Benign spirit

I've been meaning to blip this bulol, a granary god (or rice god) from one of the Cordillera mountain tribes of Northern Luzon in the Philippines. Carved from tropical hardwood, it was stationed at the granary entrance to keep watch over a family's rice harvest and ward off evil spirits and possibly human thieves. The dark patina on the wood comes not only from age but also from the pig's and chicken's blood it was washed with for ceremonial purposes. The rataan hat and old trade beads do not belong to it, but are from the same region. Worth a closer look.

This was one of 3 bulols my mother lent me to help furnish my flat when I left home at 19. She wasn't superstitious but joked that perhaps they would keep her rebellious firstborn from harm (they did!). My mother's extensive collection of tribal artifacts from the Cordillera was sadly destroyed in the 1990 earthquake that struck Baguio, our hometown in the northern Philippines, and in which she was also killed. (Backstory here.)



This is especially for dear Mr Talpa, one of my favourite Blippers, who's celebrating one year here today.