The word Animo seems to be getting a lot of exposure nowadays. Many schools from both the NCAA and the UAAP are using it to cheer for their respective teams. But who was the first school to use it?
Before I go into a bit of history, I would just like to disagree with one of the comments made on my first article by Danny that it is a non-issue as to what school first used the word Animo in its cheers. It only becomes an issue when it is applied to a cheer. In other words, when 2 schools face off, the school that first used the word Animo has ownership for that particular purpose.
Case in point is the “One Big Fight” of Ateneo. Would any other UAAP team dare use this simply because the words One, Big and Fight cannot be owned by any person? Would any school ever use the word “Fabiloh” (don’t even know and don’t care if I spelled it right) as Ateneo uses it? Or would San Beda ever use the cheer “Arriba San Beda” when Letran has been using “Arriba Letran” for the longest time. Nobody owns the word “Arriba” but it is solely associated to Letran.
In the case of La Salle, it is said that the word Animo was first used in 1939 when La Salle met Ateneo for the very first time in a championship match-up. The La Salle cheerleaders started chanting Animo La Salle beat Ateneo. Prior to that, it had not been heard of in the NCAA. It was also in that 1939 championship that the names Green Archers and Blue Eagles were first coined. By the way, La Salle won that championship 27 to 23.
Though I never went to school in San Beda, I do have genes that are heavily red. My father was the one who made the cheer “San Beda Go, Go, Go”. Shortly before his death I asked him about the cheers during his time as part of an article I was doing for La Salle. He mentioned that San Beda began using the Indian mascot in the early 50s. In fact, the first Indian mascot was my first cousin Rafael Atayde.
He further said that as far as he could remember, during his time no other school used the word Animo except La Salle. Letran had Arriba and Ateneo had Fabiloh. Thus, in the context of a cheer, La Salle and Animo go hand in hand.
Legally speaking, the word Animo has been registered by La Sallian Albert de los Santos as a magazine, restaurant, bar and 12 other business endeavors. He says that he will keep renewing these as long as he lives.
What next? Will Rektikano also be used by other schools? If you are wondering what Rektikano means, it is actually Latin for “to give life to” (check http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com ). So because it is a Latin phrase and nobody owns it, therefore other schools can just use it with no qualms.
My next article will be about the return of La Salle to the UAAP. The happiest group of people will definitely be ABS-CBN. They lost so much money last year and it was strongly responsible for making GMA 7 number 1. It also helped that Mike Enriquez is a true green-blooded Lasallian.
inboundpass.com Blog 
Dear Tony,
First of all nobody owns the word Animo for it is a Spanish word derived from Latin. Obviously, the Spaniards who colonized us brought to this land the Spanish language which included the word animo.
Legally speaking nobody owns the word animo. It’s the business establishments named Animo that were registered. Not the word.
Unfortunately, Bedan tradition tells us that we’ve been using Animo especially even before 1939. But so what?
As far as we Bedans are concerned (as of this moment), the issue of “who used it first” is just secondary to the proper usage of the word. If that is your primary concern, then so be it.
We have been consistent and faithful to the proper usage of the word animo as taught to us by the Spanish Benedictine Monks . Our Spanish cheer has been a constant guide to the proper context of the word.
I was hoping to read a discussion on the meaning of the Spanish word animo and not a repetition of the same line that La Salle used it first. The meaning given by the green school is what we want to know. (We know the side of the Ateneans since we’ve been opnely discussing the issue with them.)
Awaiting for the meaning of Animo as used by La Salle.
Thank you very much Tony.
Glad to hear you have Bedan blood! As a son of an elder Bedan, I give my respect. We seek understanding and dwell on commonalities rather than magnify differences. Pax!
Clarifications:
1. The Red Lion is not a mascot but rather a Bedan symbol inspired by the Red Lion Rampant of the Scots and adopted by England, the home of the St.Bede, a great Benedictine Scholar. Fr. Pancho Martinez OSB, introduced the Red Lion symbol in 1941, during the outbreak of WWII.
2. In the 1947, during the resumption of the NCAA, the Indian Yell was introduced by the Cuerba Brothers,incorporating a supposedly Sioux War whoop “Awowowowowowo!” which mutated to the the Lion’s Roar. The Indian Yell is our romanticized Indian War whoop. In the 1950’s, at the height of the three legged Zamora Cup between San Beda and Ateneo, the Little Indians introduced by Bedan Mon Ventosa, became prominent. Probably your cousin was a Little Indian and not a Lion mascot. Among the first Little Indians was a future Benedictine monk.
3. Just a minor correction Tony. REKTIKANO is NOT LATIN for “to give life”. The latin word for “to give life” is ANIMA. (We both know that Latin is the foundation of Spanish, Italian, German and the English languages).
