The ceremonies and dances are so closely associated with every day
affairs that in the description of the life of the people up to this
point we have left only a few still to be discussed. These are, in the
main, very similar throughout the Bagobo belt, but to avoid confusion
the description here given of the two greatest events of the year--the
_GinEm_ ceremony and the human sacrifice--deals with Cibolan, unless
expressly stated to the contrary.
The greatest of all Bagobo ceremonies--the _GinEm_--may be given by the
_datu_ within three or four months after the appearance of the
constellation _Balatik_, when the moon is new or full. Its object is to
thank the spirits for success in war or domestic affairs, to ward off
sickness and other dangers, to drive away the _buso_, and finally to so
gratify the spirits that they will be pleased to increase the wealth of
all the people. Datu Tongkaling expressed a belief that this ceremony is
in a way related to the rice harvest, "for it is always made when there
is plenty of rice in the granaries." It appears to the writer, however,
that this ceremony probably originated in connection with warfare.
According to the tales of the old men, it was formerly the custom to go
on a raid before this ceremony was to take place, and successful
warriors would bring home with them the skulls of their victims which
they tied to the _patan'nan_.[46] It seems also to have been closely
associated with the yearly sacrifice, for it was never made until after
the appearance of the constellation _Balatik_, and without doubt a
sacrifice frequently did take place during the first day of the
ceremony, at the time the decorated poles were raised. However, such an
offering at this time did not relieve the _datu_ from the obligation of
making the regular sacrifice.
[46] Ceremonial poles dedicated to Mandarangan and Darago. In Digos and
Bansalan the skulls were not taken but hair cut from the heads of
enemies was placed in the swinging altar _balakat_, and were left there
until the conclusion of the ceremony.
Datu Ansig of Talun informed me that, unless the death of some great
person made a special sacrifice necessary, there was only one such
offering made during the year, and that at the time the decorated poles
were placed in the dwelling.
The time for the festival having been agreed upon, messengers are sent
to other _datu_ and head-men, inviting them and their people to attend.
Sufficient food is prepared for the guests and when all is ready the
_mabalian_ takes one chicken from among those to be used for food and
frees it as an offering to the _gimokod_. It is bidden to wander about
in the forest, and no one will molest the fowl, for should he do so he
is certain to become ill.[47] The _mabalian_ has previously placed
festoons of leaves and vines at various points in the house and now she
spreads a mat on the floor. A jar of _balaba_, wine, stands at each
corner, while at one end is an _agong_, and a plate containing betel
nut, leaf, and two varieties of rattan; at the other end are several
_tambara_. When all is thus prepared the people place offerings of
beautiful clothing, knives, and other costly gifts on the mat. Two
_mabalian_, a man and a woman call upon the spirits,[48] urging them to
look with favor on the offering made by the people, to grant them a good
year with health and plentiful harvests, to let their journeys be
without mishap, and to keep them all under their constant care. The
_tambara_ are fastened in various parts of the house, and the gifts are
hung on or laid beside them. Later these offerings may be removed by
their former owners who now regard them as being loaned to them by the
spirits.
[47] This offering is not made at Bansalan, neither has the _mabalian_
any part in the ceremonies of the first day.
[48] Those called at this time are Toglai, Toglibon, _tigyma_, and
Kalayagan--Eugpamolak Manobo.
[Transcriber's note: The word _tigyma_ in the above footnote should be
spelled _tigyama_.]
Following the offering the _magani_ go to a bamboo thicket and cut two
large poles, one nine sections long, the other eight. With each stroke
of the knife the men give their battle cry, then when the poles are
felled, all seize hold and carry them to the house of the _datu_. Here
they are decorated, first by being cut down for short distances, thus
leaving the lower part attached so that the shavings make a sort of
fringe, and then by attaching strips of palm or bamboo leaves and cloth
or palm leaf streamers. When complete these poles are known as
_patan'nan_ and are then the property of the spirits Mandanagan and
Darago. The longer one is for the male spirit, while the one of eight
sections is for his wife. Under no circumstances may anyone not a
_magani_ touch these poles. They are carried into the house and are
fastened near to the elevated platform at the end of the room where the
_datu_ or leading _magani_ stands ready to sacrifice a chicken. He
allows some of the blood from the offering to drip onto the poles, at
the same time begging the spirits not to let the people fight or quarrel
during the _GinEm_, "for blood is now being offered." In at least two
recent offerings the _datu_ urged the spirits to be content with this
offering of a fowl, since it was impossible for them to kill a man. At
this time, it is said, the skulls of enemies should be attached to the
_patan'nan_. As the leader finishes his offering, the men and boys
gather about the poles and yell lustily, then sit quietly down and amuse
themselves by chewing betel nut until the chicken, just killed, and the
other food has been prepared for eating. Old dishes are placed in the
center of the floor and in them food is offered for all the spirits, but
in the exact center of all is a large plate of white food for the
supreme being. A second large dish of food is placed in a _tambara_ at
the corner of the room as an offering to the warrior deities "so that
they will not eat anyone during the fiesta." Again the spirits are
besought to give them a good year, with abundant crops, health, and
success in war. Going to the _patan'nan_ each _magani_, beginning with
the _datu_ or his son, takes hold of the poles, and in a loud voice,
begins to confess all his warlike deeds. He relates how and when he
killed his victims, the number of sacrifices he has participated in, the
towns he has sacked and the slaves he has captured. In short, he tells
of all the manly deeds he has performed in order to gain the right to
wear his red suit and be known as _magani_. When all have confessed, the
men and boys eat the chicken which was sacrificed before the poles, and
from then until near midnight, all the people may dance to the music of
the _agongs_ or may indulge in feasting and drinking. From the middle of
the night until daybreak they chant songs or poems, many words of which
are now obsolete so that they are not fully understood.[49]
[49] Mr. Gohn informs me that at midnight during the last _GinEm_ made
by Datu Ali in Santa Cruz, a gun was fired, and the _datu_ said that a
sacrifice should have taken place at that time.
