An Analysis on Antoon Postma’s LCI Text and Commentary
Falgui, Lexi Dei
The LCI or the Laguna Copper-Plate Inscription, as early as the 900 A.D., was the oldest recorded
document in Philippine History. It was found along the Lake of Laguna east of Manila. Author Antoon Postma, whose text and commentary regarding the LCI was published, deciphered the meaning and translation of the LCI manuscript.
Antoon Postma was a Dutch missionary and anthropologist who migrated in the Philippines, specifically in Oriental Mindoro. He was awarded by various cultural organizations for his contributions to the culture and society.
As to the author’s way of speaking and writing the document (The Laguna Copper-Plate Inscription: Text and Commentary), it is evident that he explained the manuscript in a narrative way by using personal pronouns like “I” and by mentioning personal experiences during his truth-seeking encounters with paleography experts.
His other works consisted of deciphering the Mangyans’ manuscripts and translating several indigenous poems called the Ambahan. This means that his work on deciphering the LCI did correspond to his field of work. The only difference between his work on the LCI and that of the Ambahan is that the LCI opened clues to the origin of the Filipino culture and of its existence before the 10th century. It (LCI) surely has proven false the assumption that the Philippine legal system and order did not exist and develop as early as the prehistoric time.
Antoon Postma unlocked a milestone of Philippine Prehistoric History but there were also implications of ignorance on the author’s part. As stated in the Postma’s (1992) commentary: “I tried to familiarize myself with these words in the SJ & SB dictionaries, and Early Spanish writings.” “I am grateful to Dr, de Casparis for correcting my previous erroneous reading of Saka 844 or 922 A.D.”
An Analysis on Antoon Postma’s LCI Text and Commentary
Knowing that the author was born and grew up in a different country Holland (Alegre, 2013), it could be told that the author was not that knowledgeable for such research that tackles the culture of foreign countries.
The quoted statements above and the fact that he grew up in a different country prove that the author himself lacked familiarity with some parts of the important sources that were beneficial to the completion of his work. However, the author was aware of this incognizance so he noted this to his readers and he instead, referred to experts for the authenticity of his work. Also, the issue regarding his biological country is not a hindering factor on his expertise in the LCI because after settling in the Philippines, he lives among the Mangyan tribe for 57 years now; he even contributed greatly in deciphering 20,000 Mangyan Indigenous poems that are now transcribed in Mangyan Heritage Center’s library. Such an extensive study of the Mangyan’s culture equates to Postma’s intellect in the LCI.
The LCI document is believed to have been a copy of the original manuscript as it is stated in the script that the document of complete pardon was awarded to Lady Angkatan and her brother. Therefore, it can be said that the document that was handed to them (Lady Angkatan and her brother) was the original manuscript; and the LCI is just a document that would serve as a record and proof of Lady Angkatan and her brother’s pardon in cases that there be "someone in the future who will state that the debt is not yet acquitted of His Honor...”(Postma, 1992).
The LCI, as a copy, could be said to have been copied word per word as there were parts in the manuscript where the engraver committed an error by accidentally omitting a Sanskrit word and by putting dotted indicators of his amended correction. Assuming that an original manuscript is important and shall be perfected, the committing of such error is inappropriate.
Postma’s (1992) study found the following errors:
A curious writing-error-cum-correction can be found in line 3, where the last part of a compound
An Analysis on Antoon Postma’s LCI Text and Commentary
Sanskrit derived OJ word was accidentally omitted by the engraver of the copper-plate. When he afterwards noticed his mistake, he deftly inserted tra (of patra = Sanskrit pattra (under its intended position, and gave dotted indicators of his amended correction. Another error of omission, but without correction, is probably at barja'in line 4, where barjdi should have been written, a word that occurs three more times.
Postma deciphered the manuscript word per word. There were no changes in the transcription of the LCI. However, Postma equated some of the words in the LCI into some Old Tagalog words such as pamgat equated to pamagat (special name); and the Old Malay and Old Java words that have direct Old Tagalog words and meanings such as anak (child), dayang (noblewoman), hadapan (in front) and other etymollogically related words (Postma, 1992). The purpose of relating the OM and OJ to the OT is to translate the LCI in such a manner that attests the connection between the Southeast Asian languages and countries as members of Austronesia.
The LCI also bears an accurate date of its issuance, Saka date of 822, which situates it at the beginning of the reign of King Balitung of Central Java (Postma, 1992). However, the language to which the LCI was written contradicts the OJ language that was used during the said period. Regardless of the detailed date inscribed in the LCI, the source of the manuscript could still be traced with the clues in the document. The type of script used in the LCI is from the Early Kawi Script (about 720-950 A.D.). The kings in South India used the Early Kawi Script for their decrees. It was then used in Southeast Asia, specifically the Central Java period, which could have been the LCI’s origin. Second, the main language of the LCI is Old Malay that is closely related to Old Tagalog words. This means that the LCI could have originated from the Malays. Third, given that the LCI derived its words from Sanskrit, the Sanskrit astronomical terms in the manuscript revealed the date of inscription is presumed to be authentic.
Regardless of the unlocked mystery with regards to the LCI’s discontinued 10th line in the script, the LCI has opened numerous findings the study of the Philippine prehistoric time. It will be a long and complex
An Analysis on Antoon Postma’s LCI Text and Commentary
journey to go for our historians and excavators in unearthing this treasure’s meaning and origin. The best of what we can do as citizens for now is to preserve this national treasure that could attest to us that the Philippines, even for a long time ago, has developed intellectually, peacefully, and orderly through time.
References Alegre, A. C. (2013, April 25). Antoon Postma: Mangyan at heart. Expat Magazine, (18). Retrieved from
http://expatph.nowplanet.tv/issue18/2013/04/25/antoon-postma-mangyan-at-heart/ Morrow, P. (2006, July 14). Laguna copperplate inscription - article in english. Retrieved September 14, 2015,
from http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/lcieng.htm Postma, A. I. (n.d.). The ambahan: Mangyan indigenous poem of the Philippines. Paper presented at The
Ambahan: Mangyan Indigenous Poem of the Philippines, The Mangyan Heritage Center, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. Retrieved from http://lingdy.aacore.jp/doc/endangered-scripts- issea/anya_postma_paper.pdf