It is actually alleged that Rektikano means “the right to rule”. Still this is debatable even among the elder La Sallites. No Latin word rektikano actually exist in this form.
The “right to rule”, if translated to Latin is roughly, “Rectus Dominatus” or Rectus Regnum”. Just my thoughts.
Here are the other Latin-English dictionaries for reference:
1. http://catholic.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookup.pl?stem=animo&ending=
2.http://www.dicts.info/dictionary.php?k1=1&k2=59
3.http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/Latin/
4.http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/showcase/whitakerwords.html
Thank you again for the wonderful discussion of ideas.
Danny
And I agree!
ABS-CBN will be very very happy!
Here’s to successful comeback by the Green Archers!
And I agree!
ABS-CBN will be very very happy!
Here’s to a successful comeback by the Green Archers!
ooopsssiii…you mentioned Indian Mascot and not Lion mascot.Ok.
Since you implied about “copying”, I will gladly discuss some matters of concern.
1. Animo San Beda! Beat __________! is a line found in our old and traditional 1950s cheer, “Stand on the Grandstand”. Although we know that “Animo” is as generic as “go” and “fight” (which you contest and claim to be solely La Sallian), it is only San Beda who actually has a cheer that has this line. In the 1970s, at the height of the Ateneo-San Beda wars, this cheer was banned by the Benedictine Monks for being too aggressive. Not anymore, we will use it again in it’s original form. Here’s our elders, veterans of the old NCAA wars, doing the “Stand on the Grandstand.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2eLp6HpeNg
2. Since San Beda is the only school with Indian symbolism and chanting, we actually would like to know why La Salle is doing an Indian type of chanting known to us as the Lion’s Roar. Our various Indian chantings include: the “Awowowowowowowo!” (hand tapping the mouth); The Lion’s Roar – “Woohoooooo! Go San Beda Fight!”; and the shorter version”WohooWohooWohoo” incorporated in the Indian Yell.
Here’s the Indian Yell:
3. As to “Animo”, it is only San Beda that actually has an authentic pre-war Spanish Cheer to speak of which also included other generic Spanish words like “Arriba”, “Viva”. Similar to Ateneo position (but unlike La Salle), we do not claim that Animo to be exclusive. Ever heard of Animo Inglewood Public Charter High School?
http://www.greendot.org/inglewood/home/index.htm
Here again is our Spanish cheer.
El Colegio de San Beda Tiene que ganar! (Spanish Cheer)
El Colegio de San Beda
Tiene que ganar!
Animo, bravo, viva!
San Beda San Beda Arriba
Luchar, zumbar, acudir Hasta morir
Adelante, Victoria
San Beda San Beda San Beda
Adelante, Victoria
San Beda San Beda San Beda
Thanks.
halatang biased. 🙂
Does Animo Have a Color? yes it’s RED… for courage 🙂
biase naman lahat ng article dito..kung kaninong school galing dun lang pabor ang article..
Please clarify the issues presented by Danny in order to be enlightened with the real score on those arguments.
It’s high time that DLSU should admit that they copied the SBC cheers.
DLSU can’t afford to ignore this issue and hope that it will die a natural death.
Sa tagal ng pangongopya ng DLSU, baligtad na ang nalalaman ng mga batang La Sallista. Sa kanilang isipan, San Beda pa ang nangopya.
Let the truth be told!
what’s wrong w/ the cheer ??? this reply may be late …but I hope you guys chilled out (by a la sallian)
Don’t mind me
but what came first,
The lion or the archer?
But then again,
who cares?
Some people are born to be green of others…
C’mon Tony! Respond to Danny’s query.
I looked at the video and its not visible. Besides that is a referee’s call. The incident of Long and Laterre is a UAAP rule. If La ASalle would have committed that infraction, I am sure any of the other 7 teams would have protested and the UAAP Board would have decided on it in a matter of hours.
The “woohoohoo” you here is taken from “Woodstock” . Many of you may not remember that. It is not an Indian cheer. If any of you can get a hold of the original Woodstock video, you will see and hear that there.
Danny,
So even Letran should not beusing arriba?
Danny,
I don’t think you’ll get a nice discussion with Tony.
This is in response to Danny’s comment/
Very well reserached Danny. Research like what you did should be more than enough to qualify your claim. I stand corrected.
The only point U would wabt to clarify is the “woohoohoo”. I have already made the point in a previous posting. It is not an Indian chant but rather it was chanted by my generation at Woodstock. We call it an old hippie chant.
Again congratulations Danny. Its great to interact with smart people like you.
Thanks Tony.
San Beda’s usage of “Animo” is already clear. When we use it to cheer, the Spanish and Latinos understand what we mean.
