Carabao Skull.

photo is mine
@rakski (153630)
Philippines
May 5, 2026 10:50pm CST
Years ago, when I visited Banaue, I noticed several carabao skulls displayed in some hut houses. They seemed to hold cultural or historical meaning, not just decoration. Seeing them made me curious about the traditions and stories behind them. According to some locals, depending on the number of skulls displayed, it could indicate the family's economic status. It is also believed that skulls call upon spirits for protection. But this one, I saw it in a hut-like museum that shows Banaue culture in a gist. Travel really open our eyes we would not normally see.
7 people like this
6 responses
DE
@DaddyEvil (173667)
• United States
6 May
It is said here that traveling broadens our horizons. Pretty and I used to travel across the US for vacations when she was little and as a teenager. We haven't traveled in years, though. We worry we'll get far away from home and my eyes will swell closed and I can't drive us home again.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (173667)
• United States
6 May
@rakski Very true.
1 person likes this
rakski
@rakski (153630)
• Philippines
6 May
travel gives one knowledge. At least you get to travel when you were younger
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rakski
@rakski (153630)
• Philippines
6 May
@DaddyEvil it is always nice to travel when you have the opportunity
1 person likes this
Shavkat
@Shavkat (141692)
• Philippines
6 May
It is indeed common for cordillerans to have them hang on their walls. Some of them use snake's bones as ornaments or accessories.
1 person likes this
rakski
@rakski (153630)
• Philippines
6 May
oh wow, snake bones! This is the first time I heard of that
1 person likes this
Shavkat
@Shavkat (141692)
• Philippines
18h
@rakski If you go in most of the Cordilleran areas, they do, especially if you meet the native local tribes. You can find some old folks in Baguio City; they wear them during certain events with their local tribe clothes.
1 person likes this
rakski
@rakski (153630)
• Philippines
17h
@Shavkat When I went to Sagada, Banaue and Batad, I met locals. Especially in Sagada and Batad, I was able to play with the kids and talk with locals
rsa101
@rsa101 (40728)
• Philippines
6 May
It’s true that traveling to different places provides a wealth of information. Travel can be one of the best ways to learn about a place, often more effectively than books, since experiencing it firsthand helps you retain more than simply reading and looking at pictures.
1 person likes this
rakski
@rakski (153630)
• Philippines
6 May
very true. I can learn about culture through the people around me
1 person likes this
snowy
@snowy22315 (207223)
• United States
6 May
Always interesting to see something like that.
1 person likes this
rakski
@rakski (153630)
• Philippines
6 May
true!
MARILYN
@Marilynda1225 (90497)
• United States
6 May
That's a very interesting bit of information you shared about the skulls. When I see skulls like that I think of old movies with cowboys and desert scenes,
1 person likes this
rakski
@rakski (153630)
• Philippines
6 May
Me too. It reminds me of old movies where they hunt.
1 person likes this
Neil
@Neil43 (4483)
•
6 May
This made me remember once upon a time. My grandparents house was burnt and when we visited the place my father explained about the thing left pinned on the wall. it was a horn of a Philippine deer kept by my grandparents.
1 person likes this
rakski
@rakski (153630)
• Philippines
6 May
oh yes, old homes do have those kinds of decorations