The Tinguian eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 351 pages of information about The Tinguian.

The Tinguian eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 351 pages of information about The Tinguian.

A woman of Lagangilang was ill with dysentery; and a medium, in this instance, a man, was instructed to make Dawak.  He began summoning the spirits by striking a dish with his head-axe.  Soon he covered his face with his hands, began to sway to and fro, and to chant unintelligible words.  Suddenly he stopped and announced that he was the spirit Labotan, and that it was his wish that blood and rice be placed on a head-axe, and be laid on the woman’s abdomen.  Next he ordered that they should feed some rice to the small pig which lay bound on the floor.  “If he eats, this is the right ceremony, and you will get well,” he said.  The pig refused the food, and, after expressing regret that he was unable to help, the spirit departed, to be succeeded by Binongon.  He at once directed that the pig be killed, and the palpitating heart be put on the woman’s stomach, and then be pressed against each person in the room, as a protection against illness.  At first he refused to drink the liquor which was offered to him, for it was new and raw; but when he learned that no other could be obtained, he drank, and then addressed the patient.  “You ate something forbidden.  It is easy to cure you if the spirits have made you ill; but if some one is practising magic, perhaps you will die.”  With this cheering message the spirit departed, and Ayaonwan appeared.  He directed an old woman to feed rice and water to the patient, and then, without further advice, he said, “The other spirits do not like me very well, so I cannot go to their places.  I went to their places, but they said many bad words to me.  I offered them basi, but they did not wish to take; so I asked the way, and they showed me to the other spirits’ place.  I was poor, and had nothing to eat for noon or night.  When I was in the road, I met many long snakes, and I had to push them apart so I could walk.  And I met many eels, and asked of them the road; but the eels bit me, and took me into their stomachs, and carried me to Luluaganan to the well there; then I died.  The people, who go to the well, say, ’Why is Ayaonwan dead?  We have a bad odor now;’ and the eels say, ‘Whose son is this?’ and they rubbed my dead spirit, and I received life again.  Then I took blood and rice with me to the sky to the other eels to make Sayang.  The eels gave me gold for my wrists; the monkeys gave me gold for my teeth and hair; the wild pig gave me bracelets.  There is much more I can tell you, but now I must go.”  The spirit departed, and a new one was summoned.  This spirit took the spear in his hand, and after chanting about the illness of the woman, he drank basi out of a dish, sitting on the head-axe.  Then singing again he dipped the spear in the oil, and allowed it to fall drop by drop on the stomach of the sick woman; later he touched the heads of all present with the spear, saying, “You will not be sick any more,” and departed.

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The Tinguian from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.