The Bullroarer Atlas

SEA-004 - museum specimen

Tinguian Patoc pabilbil bull roarer

Philippines - Abra - Patoc - Luzon - Southeast Asia

Play / practical

Field Museum catalogue card for the Tinguian pabilbil bull-roarer, no. 109123, from Patoc, Abra, Luzon, with the object drawing.
Field Museum catalogue card for the Tinguian pabilbil bull-roarer, no. 109123, from Patoc, Abra, Luzon, with the object drawing. Image source

pabilbil English

Source term: bull roarer

pabilbil (Tinguian/Itneg) — a whirled bull-roarer: a thin strip of bamboo tied by a red cord to a pole and swung to roar; used to drive or frighten horses and as a boy's plaything. Distinct in Manuel's nomenclature from bilbil/bungkaka, the struck bamboo buzzer of Cordillera women.

At Patoc, boys swung the pabilbil overhead for the pleasure of its roar—and to send stray horses running. Fay-Cooper Cole collected this complete bamboo rig in 1907–08: a thin blade suspended by red cord from a long handle.

pabilbil, bull roarer, used to drive or frighten horses; bamboo pole has thin strip of bamboo attached by red cord; usually a boy's plaything

E. Arsenio Manuel, 'Toward an Inventory of Philippine Musical Instruments,' Asian Studies 14, no. 1 (1976): 10 (FMNH Tinguian inventory, Sp. No. 109123).
Object
Thin bamboo blade tied by a red cord to a long bamboo handle; Field Museum 109123.
Function
A boys’ plaything swung overhead to make a pleasing roar and drive stray horses.
Map confidence
high - Patoc Bucay Abra coordinate from Mindat/GeoNames; Field Museum gives locale Patoc and province Abra, not an object findspot GPS
Source location
Page references

Manuel 1976, p. 10 (Tinguian inventory, entry for Sp. No. 109123); glossary p. 60 ('PABILBIL, Ting., bull roarer'); collector's own monograph at Cole 1922, p. 274

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