believe such was possible.

[Battara]

Well don't forget that the warrior didn't live long at all before blood loss and heart problems set in. Today there are those who are shot many times and are still able to pull off rounds at the police here in the US. Much easier to survive .38 caliber than a .45 caliber. Although I will not be shocked that perhaps some may have had some tubo or opium, as far as US accounts are concerned, drugs for this type of usage were not mentioned (as far as I know) and that would be something noteworthy like the Zulu plant concoction, or, at the very least, to use as a reason to denigrate the Moros even further in US Army eyes.

[Rick]

Agree with you Jose .
I wonder if, for Juramentados at least, the secret was in the funeral bindings .
I think they would minimize exit wounds and help keep blood loss down .

[VANDOO]

THE TIME INVOLVED IN AN ATTACK WAS VERY SHORT AND IF RUNNING AT FULL SPEED A SHORT DISTANCE BLOOD LOSS WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE A MAJOR FACTOR.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE SMALL CALIBERS WAS NOT THAT THEY WOULD NOT KILL IT WAS THAT THEY WOULD NOT STOP OR KNOCK DOWN THE WARRIORS FAST ENOUGH. I USED TO RUN THE 100 YARD DASH IN 10 SECONDS FLAT SO IF A WARRIOR WAS COMING AT YOU AT THAT SPEED TIME WAS VERY SHORT. AT SHORTER DISTANCES TIME WOULD BE NEGLIBLE MOST OF US CAN HOLD OUR BREATH MORE THAN 10 SECONDS SO HOLES IN THE LUNGS WOULD NOT STOP YOU.
ROPE WAS MADE IN MANILA SO SOME TYPE OF HEMP WOULD HAVE BEEN GROWN AND AS MENTIONED OPIUM WAS PRESENT. THERE ARE PROBABLY LOTS OF OTHER PLANTS WITH DRUG AND HALLUCIGENIC PROPERTIES IN THE JUNGLES.
IN MOST SOCIETIES WHO USED DRUGS ON WARRIORS BEFORE AN ATTACK USUALLY ALL WERE ADMINISTERED BY THE SHAMAN OR MEDICINE MAN. SO THE DANGER OF THE DRUG WOULD BE CONTROLLED AND THE USE OF THE DRUGS TRADITIONAL AND ACCEPTED BY THE SOCIETY.
POLICE HAVE HAD SOME FRIGHTENING ENCOUNTERS WITH PEOPLE ON PCP (ANIMAL TRANQLIZER), COCANE, HEROIN AND SPEED. WITH ALL OF THESE THE BODY CAN PREFORM HIGH ABOVE ITS USUAL OPERATING RANGES.
PSYCOREACTIVE DRUGS SUCH AS MAGIC AND SILICYBEN MUSHROOMS DO HIGHTEN VISION, SPEED AND STAMINA BUT UNLESS A VIOLENT STATE IS INDUCED BEFORE ADMINISTRATION USERS ARE NON VOLENT.
ITS POSSIBLE MAGIC MEDICINES WERE USED BY MORO WARRIORS AS THEY DID USE CHARMS AND DID HAVE BELIEFS IN EVIL EYES AND BEING BULLETPROOF AND SUCH. ALL THE STORIES I HEARD NEVER MENTIONED DRUGS AND THE LEGEND HAS BEEN BUILT UP ABOUT THE TIMES AND MORRO WARRIORS THAT PROBABLY ARE NOT ENTIRELY ACCURATE. THE SAME IS TRUE OF MANY WARRIORS IN MANY PLACES AND TIMES THRUOUT HISTORY.

[Dimasalang]

I remember watching a show on the history of drugs in America. Opium at the turn of the 20th century was legal in America. Sears & Roebuck also offered Heroin along with a syringe from their catalog of 1900. On the show they mentioned many soldiers who came back from the Philippine American War were addicts from the Opium dens in Manila. The entry dock from Manila to the US for these soldiers was San Francisco, where the largest Chinese community was located(China town)...and the soldiers would continue their addiction at the opium dens there.

If America at one point thought opium was harmless and didn't ban the substance, then to me there is a small possibility opium was not a illegal drug by the Moros either.


From the Sears & Roebuck catalog

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Dimasalang

If America at one point thought opium was harmless and didn't ban the substance, then to me there is a small possibility opium was not a illegal drug by the Moros either.

Dimasalang, that's a very valid point.

Also, we know that the Moros practice folk Islam, in the same manner that (Filipino) Christians practice folk Catholicism.

