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.

Just before dusk, the Igorot spirit Daliwaya, who had been present the night before, appeared and demanded that the American give her cloth for her clout.  When she received this, she sang and then instructed the men how to dance in Igorot fashion.  When finally they were doing her bidding, she danced beside them with outstretched arms in the manner of the Igorot women.  Later, when the medium was again herself, we questioned her concerning her knowledge of this dance, but she professed absolute ignorance.

That evening the people danced tadek, for a short time, near to the pala-an, then a fire was built beside the tangpap, and by its light the visitors danced da-eng until far into the night (cf.p. 440).

Early the next morning, the men went to some banana trees near to a rice granary, and there constructed a little spirit house, which resembled the pala-an, except that it was only about four feet high.  This was called balitang, and was made in fulfilment of the orders given by the spirit Imalbi on the previous evening.  When it was finished, the medium placed a dish of broken rice on it, and then tied a rooster with a belt close enough, so that the fowl could eat of the rice.  Returning to the dwelling, she took down a small shield which was attached to the wall, placed new leaves and a dish of oil on it.  Then as she stirred the oil, she sang the Talatal (Plate XXXII).  The significance of this song, which consists only of mentioning the names of prominent men of various villages, seems to be lost.  The kalang, or spirit box, was then redecorated, food was dropped through the slits in the floor for visiting spirits, and finally the medium held the shield over the heads of the family, beat upon it with a head-axe, while in a loud voice she asked the spirits that, since the family was now celebrating tangpap, they would please make them well again.  The shield was fastened to the wall, new offerings of basi were placed in the kalang, and after it had been swung over the head of the patient, it was again fastened above the house beam near to the roof.

For the next hour the mediums summoned spirits to them.  The first five had little of interest to offer, except that each demanded that his liquor be served to him on a head-axe.  When the spirit Amangau arrived, he spent the time boasting of his head-hunting exploits; he told of how he had gone to one village, and had killed all the people, except one pregnant woman, and of the dance which followed.  Finally he claimed the credit of having killed a man who had recently died in Manabo, and assured the people that his friends were then dancing about the head.  The spirit Banbanyalan, who followed, disclaimed any part in the killing just mentioned, but verified the statement of his predecessor.

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The Tinguian from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.