The only remaining issue is the “INDIANNESS” of the Lion’s Roar.
How about we do it this way?
Let us simply stick to the “Indianness” of San Beda’s Lion’s Roar and the fact that in the Philippines , only San Beda has been “playing Indian since 1947”. Ergo those who may be using Indian chants and the like may have actually been inpsired by San Beda one way or another. This does not discount the possibility that other schools may have also been inspired by the deeply American love affair with North American Indian symbolisms/iconongraphy. Then again, a single foreign inspiration for an Indian chant is still “playing Indian” in my opinion. Based on the post of GreenArrows, San Beda is the only school in both the NCAA and the UAAP which adopted the Native American theme.
The Wahooo/Wohooo is a an anglicized Indian warwhoop which drew its inpiration from Euro-Americans’ love/hate relationship with North American Indians.
American symbolism and iconography were heavy on Indian content. “Playing Indian” is well entrenched in the American psyche. As some researchers claim, this adpatation is in fact driven by the partial rejection of their European roots and the acclimation of an American one especially during the formation of the new republic.
Why the attraction to North American Indians by early colonists?
For the colonists, the Natives represented the “spirit of the new world” which is in conjunction with the freedom the former yearned for. The Native people provided a model of a proud, free, and fiercely independent lifestlye.
The social phenomenon of playing Indians also have deep political roots. The first protest using Indian imagery occurred in 1734 when a group of colonists dressed as Indians forced themselves in a meeeting of the British governor and British soldiers to protest a new law. Known as the Mast Tree Riot, the British solders were beaten by the “White Indians”.
http://www.newhampshire.com/nh-towns/fremont.aspx
The most famous political action through “playing Indian” was the Boston Tea Party of 1773. In American history, the Boston Tea Party was the first drumbeat for the rebellion of which Euro-Americnans defined themselves as someone other than Brtish colonists.
The patriots donned themselves in Mohawk costume and threw the tea into the harbor. It was really a tea-throwing party.
http://www.americanrevolution.com/BostonTeaParty.htm
Throughout the American Revolution, “Playing Indian” was a powerful image of rebellion. There were Fraternal organzations who were formed during and after this rebellion. What became problematic was after the Revolution when “playing Indian” became something to be feared by many.
However, even during the Indian Wars, the Euro-Americans loved the their “Indian Icon/Symbols” but clearly hated the MAN whom they tried to exterminate. Such dichotomy would persist for a very long time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Wars
Lets jump to “playing Indian” in pop-culture and the sports.
American boys and girls became part of this love -affair through various youth movements like the Son’s of Daniel Boone, Seton’s Woodcraft Indians then The Boy Scout Movement, Camp Fire Girls, The Y-Indian guide of the YMCAand the likes. Playing Indians and learning Indian woodcrafts became a part of life for many kids.
“Playing Indian” via chanting of a war whoop in collegiate sports started with the romanticized chant of Dartmouth College. A student created the “Wahooo” in 1879 to encourage school spirit. The ” Wahoo” then migrated to the University of Virginia in the 1890s and is still used today. From the two collegiate teams together with the need to have a “warwhoop” in sports, spawned the various North American Indian Mascots and cheers which dominated American amateur and professonional sports. Do I need to name the Amercan teams with Indian icons? Nahhhh..you know them.
From college cheering and mascots though the apropriation by professional sports capped by Hollywood Cowboy and Indian movies…..you know the story.
Click to access Indian_Yell_Meacham.pdf
http://virginiasports.cstv.com/trads/va-trads.html
The Hippies dig the American Indians too..
In the 1960’s the Hippies came brandishing their North American Indian iconography representing freedom, protesting consumerism, wearing headbands, love beads, moccassins, and men grew their hair long (just like Geronimo). These hippie-new agers were attracted to North Americna Indian imagery. They used the Indian as an icon, they looked to the Native Indians for their imagined social and environmental harmony, and tried to live a communal lifesyle inlcuding the use of hallucinogenic substances by Indian Chiefs during rituals ..
http://oldhippie.jimgreenlee.com/beingahippie.htm
http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/deloria.html
ERGO, the hippie movement which culminated in the 1969 WOODSTOCK was heavy on Indian iconograpy. The Hippie Rain Chant (Whoooohooooooo) is part and parcel of the “INDIANNESS” of the movement. . In fact the term “Rain Chant” has Native American origin. It’s an Indian Ritual to pray for rain. (Actually Woodstock had the NO-RAIN CHANT and not the RAIN CHANT. Matindi na ulan nung panahon na yun.)
