aw as ": ▁Kn ights ▁and ▁H id alg os . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁conquist ador , ▁Miguel ▁de ▁Lo arca , ▁described ▁them ▁as ▁" free ▁men , ▁neither ▁chief s ▁nor ▁slaves ". ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Jes uit ▁priest ▁Fr . ▁Francisco ▁Ign atio ▁Alc ina , ▁class ified ▁them ▁as ▁the ▁third ▁rank ▁of ▁nob ility ▁( no ble za ). ▁ ▁To ▁maintain ▁pur ity ▁of ▁blood line , ▁D atus ▁marry ▁only ▁among ▁their ▁kind , ▁often ▁seeking ▁high - ran king ▁br ides ▁in ▁other ▁Bar ang ays , ▁ab duct ing ▁them , ▁or ▁contract ing ▁b ride pr ices ▁in ▁gold , ▁slaves ▁and ▁j ew el ry . ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁D atus ▁keep ▁their ▁marriage able ▁daughters ▁se cluded ▁for ▁protection ▁and ▁prest ige . ▁These ▁well - guard ed ▁and ▁protected ▁high born ▁women ▁were ▁called ▁Bin uk ot , ▁the ▁D atus ▁of ▁pure ▁descent ▁( four ▁gener ations ) ▁were ▁called ▁" P ot li ▁n ga ▁D atu " ▁or ▁" L ub us ▁n ga ▁D atu ", ▁while ▁a ▁woman ▁of ▁noble ▁line age ▁( es pecially ▁the ▁elder ly ) ▁are ▁addressed ▁by ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁Pan ay ▁as ▁" U ray " ▁( mean ing : ▁pure ▁as ▁gold ), ▁e . g ., ▁U ray ▁Hil way . ▁ ▁Religion ▁ ▁The ▁gods ▁T the ▁Vis ay ans ▁ad ored ▁( e ither ▁for ▁fear ▁or ▁v