Kankanay Ceremonies

Moss, C. R. (Claude Russell), 1876-Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.5

Word count: 98K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Kankanay Ceremonies by C. R. MossAuthor: Moss, C. R. (Claude Russell), 1876-,Language: English, Class: DS: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Asia, Release Date: Oct 13, 2011

Editor's review

This book is an early ethnographic-style record focusing on the traditional ceremonial activities of the Kankanay people in northern Luzon, Philippines, and is a primary source of folklore and anthropology from an observer's pen. Its value lies not in theoretical construction but in preserving details such as ritual procedures, participant roles, objects, and oral expressions, useful for comparative ritual studies, Southeast Asian ethnography, and reflection on colonial knowledge production. It is best read as a historical source rather than a general survey: first identify the recorder's position and era limitations, then extract usable descriptive information. The language is English, and its length and structure suit sectional consultation. For Chinese readers it is better as research support or selected topical reading than as an introductory text; read alongside later ethnographies and regional histories, the selections and blind spots of early records become clearer.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University teachers and students engaged in Southeast Asian ethnography and ritual studies
Researchers who need colonial-era primary records for textual analysis
Advanced readers interested in the folklore of Philippine highland peoples

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking introductory or narrative works
Those uncomfortable with English historical sources and lacking anthropological background
Readers expecting systematic theoretical frameworks and contemporary interpretation

Reading tips

Read the introductory chapters and table of contents first, identify ritual types, then skip-read by topic.
Prepare regional maps and ethnic background material, checking place names and group designations as you read.
Excerpt descriptive passages onto cards and note differences against later ethnographies.
Look up terms in ethnographic dictionaries first, avoiding direct application of modern concepts.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable as an introduction to anthropology?

Not really. It is early recording material lacking contemporary anthropological theoretical frameworks and reflexive discussion, so beginners may mistake the observer's perspective for objective fact. A safer approach is to read a regional ethnographic introduction first and use this as supplementary historical material.

What background knowledge is needed for reading?

It is advisable to first learn the geography and ethnic distribution of northern Luzon, Philippines, and to have basic concepts of ritual studies such as participant roles, symbolic objects, and oral texts. English reading ability is necessary; local terms can be looked up in ethnographic dictionaries or annotated editions.

How does it differ from ordinary folklore books?

It is closer to a compilation of historical sources than a popular introduction, focusing on recording ritual details and field observations with less narrative interpretation. Readers need to judge the era limitations of the material themselves and compare it with other studies to form a fuller understanding.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Moss, C. R. (Claude Russell), 1876- Author · 1876

C. R. Moss (Claude Russell Moss, born 1876) is an author about whom very little biographical information is publicly available. His nationality, education, and professional career cannot be reliably established. What is known is that he was born in 1876 and that one work by him is held in the collection, Kankanay Ceremonies. Judging from its title, the book is an ethnographic record focusing on the traditional ritual practices of the Kankanay people of the northern Luzon highlands in the Philippines, and it likely describes ceremonial procedures, ritual objects, the roles of participants, and related beliefs. Works of this kind are usually based on field observation and pay close attention to recording ritual details, offering later researchers first-hand material for studying local religious life and changing customs. Because information about the author and the number of his works are both limited, his writing style and overall influence are difficult to assess fully, and readers should form their own judgment in light of the book's actual contents.