Cannibalism in Caraga

Cannibalism and Conflict in Early Surigao

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The Fearsome Caragans: Cannibalism and Conflict in Early Surigao

01 October 2025 Feature | Surigao Historical Society | Local History

The Caraga region, which historically encompassed a vast territory stretching from the point of Surigao down to Cape San Agustin, was known during the early Spanish colonial period for its fiercely warlike inhabitants. These people, the Caragans, did not easily yield to Spanish rule. Their reputation for ferocity spread widely, even reaching foreign visitors; the Italian adventurer Giovanni Carreri, for instance, described the inhabitants of the province (which he called Cape Suliago) in the mid-17th century as "fearsome and hostile people, some of whom are reputed to be cannibals".

The Practice of Ritual Cannibalism

The most terrifying accounts of the Caragans originate from the Jesuit chronicler Fr. Francisco Colin in his Labor Evangelica. Fr. Colin described the Caragans as cannibals who consumed human flesh.

The practice was described as highly ritualistic: when they killed an enemy, they would cut open the body, remove the intestines, and eat the liver raw with salt and orange. This was rooted in a distinct belief system, as they thought that eating the liver would endow them with longer lives or grant them invincible power, believing that the life force was concentrated in that organ. For travel, they reportedly salted and preserved the remaining flesh in stone jars, considering it a delicacy.

Warfare and Cultural Practices

The Caragans were often described as belligerent and inherently "very treacherous in nature". Their chieftains, known for their wealth, sometimes wore golden crowns set with precious stones.

They were skilled in warfare, employing a range of weaponry:

Bolos.
Bows and arrows.
Spears.
Poisoned blowguns.
Shields made from turtle shells.
Harnesses fashioned from cotton.

The Caragans also performed grisly agricultural rituals, similar to headhunting, which they considered a religious custom. This involved tying a human captive to a bamboo stake and having the entire community hack the body. Their fearsome reputation spread to the Christianized settlements, as the Caragans often allied themselves with Muslims in raiding and plundering northern Visayan villages.

Spanish Response and Contradictions

The Spanish colonial government initially appointed governors like Pedro Navarro and Garcia Sierras Chacon to rule the district of Surigao, collecting taxes and asserting authority over the rugged lands and peoples.

Despite the horrific reputation of the Caragans, the actions of some Spanish leaders seem to contradict the fear the accounts imply. Governor Lavezares, for example, requested additional priests to evangelize the region, rather than sending more troops. Early Jesuit missionaries found the natives to be very shy. Accounts from the missionaries celebrated successful conversions of prominent chiefs, such as Datu Silongan. It is noted that none of the intrepid missionaries who ventured into the interior were reported to have been devoured by the so-called cannibals. These conversion successes were difficult to reconcile with the existing image of the inhabitants as savage man-eaters.

Five Questions to Spark Your Curiosity

Ritual and Power: Why did the Caragans specifically believe that consuming the raw liver of a killed person, prepared only with salt and orange, was the key to gaining long life or invincible power, leading them to preserve salted human flesh in stone jars for consumption during journeys?.
Contradictory Colonial Response: Given that the Caragans were described as warlike cannibals and bellicose people who often fought among themselves, why did the Spanish Governor Lavezares request additional priests for the region rather than requesting military troops or action?.
Psychological Warfare: The terrifying image of the Caragans, which included ritual killing of human captives tied to bamboo stakes during agricultural ceremonies, spread to Christianized areas and the Visayas; was this fearsome reputation merely a psychological tactic used to instill terror among the enemies of groups like the Manobos?.
Conversion vs. Savagery: How were missionaries able to successfully convert prominent leaders like Datu Silongan and report large numbers of baptisms among the natives, given the Jesuit chronicler Fr. Colin’s horrific accounts that none of the priests who ventured into the interior were devoured by these so-called cannibals?.
Gold vs. Violence: The Caragan chieftains were noted for wearing golden crowns set with precious stones and Butuan's residents wore weapons of solid gold; how did the abundance of gold and the resulting trade exchanges influence Spanish intrusion and colonization efforts compared to the danger posed by the Caragans’ violent culture?.

Explore Further, Engage Deeper

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