Thus what was actually practiced by those people did not strictly follow the hard-and-fast tenets of those religions.

Very recently, millions of Filipinos saw on TV a bolo rush of Mindanao cultists against a group of police and govt. militiamen. Please see attached news clips.

I myself saw the video footages. The first to rush was a cult member who attacked from a stationary position about 10 meters away from the govt. troops. As soon as he sprung from where he stood, he immediately met a hail of M16 and pistol rounds. And yet he almost hacked a frontline trooper after being able to cover the 10 meters, before he finally fell, literally at the feet of the troopers.

And then the others cult members, waving their bolos and also no firearms, started rushing to the troopers (three of the cultists can be seen in the clip below, with the rightmost cultist seen as hit already).

Surely a religiously-inspired and determined attacker will be able to withstand a lot of gunshot wounds before he is stopped.

The news articles are here and here.

[Dimasalang]

Originally Posted by migueldiaz

Dimasalang, that's a very valid point.

Also, we know that the Moros practice folk Islam, in the same manner that (Filipino) Christians practice folk Catholicism.

Thus what was actually practiced by those people did not strictly follow the hard-and-fast tenets of those religions.

Very recently, millions of Filipinos saw on TV a bolo rush of Mindanao cultists against a group of police and govt. militiamen. Please see attached news clips.

I myself saw the video footages. The first to rush was a cult member who attacked from a stationary position about 10 meters away from the govt. troops. As soon as he sprung from where he stood, he immediately met a hail of M16 and pistol rounds. And yet he almost hacked a frontline trooper after being able to cover the 10 meters, before he finally fell, literally at the feet of the troopers.

And then the others cult members, waving their bolos and also no firearms, started rushing to the troopers (three of the cultists can be seen in the clip below, with the rightmost cultist seen as hit already).

Surely a religiously-inspired and determined attacker will be able to withstand a lot of gunshot wounds before he is stopped.

The news articles are here and here.

Interesting article. I notice they called them "Tad-Tad"(Chop Chop). This was originally a Pulajane name from the early part of the century. I know many Pulajane groups migrated south in the Mindanao after their battles with PC, PS, and soldiers. Is this cult descended from the Pulajane group?

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Dimasalang

Interesting article. I notice they called them "Tad-Tad"(Chop Chop). This was originally a Pulajane name from the early part of the century. I know many Pulajane groups migrated south in the Mindanao after their battles with PC, PS, and soldiers. Is this cult descended from the Pulajane group?

Am not sure whether the cult traces its roots to the Pulahanes.

But the first attacker I mentioned above (I think he's the leader), was dressed in bright red blouse. That must mean something.

Below is a pic of the local reenactors' interpretation of how a Pulahan dressed.

Back to the Moros, when I was going over the Tausug (Jolo Moro)-English dictionary, I also noticed that there are more terms about talismans, charms, and amulets, as compared to orthodox Islam terms. At least that was my impression.

Thus aside from their Islamic faith, the folk Islam practiced by the Moros involved a lot of trusting in these amulets. Again, just my impression.

And we know how a firm belief or state of mind can superhumanly sustain a person, up to a point.

[Nonoy Tan]

when I was going over the Tausug (Jolo Moro)-English dictionary, I also noticed that there are more terms about talismans, charms, and amulets, as compared to orthodox Islam terms

I ascribe to this methodology of researching the dictionary, especially those created during the relevant period (years). If these was such a drug, then surely the name by which it is called by the locals would be found in those dictionaries. These dictionaries would include Bagobo, Tausug, Maguindanao, Sama, Mandaya, Tboli, etc. (all the linguistic groups).

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

I ascribe to this methodology of researching the dictionary, especially those created during the relevant period (years). If these was such a drug, then surely the name by which it is called by the locals would be found in those dictionaries. These dictionaries would include Bagobo, Tausug, Maguindanao, Sama, Mandaya, Tboli, etc. (all the linguistic groups).

Excellent point.

As ethnographers say, if something is part and parcel of a culture, then for sure there will be a term for it.

The absence of the term for a warrior's drug or hallucinogen thus seems to support the idea that by and large, none was used.

Maybe somebody ought to check out also the Maranaw terms (aside from the Magindanaw terms) ...

PS - The Tausug-English Dictionary I used (by Hassan, et al.), cites as references older Tausug dictionaries and manuscripts, i.e., late-1800s to early-1900s as I recall.