A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Z

A Study in Tinguian Folk Lore

F >> Fay Cooper Cole >> A Study in Tinguian Folk Lore





31

Two girls are adopted by a rich man, who treats them as his daughters,
except that he does not offer them bracelets or rings. They dress as
men and go to see a jeweler. Two young men suspect and follow them,
but they succeed in escaping and return home.

The spirit helpers of the youths take the forms of hawks and finally
locate the maidens, whom they carry away. The youths plan to marry
the girls and invite many friends to the celebration. Kanag and
his companion attend, become enamored with the brides and steal
them. Upon chewing betel-nuts they learn that they are related,
so they are married.


II


32

The Ipogau who are trying to celebrate Sayang make errors. The
spirit Kadaklan and his wife instruct them to go and watch the Sayang
at Sayau. They do as bidden and after learning all the details return
home and perform the ceremony. The chief spirits are pleased and
cause the lesser spirits to attend the ceremony when summoned by the
medium. The sick improve.


33

The people who are conducting the Dawak ceremony fail to do it
properly. Kaboniyan (a spirit) goes down and instructs them. After
that they are able to cure the sick.



34

The spirits of Dadaya notice that their feather headdresses have
lost their lustre. They place them on the house of some mortals,
who at once become ill. The spirit Kaboniyan instructs them to make
the Pala-an ceremony. They obey, the feathers regain their brightness
and the people recover.


35

The father who is starting for a head-dance agrees to meet his wife
and baby at sun down. When he reaches the agreed spot, he finds only
their hats; he looks down and sees them in the ground. He tries in
vain to get them out. The spirit Kaboniyan instructs him to perform
the Ibal ceremony. He does so and receives his wife and child.


36

The spirit Ináwen, who lives in the sea, sends her servants to spread
sickness. They kill many people who fail to make the Sangásang
ceremony. A man is disturbed at night by barking of dogs, goes to
door and meets a big spirit which has nine heads. Spirit tells him
how to make the offering in Sangásang. He follows directions and
spirits carry gift to their mistress. She mistakes the blood of a
rooster for that of human beings. Is displeased with the taste and
orders spirits to stop killing.


37

The spirit Maganáwan sends his servants to secure the blood of a
rooster mixed with rice. People see many snakes and birds near gate
of town. They make the ceremony Sangásang and offer blood and
rice. The servants of Maganáwan carry the offering to him. He takes
it in his mouth and spits it out, and in the same way the sickness is
removed from the mortals.


38

The people who are digging holes for house poles get a bad sign from
the omen bird. They abandon the place and dig again. The deer gives a
bad sign, then the snake, then different birds. They change locations
many times, but at last ignore the signs and complete the house. The
family are continually in trouble and are ill.

The spirit Kaboniyan goes to see the sick persons; he lets his spear
drop through the house, and then tells them the cause of the trouble
is that they have failed to make Sangásang. He instructs them what
to do, and when they obey all become well.



39

The different parts of the house quarrel and each insists on its
importance. At last they recognize how necessary each one is for
the other and cease their wrangling; then the people who live in the
house are again in good health.


40

The great spirit sees the people of Bisau celebrating the Ubaya
ceremony, and determines to reward them by increasing their worldly
goods. He appears as a man and rewards them.


41

Dayapán, who has been ill for seven years, goes to bathe. The spirit
Kaboniyan enters her body and instructs her how to perform healing
ceremonies. He also teaches her how to plant and reap, and she in
turn teaches the Tinguian. While she is bathing she ties a cock and
dog by the water side. The dog eats the cock, and thus death comes
into the world.


42

Girl who lacks certain organs is ashamed to marry. She is sent by her
mother to cause lameness to people who pass. A man who falls victim
to her magic is only cured when the girl instructs him how to make
the Bawi ceremony.


43

The spirit Kaboniyan instructs a sick man to make offerings at the
guardian stones. He does as bidden and becomes well. They perform
ceremonies near the stones when they go to fight or celebrate balaua,
and sometimes the spirit of the stones appears as a wild rooster, a
white cock, or a white dog. A man who defiles the stones becomes crazy.


44

Man sees a woman walking at night near the guardian stones. She
refuses to talk and he cuts her in the thigh. She vanishes into the
stones. Next day it is seen that one of the stones is cut. Man dies.


45

The old men of Lagayan see peculiarly shaped stones traveling down the
river, accompanied by a band of blackbirds. They catch the stones and
carry them to the gate of the village, where they have since remained
as guardians.



46

The spirit Ibwa visits a funeral and is given some of the juices,
coming from the dead body, to drink. Since then he always tries to eat
the body of the dead unless prevented. He is accompanied by another
evil spirit whose embrace causes the living to die.


