Tanyongbundok (ˈtaɲ.joŋ.bunˈdok)
We place these marks upon his body, that his spirit will carry them. They will serve as map, and key, and show to all who he was in life. With these, your father will be able to reach Duntōng Kabunian, the harbor in the roots of the mountains, and find passage from there to Ijuwit ng Matdōn, the lands beneath the world. - An Ifugao priest, explaining the funeral tattoos to a child prior to burial in the caves of Tanyongbundok
Tanyongbundok is the highest point on the island of Pulo. It is located within the Silanganbundok mountain range in the eastern part of the island, a region mostly populated by the Ifugao people, to whom it is sacred. For centuries, the Ifugao have interred their dead within the caverns of Tanyongbundok. Like many of the other Banwa Peoples, the Ifugao believe that the spirits of the dead must travel to hidden harbors beneath the world and board ships to travel to the otherworld. One of the most important of these harbors is called Duntōng Kabunian, and is said to be hidden far beneath Tanyongbundok.
Conflict with the Empire
In the last decade, Tanyongbundok has become a point of conflict between the Ifugao and the Tagápulo Empire. The Imperial astrologers (known as the Tanggapáng Bituín) obtained a decree from Emperor Matatag that the mountain is their domain, after calculating that observations made from Tanyongbundok would be more accurate than anywhere else within the borders of the Empire. Predictions and prophecies from the Tanggapáng Bituín are highly sought after by the members of the Imperial Court and the nobility of the Empire, and construction upon their observatory began shortly after the Emperor's decree. The Ifugao objected to this appropriation of the mountain, seeing it as a desecration. When their complaints were ignored by the Tagápulo elites, they resorted to sabatoge. For the last ten years, the construction of the Tanggapáng Bituín's observatory has been plagued with one disaster after another, ranging from constant theft of materials to a landslide that destroyed eight months of work in less than eight minutes. The conflict escalated when the Tanggapáng Bituín attempted to ban all the Ifugoa commoners from the mountain or the grave-caverns in an attempt to prevent further attacks. Instead, this enraged all the local villages and led to more attacks and violence than before, while funerals were conducted in secret under the cover of night. The Tanggapáng Bituín has now petitioned the Emperor for military forces to support them in the conflict, but it remains uncertain whether the Pangkalahatan Malaking will be willing to spare any from the war with Lahat.
Notable Spirits
The Anito of Tanyongbundok are known as the Tinmongao. They are responsible for the testing and shepherding of the spirits passing through on their way to Duntōng Kabunian. There are hundreds of Tinmongao who create and populate the labyrinth of challenges the dead must overcome in order to prove their worth. The Ifugao do their best to prepare their departed by placing funeral tattoos upon the body - these provide the spirit with both maps to the challenges, and also attest to the character and nature of the person who bears them. It is said that without these to aid them, very few spirits would ever find their way to Duntōng Kabunian and the ships that carry the dead to the underworld.
The Tinmongao of Tanyongbundok are the subjects of Tayawán, the lord of Ijuwit ng Matdōn, the lands of the dead. Shrines to Tayawán are erected during funerals to beseech the god to welcome the departed souls to the lands beneath the world, and to ensure that the god's ships will continue to come to Duntōng Kabunian under Tanyongbundok. The Ifugao believe that if this is not done, the spirits of their dead will instead have to return to their bodies and travel across Pulo to find a new dark harbor.
Geography
Tanyongbundok is a dormant volcano, and a part of the Silanganbundok mountain range in eastern Pulo. The summit is just over nine thousand feet high and is typically obscured by a thick layer of clouds. From above the cloud layer the view of the sky and stars is exceptional. There are many caves and caverns in and around the mountain, and few outsiders know where many of them are located.
Geographic Details
Location: Southwestern RegionLatitude: 17.14 degrees North
Longitude: 26.1 degrees West
Elevation: 9,035 ft
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