PERSONAL ADORNMENT, DANCES, AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
The dress of the man is the clout (_ba-al_), either of beaten
bark or of cloth, and a woven belt (_balikes_) in which he keeps
small articles (Plates LXXV-LXXVI). On special occasions he wears a
long-sleeved jacket (_bado_), open in front, and in a few instances,
trousers. Both these garments are recent acquisitions, and the latter,
in particular, are not in favor, except where Ilocano influence is very
strong. The man is not inclined to adorn himself with brass and gold,
neither does he use tattooing to any extent, as do his Kalinga and
Igorot neighbors. Some have small patterns on an arm or thigh, but
these are usually property marks with which he brands his animals or
other possessions. Tattooing as an evidence of a successful head-hunt
is not found in this region, nor are there other marks or garments
to identify the warriors.
The hair is worn long, and is parted straight down the middle; the
two strands are twisted, crossed in the back, then carried to the
forehead, where they are again crossed, and the ends are fastened
by intertwining on each side of the head. A bark band (_ayabong_)
holds the hair in place, but at times it is replaced by a cloth or
a narrow ring of interwoven grass and rattan. Round bamboo hats,
with low dome-shaped tops, are commonly worn (Plate XLV), but these
are sometimes displaced by hats which go to a sharp peak, or by those
made of a gourd or of wood.
The woman's hair is parted in the middle, and is combed straight down
to the nape of the neck, where it is caught by strings of beads;
these are crossed in the back and encircle the head; the strand of
hair is then twisted and a loop formed which is carried to the left
side, where it is again caught under the beads, near to or above
the ear. Most of the Tinguian have luxuriant heads of hair, but,
nevertheless, switches are commonly used by both sexes. The hair is
often washed with the ashes of rice-straw, or with the bark of the
_gogo_ tree (_Entada purseta_), and is moistened with coconut oil.
Strings of beads encircle the women's necks, but the typical ornament
consists of strands above strands of beads reaching from the wrist
to the elbow, and if the wealth of the owner permits, even covering
the upper arm as well (Plate LXXIX). The strands are fastened tightly
above the wrist, causing that portion of the arm to swell. Slits of
bamboo are usually placed under the beads, and may be removed if the
pain or annoyance of the constriction is too severe. The upper arm
beads are removed with little difficulty; but those on the forearm are
taken off only once or twice a year, when new threads are substituted,
or when the owner is in mourning. Beneath these ornaments a delicate
fretwork of blue lines is tattooed, so that the woman's arms may not
be white and unsightly when she is without her beads. [244]
Most of the women have their ears pierced, but in the valley towns
only a small proportion wear earrings. In the mountain sections heavy
ornaments of gold or copper are worn, the weight often drawing the
lobe of the ear far down on the neck.
When at work, the woman discards all clothing from the upper portion
of her body, but at other times wears a short-sleeved jacket which
reaches to her waist (Plate LXXVII). The waist is cut so low in the
neck that the head can pass through. There is no shoulder seam. A
straight piece set over the shoulder extends down in square, both
front and back, to a line about even with the breast, where it is
sewed to the garment proper. A narrow skirt (_dingwa_), with colored
border, extends from the waist to the knees. It is held in place by
drawing it tightly and then tucking one corner under the upper edge,
or by pressing it beneath the girdle (Plate LXXVIII).
When a girl becomes a woman, she dons a girdle (_palingtan_) of
braided grass or rattan which fits over the hips, and to which a
clout is attached (Plate LXXX). As a rule, the girdle and clout are
not removed when bathing, as are the other garments.
The woman seldom wears a hat, except when she is working in the
fields, where sunshades large enough to protect the entire body are
used (Plate LIV). Frequently a cloth or a skirt is twisted about the
head as a protection against the sun.
On chilly mornings one often sees the people covered from head to
ankles with their sleeping blankets, or a woman may draw a particularly
wide skirt about her body just below the armpits so that she is
protected from her breasts to the knees.
The teeth of both sexes are blackened with iron salts and tan bark,
[245] but they are not cut or mutilated, as is common with many
Philippine peoples.
While both sexes are proud of heavy heads of hair, they do not look
with equal favor on face and body hairs. These are plucked out either
by grasping them between a knife blade and the thumb nail, or with a
bamboo device known as _iming_. This consists of a section of bamboo
split into several strips at one end. A hair is placed in one end of
the slits, and the bamboo is bent into a half circle, causing it to
take a firm hold, when it is jerked outwards.
Prized necklaces (_paliget_) made of small strands of twisted silver
wire, are placed on the neck of a corpse, and on some occasions are
worn by the living. During dances the hair is adorned with notched
chicken feathers attached to sticks, while circlets made of boar's
tusks are placed on the arms.
_Dances_.--Two dances, one ceremonial, the other suitable for all
occasions, are very popular.