47

A widow leaves the town before the period of mourning for her husband
is past. The spirit appears first to the daughter-in-law and is fed
by her, then asks for his wife. He goes to the place where she is
watching the corn and sleeps with her. She apparently becomes pregnant,
but fails to be delivered, and dies.


48

Two men agree to hunt carabao the following morning. In the night one
dies, but the other not knowing this leaves the town and goes to the
appointed place. He meets the spirit of the dead man, and only saves
his life by running his horse all the way home.


49

A man and his wife are living near to their field when the husband
dies. An evil spirit comes to the door, but is driven away by the
wife w with a headaxe. Several evil spirits attempt to gain entrance;
then the chief comes. He breaks down the door; he cuts off the dead
man's ears and makes the woman chew them with him--like betel-nut. The
signs are propitious. He changes the woman's two breasts into one,
in the center of her chest, and takes her home.


50

A man, whose brother has just died, goes to hunt. He begins to cut
up the game when his brother's spirit appears. He feeds it, but food
comes out of its anus as fast as it eats. He flees and is pursued
by the spirit until, by chance, he runs among alangtin bushes. The
spirit dislikes the bush and leaves.


51

The people fail to put the banal vine and iron on the grave. An evil
spirit notices the omission and steals the body.


52

A man goes to hunt his carabao in the mountains. He fails to plant
branches at his head before he sleeps. A spirit expectorates on him,
and he soon dies.



53

Two men who have to sleep in the mountains make beds of sobosob
leaves. In the night they hear the evil spirits come and express
a desire to get them. Spirits dislike the leaves, so do not molest
the men.


54

Three hunters spend the night in the open. One covers himself with
a red and yellow striped blanket. In the night two spirits come and
think he is a little wild pig, and decide to eat him. The hunter
hears them and exchanges blankets with one of his companions. The
companion is eaten, and hence the kambaya, or striped blanket, is no
longer used on the trail.


55

The spirit Bayon steals a beautiful girl and carries her to the sky,
where he changes her breasts into one and marries her. She drops her
rice pounder to the earth, and thus her people learn of her fate. Both
she and her husband still attend certain ceremonies.


56

A hunter is carried away by a great bird. He is placed in the nest
with its young and aids in feeding them. When they are large, he
holds on to them, and jumps safely to the ground. He goes to fight
against his enemies. While he is gone his wife dies. Upon his return
he sees her spirit driving a cow and two pigs. He follows her to the
spirit's town and is hidden in a rice bin. When spirits try to get
him during the night, he repels them by throwing feathers. Feathers
become exhausted, and he is forced to return home.


57

A man encounters a large being, which, from its odor, he recognizes
as the spirit of a dead man. He runs to get his friends, and they
find the spot trampled like a carabao wallow.


58

The dead wife of Baluga harvests his rice during the nighttime. He
hides and captures her. They go together to the spirit town, in the
ground, and secure her spirit which is kept in a green bamboo cup. As
they are returning to the ground they are pursued, but Baluga cuts
the vine on which their pursuers are climbing. When they reach home,
they hold a great celebration.



59

An alan takes the afterbirth and causes it to become a real child
named Sayen. Afterbirth child marries a servant, thinking he has
married her mistress. Learns he is deceived, and causes death of his
wife; then kills many people in the town of the girl who has deceived
him. She gets him to desist, and after he revives some of the slain
marries him. People of neighboring town are troubled by the komau,
an evil spirit, who always causes the death of as many people as the
hunters have secured deer. Sayen kills the komau. He fights with the
great spirit Kaboniyan. Neither is able to overcome the other, so they
become friends. They fight together against their enemies. Sayen often
changes himself into a fish or chicken, and hides after a fight. This
is observed by people who set a trap and capture him. He is killed.


60

A man while in the woods hears the alan near him. He feigns death and
the spirits weep for him. They put gold and beads on the body. He
springs up and seizes the offerings. They demand the return of one
bead; he refuses, and the spirits burn his house.


61

Two men who have killed a wild pig desire fire. One goes to house of
an alan and tries to secure it while the spirit sleeps. She awakes
and goes with the man to the pig. Man carries liver of the animal back
to the baby alan. He eats the liver and then throws the child into a
caldron of hot water. He tells his companion what he has done, and they
climb a tree near the water. The alan discovers their hiding place by
seeing their reflection in the water. She climbs up, feet first, but
they cut the vine on which she is ascending, and she is killed. They
go to her house and secure a jar of beads and a jar of gold.


