Kalantiyaw, Code of

▪ Philippines [1433]

      one of the few written documents to survive from the pre-Spanish Philippine culture. The penal code was apparently written in 1433 and discovered on the island of Panay in 1614.

      Eighteen orders decreed the proper punishment to be administered for certain moral and social transgressions. Depending on the gravity of the offense, punishment ranged from a light fine to being cut to pieces and thrown to crocodiles. Many of the offenses specified—such as cutting sacred trees, singing during night walks, and killing white monkeys—shed light on the ancient Filipino religious beliefs.

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