Slaung - Blaan Man's headgear

Text

Annotated text (Blaan Kastulen June, 2022)

SLAUNG 

The headgear is only worn by elders or the identified leader of the Blaan community. It was noted that the Blaan leaders no longer wear this type of headgear, but that it could be a good marker of cultural distinction especially as opposed to the wearing of the Otob(man's head scarf). In 1913, Fay Cooper Cole observed that "Ordinarily the men dispense with head covering, or at most twist a bit of cloth into a turban, but for special occasions they wear palm leaf hats covered with many parallel bands of rattan and crowned with notched chicken feathers." (Cole, 1913:134). 

Original Text

Name: Slaoñ (or salaoñ):- Man's round feathered hat, similiar to 129360 but smaller. Part of feathers trimmed. Narrow cloth band on rim is decorated with a few white beads. bamboo strips are tied to palm leaves with cord. Fieldwork number: 1845; Other names: Slaoñ,Salaoñ; Field Museum Catalogue Number: 129361. 

(Note: all instances of either B'laan, Bilaan or Bila-an in the Mapping Database have been changed to Blaan after specific requests from the Blaan of Sarangani Province June 2022. This would differ from the terminology in the original record, which is considered derogatory by the Blaan.)

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