We are very sure that the Wahoo/Wohoo is a romanticized Indian Chant and San Beda is the only school in the Philippines who originally adopted North American Indian symbols and iconography. Yes, inlcuding the Indian yelling and all the derivative chantings like the “Wahooo” which is known to us as the Lions’ Roar
San Beda may be denied to some extent as the source/influence of the Wohooo in the country. However, the “INDIANNESS” of the Wohooo could never be denied.
Tony
I have a copy of the Woodstock ’69 where we all got a glimpse of the “Wohooo”(called the Rain Chant in the movie. Actually here’s a link where clips of the movie can be viewed.
http://www.film.queensu.ca/Woodstock/
Tony, if you listen to San Beda’s 1947 Indian Yell, we have a short version of the “wohooo” aside from the “awowowowowo” (tapping of mouth). The Bedan hippie generation got hooked with the Hippie “wohooo” in 1970 when the documetary film was released precisely because it’s a Native American chant. Rain Chanting is after all a Native American tradition and by extension an appropriate Bedan chant.
This fact demolishes the assertion of GreenArrows that La Salle was already doing the chant one month after Woodstock ’69 against Letran. Impossible because Woodstock is a flop in terms of commercial success. No sponsor would want to invest in an anti-social event. Ergo no live TV exposure. No news nor video clip of the “Rain Chant” in 1969. It was a more of a word of mouth event.
The first time the chant was heard on Philippine soil was a year after the event via the Woodstock ’69 documentary. The time when our anti-establishment hippie elders started adopting this as a Bedan chant.
The Lion’s Roar (“wohooooo”) is Native American. It is rooted in the Euro-American fascination with Indian iconography which was introduced to San Beda via the Bedan Scouting Movement. Bedan Scouting in Native American content.
Thanks Tony.
Animo San Beda!
Animo La Salle!
(I am after a Bedan studied in La Salle.)
I mean “after all a Bedan who studied in La Salle”.
Moxy,
Copying is such a strong word. Influenced is a more appropriate word.
Danny,
I was already in 4th year high school in 1969. I was playing in the junior division basketball team of La Salle. I was also a DJ for DZRJ, the only rock station in Manila then. The album soundtrack of Woodstock was released soon after the Summer of Love, held from Aug. 15 to 18 1969) and I clearly remember that DZRJ first aired it December 1969 because all the DJs got a vopy of the album as . It didnt take a year to reach Philippine soil. The movie however was released mid 1970.
I just asked my friends and the first albums of Woodstock that were realeased were “bootleg” copies. The word “pirated” was still not used then.
The album was not officially released til 1975.
How reliable are your friends tony?? Its just danny is more reliable with his posting. Sana may mga supporting article/documents din si tony kagaya ni danny. Pede kaya sa gameface nalang pagusapan to kasi walang moderators dito tsaka hindi natin alam e baka alternick lang yan mga yan..
Dlsu-at-heart,
My friends only confirmed waht I personally know and experienced. As I said, I was already in high school in the 60s.
La Sallians claim that Animo means SPIRIT, but they had a “PUSH THE LIMIT ANIMO SPIRIT” banner last ADMU-DLSU game. Ano to? SPIRIT SPIRIT? So I ask them again… They said that because the word ANIMO is more associated to them then ANIMO, in “ANIMO SPIRIT”, means “La Sallian”;thus, La Sallian Spirit.
Nagugulahan na ako.
ANIMO LA SALLE=LA SALLIAN LA SALLE
ANIMO LA SALLE= SPIRIT LA SALLE
ANIMO SPIRIT=SPIRIT SPIRIT
OR
ANIMO=KUNG ANO GUSTO NG LA SALLE
Naguguluhan na ako.
Kung ganyan lang din meaning niyo sa San Beda na lang ako maniniwala.
Pati Rektikano nilagyan ng meaning. (NOTE: iba-iba pa meanings nila merong “right to rule” tska “to give life to”) Sabagay sabi nila ginaya DAW sa halikinu yun eh.
Diyan pa lang malalaman na kung sino original eh. Yung original alam kung pano gamitin, yung peke nalilito kung ano ba talaga.
Sabi nga nila wag ka magsasalita kung di mo alam sinasabi mo.
The Truth,
Mukhang matindi ang galit mo sa La Salle. If that’s the case no explanation is ever gonna be enough. Take a Valium, you ight get a heart attack. The discussion will not affect national interests.
baka naman Atenista na yan nag-comment Green Mind. Chill lang bro.
peace to all for a pleasant/decent exchange of views.
You cannot bootleg the original album. The original album, as you mentioned came out in 1975. What was there to bootleg in 1969? There you…
There was no album to bootleg in 1969. Tony’s recollection of events cannot be accepted as it is. This is normal as this happened a long time ago. What is clear is that the film came out one year after the event and the album that was bootlegged came out in 1975.