62

The flat earth is made by the spirit Kadaklan. He also makes the moon
and sun, which chase each other through the sky. The moon sometimes
nearly catches the sun, but becomes weary too soon. The stars are
stones, the lightning a dog.


63

A flood covers the land. Fire has no place to go, so enters bamboo,
stones and iron. It still lives there and can be driven out by those
who know how.



64

A man finds his rice field disturbed even though well fenced in. He
hides and in middle of night sees some big animals fly into it. He
seizes one and cuts off its wings. The animal turns out to be a mare
which is pregnant and soon has male offspring. The place where the
wings once grew are still to be seen on the legs of all horses.


65

A lazy man, who is planting corn, constantly leans on his planting
stick. It becomes a tail and he turns into a monkey.


66

A boy is too lazy to strip sugar cane for himself. His mother in anger
tells him to stick it up his anus. He does so and becomes a monkey.


67

A lazy girl pretends she does not know how to spin. Her companions,
in disgust, tell her to stick the spinning stick up her anus. She
does so and at once changes into a monkey.


68

A war party are unable to cross a swollen river. They wish to become
birds. Their wish is granted and they are changed to kalau, but they
are not able to resume the human forms. Those who wore the white
mourning bands, now have white heads.


69

A mother puts a basket over her lazy son. When she raises it a bird
flies away crying "sigakók" (lazy).


70

A young man who owns a rice field gets a new wife. He leaves her to
harvest the crop. She is discouraged over the prospect and wishes to
become a bird. Her wish is fulfilled, and she becomes a kakok.


71

The dog of Ganoway chases a deer into a cave. The hunter follows
and in the darkness brushes against shrubs which tinkle. He breaks
off some branches. Cave opens again on the river bank, and he finds
his dog and the dead deer at the entrance. He sees that fruits on
the branches he carries are agate beads. Returns, but fails to find
more. His townspeople go with him to seek the wonderful tree, but
part of the cave is closed by the spirit Kaboniyan who owns it.


72

The jar Magsawi formerly talked softly, but now is cracked and cannot
be understood. In the first times the dogs of some hunters chased the
jar and the men followed, thinking it to be a deer. The jar eluded
them until a voice from the sky informed the pursuers how it might
be caught. The blood of a pig was offered, as the voice directed,
and the jar was captured.


73

The sun and moon fight. Sun throws sand in moon's face and makes the
dark spots which are still visible.


74

A man who went with a war party is away so long that he does not
recognize his daughter when he returns. He embraces her when she meets
him at the town gate. In shame she changes herself into a coconut tree.


75

Two flying snakes once guarded the gap in the mountains by which the
Abra river reaches the sea. Two brave men attack them with banana
trunks. Their wings stick in the banana trees and they are easily
killed. The men are rewarded with gold made in the shape of deer
and horses.


76

A man named Tagápen, of Ilocos Norte, with his wife and child goes up
the Abra river on a raft. They stop at various towns and Tagápen goes
up to each while his wife comforts the child. They finally reached
Patok where they go to live in the balaua. They remain there teaching
the people many songs.


III


77

A turtle and a monkey go to plant bananas. The turtle places his in
the ground, but the monkey hangs his in a tree. Soon the tree of the
turtle has ripe fruit, but the monkey has none. Turtle asks monkey
to climb and secure the fruit. Monkey eats all but one banana, then
sleeps in the tree. Turtle plants sharp shells around the tree and
then frightens monkey which falls and is killed. Turtle sells his
flesh to other monkey and then chides them because they eat their
kind. Monkeys catch turtle and threaten first to cut and then to
burn him. He deceives them by showing them marks on his body. They
tie weight to him and throw him into the water. He reappears with a
fish. Monkeys try to imitate him and are drowned.


78

A turtle and lizard go to steal ginger. The lizard talks so loudly
he attracts the attention of the owner. The turtle hides, but the
lizard runs and is pursued by the man. The turtle enters the house
and hides under a coconut shell. When the man sits on the shell the
turtle calls. He cannot discover source of noise and thinks it comes
from his testicles. He strikes these with a stone and dies. The turtle
and the lizard see a bees' nest. The lizard hastens to get it and is
stung. They see a bird snare and turtle claims it as the necklace of
his father. Lizard runs to get it but is caught and killed.


79

A little bird calls many times for a boy to catch it. He snares it and
places it in a jar. Lad's grandmother eats the bird. He discovers the
theft, leaves home and gets a big stone to swallow him. The grandmother
gets horses to kick the stone, carabao to hook it, and chickens to
peck it, but without result. When thunder and her friends also fail,
she goes home without her grandson.


