What is cordillera hudhud?

The hudhud is a chant of the Ifugao people, which is recited during the sowing and harvesting of rice, funeral wakes, and other rituals. Thought to have originated before the seventh century, it is comprised of 40 episodes and often takes three or four days to recite. It is performed in leader/chorus style in which the reciter, often an elderly woman, occupies a key position in society. It is full of repetitions, synonyms, figurative terms and metaphors.