Pugot

Prior to the introduction of Islam and Christianity, deeply held religious beliefs led various Philippine communities to sanction ritualized forms of violence: human sacrifice, cannibalism, and head-taking. Today, many Filipinos see these practices as "primitive", "barbaric", or pertaining only to so-called "tribes" and therefore not related to the national dynamic.

Pugot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice in the Philippines forces Filipino readers to contemplate and confront the not-so-ancient past, when their ancestors sported loincloths, battle gear, and talismans, and participated in violent community-wide celebrations and rituals. The book also reveals these practices not in isolation, but as part of the wider Southeast Asian and Austronesian milieu.