80

A frog, which is attached to a hook, lures a fish so that it is caught.


81

The five fingers are brothers. The thumb goes to get bamboo. He tries
to kiss the bamboo and his nose sticks. One by one the others go in
search of the missing but are captured in the same manner. The little
finger, which alone remains free, releases the others.


82

A carabao and a shell agree to race along the river. The carabao runs
swiftly, then pauses to call "shell." Another shell replies and the
carabao continues running. This is repeated many times until at last
the carabao falls dead.




83

A crab and a shell go to get wood. The crab pulls the rope on his load
so tightly that he breaks his big legs and dies. The shell finds his
friend dead and cries until he belches his own body out of the shell
and he dies.


84

A mosquito tells a man he would eat him were it not for his ears.


85

A messenger goes to negotiate a marriage. When he arrives he sees the
people nodding their heads as they suck meat out of shells. He returns
home without stating his mission, but reports an acceptance. Girl's
people are surprised when people come for pakálon.


86

A man sees people eating bamboo shoots, and is told they are eating
pagaldanen. He understands them to say aldan--"ladder," so he goes
home and cooks his bamboo ladder. Is ridiculed by his friends.


87

A man with heavily laden horse asks the length of a certain trip. Boy
replies, "If you go slowly, very soon; if you go fast, all day." The
man hurries so that coconuts keep falling off the load and have to
be replaced. It is dark when he arrives.


88

A woman eats the fruit belonging to crocodile and throws away the
rind. Crocodile sees her tooth marks and recognizes the offender. He
demands that she be given him to eat. Her people agree, but first
feed him a hot iron. He swallows it and dies.


89

A lazy man goes to cut bamboo, and a cat steals his cooked rice. He
catches the cat in a trap and takes it home. It becomes a fighting
cock. The man starts for a cock fight, and on the way is joined by a
crocodile, a deer, a mound of earth and a monkey. The rooster kills
all the other birds at the fight, then the crocodile wins a diving
contest, the deer a race, the mound of earth a wrestling match, and
the monkey excels all in climbing. The man wins much money in wagers
and buys a good house.




90

A spirit lets a man take his poncho which makes him invisible. He
goes to his wife who recognizes his voice and thinks him dead. He
takes off poncho and appears before her.


91

A fisherman is seized by a big bird which carries him to its nest. The
small birds try to eat him, but he seizes one in each hand and jumps
from the tree. He reaches the ground unhurt and returns home.






VITA


Fay-Cooper Cole

Born Plainwell, Michigan, August 8, 1881. Educated at University of
Southern California, Northwestern University, Chicago University,
Berlin University, Columbia University. B.S. Northwestern University,
1903.


Publications:

The Tinguian. Philippine Journal of Science, Vol. III, No. 4. 1908.

Distribution of the Non-Christian Tribes of Northwestern
Luzon. Am. Anthro., Vol. II, No. 3. 1909.

The Bagobo of Davao Gulf. Philippine Journal of Science, Vol. VI,
No. 3. 1911.

Chinese Pottery in the Philippines. Pub. Field Mus. Nat. Hist.,
Vol. XII, No. 1. Chicago, 1912.

Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao. Pub. Field Mus. Nat. Hist.,
Vol. XII, No. 2. Chicago, 1913.

Traditions of the Tinguian. Pub. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. XIV,
No. 1. Chicago, 1915.





NOTES

[1] Traditions of the Tinguian. (Pub. Field Museum of Natural
History. Anthro. Series, Vol. No. I. Chicago, 1915.)

[2] Men or women through whom the superior beings talk to
mortals. During ceremonies the spirits possess their bodies and govern
their language and actions. When not engaged in their calling, the
mediums take part in the daily activities of the village.

[3] See page 26.

[4] The initial portion of some of these names is derived from the
respectful term apo--"sir," and the attributive copulate ni; thus
the original form of Aponitolau probably was Apo ni Tolau, literally
"Sir, who is Tolau." However, the storytellers do not now appear to
divide the names into their component parts, and they frequently
corrected the writer when he did so, for this reason such names
appear in the text as single words. Following this explanation it
is possible that the name Aponibolinayen may be derived from Apo ni
bolan yan, literally "Sir (mistress) who is place where the moon";
but bolan generally refers to the space of time between the phases
of the moon rather than to the moon itself. The proper term for moon
is sinag, which we have seen is the mother of Gaygayóma--a star,--and
is clearly differentiated from Aponibolinayen.

[5] [male]--male. [female]--female.

[6] Occasionally the storytellers become confused and give Pagbokásan
as the father of Aponitolau.