The ceremonial dance known as _da-eng_ takes place at night, and is
carried on to the accompaniment of a song. [246] An equal number of
men and women take part. The women form a line facing a similar row
of men, about twenty feet distant. Locking arms about one another's
waists and with one foot advanced, they begin to sway their bodies
backwards and forwards. Suddenly they burst into song, at the same
time stepping forward with the left foot. Keeping perfect time to the
music, they take three steps toward the men, then retreat to their
original positions. The men then take up the song and in a similar
manner advance and retreat. This is repeated several times, after
which the two lines join to form a circle. With arms interlocked
behind one another's backs, and singing in unison, they begin to
move contra-clockwise. The left foot is thrown slightly backward
and to the side, and the right is brought quickly up to it, causing
a rising and falling of the body. The step, at first slow, becomes
faster and faster till the dancers have reached the limit of their
vocal and physical powers.
The _da-eng_ is sacred in character, is danced only at night and
then under the direction of the mediums. It is, however, in great
favor, and often so many of the younger people wish to take part
that double lines, or two or more groups, may be dancing at the same
time. It sometimes happens, when the _basi_ has been flowing freely,
that the participants become so boisterous and the pace so fast
that spectators are run down or the dancers are piled in a heap,
from which they emerge laughing and shouting.
The common dance, the _tadek_, is a part of nearly all gatherings of
a social and religious nature. The music for this dance usually is
made with three _gansas_ [247] and a drum. The _gansas_ are pressed
against the thighs of the players who kneel on the ground. Two of the
coppers are beaten with a stick and the palm of the hand, while the
third is played by the hands alone (Plate LXXXI, Fig. 2). The stick
or left hand gives the initial beat which is followed by three rapid
strokes with the right palm. A man and a woman enter the circle, each
holding a cloth about the size of a skirt. The man extends his cloth
toward the woman, and bringing it suddenly down, causes it to snap,
which is the signal to begin. With almost imperceptible movement of
the feet and toes and a bending at the knees, he approaches the woman,
who in a like manner goes toward him. They pass and continue until
at a distance about equal to the start, when they again turn and
pass. Occasionally the man will take a few rapid steps toward the
woman, with exaggerated high knee action and much stamping of feet,
or he will dance backward a few steps. At times the cloth is held
at arm's length in front or at the side; again it is wrapped about
the waist, the woman always following the actions of the man. At
last they meet; the man extends his hand, the woman does likewise,
but instead of taking his, she moves her own in a circle about his,
avoiding contact. Again they dance away, only returning to repeat
the performance. Finally she accepts the proffered hand, the headman
brings _basi_ for the couple to drink, and the dance is over. The
man sometimes ends the dance by the sharp snapping of his cloth,
or by putting it on his extended arms and dancing toward the woman,
who places her cloth upon his (Plate LXXXI, Fig. 1).
_Musical Instruments, Songs, and Dances_.--The Tinguian is naturally
musical. He sings at his work, he beats time with his head-axe against
his shield as he tramps the mountain trails, he chants the stories of
long ago as the workers gather about the fires each evening of the dry
season, he sings the praises of his host at feasts and festivals, [248]
joins with others in the dirge which follows a burial, and he and many
others will sing together as they dance the _da-eng_. But his music
does not stop with his vocal accomplishments. In the folk-tales the
pan pipe (_dew-dew-as_) occupies a most important place, and to-day
the maidens still play them in the evening hours. It is a simple
device made of reeds of various lengths lashed together (Fig. 26,
No. 1). The player holds the instrument just in front of her lips,
and blows into the reeds, meanwhile moving them to and fro, producing
a series of low notes without tune.
Another instrument of great importance in the legends is the nose
flute (_kalaleng_). This is a long reed with holes cut in the side,
to be stopped by the fingers in producing the notes. The player closes
one nostril with a bit of cotton, and then forces the air from the
other into a small hole cut in the end of the tube. The instrument
is popular with the men, and often one can hear the plaintive note
of the nose flute far into the night (Plate LXXXII).
The mouth flute (_tulali_) is similar to that found in civilized lands,
but is constructed from a reed.
A peculiar device used solely by the women is the _bunkaka_ (Fig. 26,
No. 2). This consists of a bamboo tube with one end cut away so as
to leave only two thin vibrating strips. These, when struck against
the palm of the left hand, give out a note which can be changed by
placing a finger over the opening at x.
A Jew's harp is constructed like a netting needle, but with a tongue of
bamboo cut so that it will vibrate when struck, or when a cord attached
to the end is jerked sharply (Fig. 26, No. 3). If made of bamboo,
the instrument is known as _kolibau_; if brass, _agiweng_. It is often
mentioned in the tales, and to-day is played by nearly all the men.
Bamboo guitars (_kuliteng_) are made by cutting narrow strips
throughout the length of a section of bamboo, but not detaching them
at the ends. They are raised and tuned by inserting small wedges of
wood at the ends. Small sections of thin bamboo are sometimes fitted
over two strings, and are beaten with sticks, or the strings can be
fingered like a guitar (Plate LXXXIII).
Music for dances is furnished by an orchestra consisting of four men,
three with copper gongs (_gangsas_), and one with a drum. The gongs
are tambourine shape, with sides about an inch and a half high. They
are placed against the thighs of the players who kneel on the ground,
and are beaten with a stick and the palm of the hand or by the hands
alone. [249] They doubtless came into this region through trade,
but at a time so remote that their origin is now credited to the
spirits. The drum (_tambor_) is made of a short section of a tree
hollowed out. The ends are covered with cow's hide or pig's skin.