FAKING EARLY PH HISTORY PT. 1

A: Frederick Russell Eggan was a well-known American anthropologist known for applying British social anthropology to his studies. He promoted Boasian empiricism in understanding Northern Philippines, emphasizing that knowledge is based on observation and experience. He argued that pre-Hispanic coastal and inland communities developed different social beliefs and systems because of their different environmental conditions

(BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF THE AUTHORS) Who was Frederick Russell Eggan?.

A: Evett Dorell Hester was an American anthropologist who worked with Dr. Henry Otley Beyer in studying the Philippines during the 1930s. She assisted Beyer and James Alexander Robertson in the transcription and modern translation of the Povedano Manuscript of 1572.

Who was Evett Dorell Hester?

A: The Povedano Manuscript of 1572 is the modern translation and presentation of Diego Povedano's short work, "La Isla de Negros y las Costumbres de los Visayos." It provides insights into the Visayan people and their customs during the pre-colonial/early colonial period.

(The Contents and Relevancy of the Povedano Manuscript) What is the Povedano Manuscript of 1572?

A: E.D. Hester and Dr. James Robertson summarized and presented the modern translation in their work, "The Robertson Text and Translation of the Povedano Manuscript of 1572."

Who presented the modern translation of Povedano's work?

A: Hester obtained several important documents, including the Map of Negros, a translated copy of the Native Pre-Hispanic Calendar, and 27 photostat pages containing Povedano's observations and insights about the Visayas.

What documents did E.D. Hester obtain from Robertson's personal library at Duke University?

A: Dr. James Robertson obtained the documents from the famous Filipino writer and historian Jose E. Marco.

(Tracing the Historical Providence of the Povedano Manuscripts - From Marco to Robertson) How did Dr. Robertson acquire the Povedano-related documents?

A: The collection included:

Historia de la Isla de Negros by Diego Povedano

1572 Map of Negros on parchment

Las Antiguas Leyendas de la Isla Negros by Fr. Jose Maria Pavon

Brujerias y los Cuentos de Fantasmas

Los cuentos de los indios de esta isla [de Negros] by Fr. Jose Maria Pavon

A Visayan Calendar

What documents were given to Robertson by Jose E. Marco?

A: According to the claimed provenance, a servant of Governor Morquecho stole the historical documents during a Moro raid in 1853. The documents, which were signed by Governor Morquecho, were then given to German C. Boysen and were reportedly stolen again during the Spanish-American War.

(From Morquecho to Marco) What is the claimed historical provenance of the Povedano document?

A: The document reportedly contained information about:

Names of ancient sites and settlements

Economic and social life, including places and ceremonies

Intellectual and moral education

Natural history

An accompanying Map of Negros written in Latin

What information was contained in the document La Isla de Negros, y las Costumbres de los Visayos y Negritos Indios?

A: Jose E. Marco sold the historical documents to the Philippine National Library. Dr. James Robertson and Dr. Henry Otley Beyer later obtained copies of these materials for their own research.

(From Marco to the Philippine National Library) What happened to the historical documents after Jose E. Marco obtained them?

A: The materials included:

A Map of Negros dated 1572

A 27-page parchment written by Diego Povedano

A manuscript by Fr. Pavon entitled "Brujerías, y los cuentos de fantasmas"

What documents were obtained from the collection?

A: Hester concluded that the historical provenance of the Povedano Manuscripts could be linked to the documents obtained by Jose E. Marco, connecting the materials in Robertson and Beyer's possession to Marco's collection.

What did Hester conclude about the provenance of the Povedano Manuscripts?

A: Dr. E.D. Hester and Dr. Frederick Russell Eggan believed there was reasonable certainty that the manuscript was authentic because they trusted Dr. James Robertson's judgment about the historical documents.

(The Growing Skepticism of the Povedano Manuscript) Why did Hester and Eggan consider the Povedano Manuscript authentic?

A: Mauro Garcia pointed out that in Povedano's documented parchments, Povedano never mentioned creating a map, raising questions about the claimed 1572 Map of Negros.

Why did Mauro Garcia raise doubts about the manuscript's authenticity?

A: Garcia questioned whether the supporting manuscripts attributed to Povedano and provided by Jose E. Marco were genuinely written by Povedano, including:

- Mi Xornada y Peregrinación en las Yslas Filipinas — My Journey and Pilgrimage in the Philippine Islands

- Las Antiguas Leyendas de los Indios, Jarayas, Jiguesinas e Ygneines de Esta Ysla de Buglas — The Ancient Legends of the Indians, Jarayas, Jiguesinas, and Ygneines of This Island of Buglas (Negros)

- Léxico de los Primitivos Ydiomas Jiguesina, Jaraya y Igneine — Lexicon of the Primitive Languages of the Jiguesina, Jaraya, and Igneine

What other documents did Mauro Garcia question?

A: Mauro Garcia became suspicious of Jose E. Marco's claimed provenance of the Povedano Manuscript.

(The Povedano Manuscript being a forged document) Why did Mauro Garcia become suspicious of the Povedano Manuscript?

A: Garcia consulted William Henry Scott for assistance in determining the authenticity of the Povedano Manuscript.

Who did Mauro Garcia consult to authenticate the manuscript?

A: Scott supported Garcia's doubts and concluded that the Povedano Manuscript was a fake document forged by Jose E. Marco.

What was William Henry Scott's conclusion about the Povedano Manuscript?

A: Scott identified several details that did not fit the 16th-century context:

- The Bisayan Calendar supposedly used Spanish letter-for-letter transcription instead of the Baybayin kudlít marks expected in pre-colonial writing.

- The documents used 18th-century Spanish language conventions, including the use of the letter "K," which was anachronistic for the claimed period.

- The use of leather parchment was also questioned because it was reportedly not used in the Philippines during the 16th century.

(The Anachronistic Inconsistenices and False Providence of the Povedano Manuscript) What anachronistic inconsistencies did William Henry Scott identify in the Povedano Manuscript?

A: Scott found that the claimed provenance was historically impossible:

- Governor Manuel Valdivieso y Morquecho could not have authenticated the manuscript because he was not stationed in Negros during the supposed period.

- Fr. Jose Maria Pavon could not have produced or handled the documents as claimed because he was not stationed in Negros during the 16th century; he was there only in the 19th century.

What problems did Scott identify with the claimed provenance of the Povedano Manuscript?

The 1572 Povedano Manuscript cannot be considered an

authentic and historically valid source for understanding

pre-colonial Visayan society because it was proven by

Mr Mauro Garcia and Dr William Henry Scott that this

historical artifact was a fabricated historical hoax

pushed by the skilled forger Jose E Marco.

Upon which the article showcases how Marco had

successfully tricked both the Philippine National Library

and Dr Robertson into believing the Manuscripts

apparent historical validity and authenticity

CONCLUSION