[7] The town of Natpangán is several times mentioned as though it
was the same as Kaodanan.

[8] The figures in parentheses refer to pages in the volume Traditions
of the Tinguian, Pub. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. XIV, No. I. Chicago,
1915.

[9] The only possible exception to this statement is the mention of a
carabao sled on p. 150, and of Aponitolau and Aponibolinayen riding
on a carabao p.51. Traditions of the Tinguian. (Pub. Field Museum,
vol. xiv, No. I; Chicago, 1915.)

[10] A term applied to any of the wilder head-hunting tribes.

[11] Ladders are placed on each side of the town gate and are inclined
toward one another until they meet at the top. Returning warriors
enter the village by climbing up the one and descending the other,
never through the gate.

[12] Copper gongs.

[13] Sharpened bamboo poles which pass through the foramen magnum.

[14] This poison is placed in the food or drink. The use of poisoned
darts or arrows seems never to have been known to this people.

[15] A similar custom is found among the Kayan of Borneo. See Hose
and McDougall, Pagan Tribes of Borneo, Vol. II, p. 171 (London, 1912).

[16] In this dance a man and a woman enter the circle, each holding a
cloth. Keeping time to the music, they approach each other with almost
imperceptible movements of feet and toes, and a bending at the knees,
meanwhile changing the position of the cloths. This is varied from
time to time by a few quick, high steps. For fuller description see
article by author in Philippine Journal of Science, Vol. III, No. 4,
1908, p. 208.

[17] The custom was formerly practised by the Ilocano. See Reves,
Folklore Filipino, p. 126 (Manila, 1899).

[18] See Philippine Journal of Science, Vol. III, No. 4, 1908,
pp. 206, ff.

[19] The Tinguian do not have a classificatory system of relationship
terms. The term kasinsiu is applied alike to the children of mother's
and father's brothers and sisters.

[20] A sacred dance in which a number of men and women take part. It
takes place only at night and is accompanied by the singing of the
participants.

[21] The night preceding the greatest day of the Sayang ceremony.

[22] Runo, a reed.

[23] See p. 8, note 2.

[24] A short ceremony held for the cure of fever and minor ills. It
also forms a part of the more extensive rites.

[25] A sugar-cane rum.

[26] See p. 7, note 1.

[27] Lesser spirits.

[28] Lesser spirits.

[29] Lesser spirits.

[30] Like ideas occur in the folk-tales of British North Borneo. See
Evans, Journal Royal Anthro. Inst., Vol. XLIII, 1913, p. 444.

[31] In various guises the same conception is found in Europe, Asia,
Africa, and Malaysia. See Cox, An Introduction to Folklore, p. 121
(London, 1904).--In an Igorot tale the owner captures and marries
the star maiden, who is stealing his rice. Seidenadel, The Language
of the Bontoc Igorot, p. 491 ff. (Chicago, 1909).

[32] The Dusun of Borneo have tales of talking jars. Evans, Journal
Royal Anthro. Inst., Vol. XLIII, 1913, pp. 426-427. See also Cole
and Laufer, Chinese Pottery in the Philippines (Pub. Field Museum of
Nat. Hist., Vol. XII, No. I, p. 11 ff., 1912).

[33] Piper sp.

[34] Bagobo tales relate that in the beginning plants, animals,
and rocks could talk with mortals. See Benedict, Journal American
Folklore, Vol. XXVI, 1913, p. 21.

[35] Tales of animals who assist mortals are found in all lands;
perhaps the best known to European readers is that of the ants
which sorted the grain for Cinderella. See also Evans, Jour. Royal
Anthro. Inst., Vol. XLIII, 1913, p. 467, for Borneo; Tawney's Kathá
Sarit Ságara, pp. 361 ff., Calcutta, 1880, for India.

[36] Fabulous birds of gigantic size, often known under the Indian term
garuda, play an important part in the beliefs of the Peninsular Malays.

[37] A similiar incident is cited by Bezemer (Volksdichtung aus
Indonesien). See also the Bagobo tale of the Kingfisher (Benedict,
Jour. American Folklore, Vol. XXVI, 1913, p. 53).

[38] The magic flight has been encountered in the most widely separated
parts of the globe, as, for instance, India and America. See Tawney,
Kathá Sarit Ságara, pp. 361, 367 ff. and notes, (Calcutta, 1880);
Waterman, Jour. American Folklore, Vol. XXVII, 1914, p. 46; Reinhold
Köhler, Kleinere Schriften, Vol. I, pp. 171, 388.

Copyright (c) 2007. famouswriterz.com. All rights reserved.