The festival may last one or more days. The last held in Cibolan (1909)
extended through two days and nights. At that time no offerings were
made to the spirits on the second day, but the people feasted and drank
while the _datu_ gathered a little apart and held a council.
In Malilla the second day of this ceremony is called _EgbikbEgaybe_ and
is given over almost entirely to the women. Two _tambara_ are erected in
the house, and young betel nut buds and women's skirts are hung on them.
The women and some men form a line and dance in a circle around the
offerings, keeping time to music furnished by beating small gongs, or by
pounding on a board resting on a rice mortar.[50] Before each dance the
_mabalian_ informs a spirit that this dance is for him and it is
customary to add a gift of some kind to those already on the _tambara_.
Sixteen spirits are thus honored. Throughout the day there is much
feasting and drinking, and at some time before sunset the women are
baptized. Having filled an old agong with water, the _mabalian_ dips
certain leaves into it and sprinkles the heads of the women present
eight times, meanwhile bidding the spirits to grant to them a good mind
and habit.
[50] See p. 110, note. [Transcriber's note: back 3 pages, the footnote
beginning, "An instrument made by placing...."]
Mr. Gohn, a planter of Santa Cruz who has witnessed a number of these
ceremonies, says that with the Bagobo of that place it was customary for
the _datu_ to baptize the women prior to the day of _GinEm_. On the
second day, a _mabalian_ provided a long palm leaf, and a number of
betel nut buds which, she said, represented streams, rivers, tribes, and
individuals. Taking up a bud she swung the palm leaf above it, chanting
meanwhile, and, as she finished, handed it to the _datu_ who opened it
and read the signs sent by the spirits. At the conclusion of this act,
all the women went to the river to bathe.
In the writings of the early missionary fathers stationed among the
Bagobo are found many references to human sacrifices. Since American
occupation several articles have appeared describing this custom, and
following the sacrifice held in Talun in 1907, this practice became the
subject of official communication between the Governor of the District
and his superiors. While these descriptions agree, in the main, there
are so many minor variations that it seems best to first relate the
account given to the writer by Datu Tongkaling and ten of his _magani_,
after which we shall take up some of the earlier accounts, and the
official correspondence of 1907.
Datu Tongkaling is a _magani_. He claims to have killed more than thirty
of his enemies in fair fight and to have assisted in, or to have
witnessed, an even greater number of sacrifices. Prior to his elevation
to the office of _datu_ he had aided in several of the yearly offerings.
At the time he became _datu_ he entertained all his people for seven
days and on the morning of the last day, in the presence of his
subjects, he alone sacrificed a decrepit Bila-an slave for whom he had
paid three _agongs_. Hence, probably, no man in the tribe is better
fitted to describe this event than he.
According to him, a sacrifice should be held each year following the
appearance in the sky of a constellation of seven stars known as
_Balatik_ ("pig trap").[51] The stars are placed there by the spirits
for two purposes:--first, to inform the people that it is time to prepare
for the clearing of new fields; second, to remind them that they should
offer a slave to Mandarangan, Darago, and Balakat as payment for the
good year they have enjoyed, and to secure their good will for the
coming season. A great epidemic or continued calamaties[sic] might also
be signs that the spirits were in need of another offering, and this
could take place at any time. Upon the death of an adult it becomes the
duty of the family to make a sacrifice, but, unless the deceased is of
very great importance, they may wait until the yearly sacrifice[52] when
they can purchase a share in it. The one other occasion for which this
offering is obligatory is the installation of a new _datu_ in office.
For the yearly event the ruler should provide a decrepit slave, and then
invite all those who have had death or trouble in the family and who
wish a part in the sacrifice to help bear the expense of the ceremony.
Guests gather from near and far and for two or three days, feast, dance,
and make merry in the house of the _datu_. On the morning of the last
day they accompany their leader to a great tree in the forest and there
witness or take part in the sacrifice. The victim is tied with his back
to the tree, his arms stretched high above his head. Meanwhile a little
table or altar is constructed near by, and on it the principals place
their offerings of betel nut, clothes, or weapons, and on top of all is
a dish of white food for Eugpamolak Manobo. When all is ready one of the
_magani_ begins a prayer, begging the spirits to look and see that the
people are following the old custom, to give them success in battle, and
to protect their homes from sickness and enemies. The prayer being
completed, the _datu_ places his spear below and just in front of the
right armpit; then all those who have purchased a share in the victim
take hold of the weapon, and at a signal given by the _datu_, thrust it
through the body. As soon as it is withdrawn, the _magani_ who has
offered the greatest price for the privilege attempts to cut the body in
two with one blow of his fighting knife. If he fails in the attempt,
another tries, and so on until someone succeeds. The two portions are
then released from the tree and cast into a shallow grave near by.
Before the body is covered with earth any person who wishes may cut off
a portion of the flesh or hair and carry it to the grave of some
relative whom he may have reason to believe is being troubled by evil
spirits. In such a case the evil spirit will be content to eat of the
slave, and cease disturbing the other body. Returning to the house of
the _datu_, the people continue the dancing and merry-making throughout
another night.
[51] This is the constellation Orion which appears early in December.
[52] We have already seen that this offering sometimes occurs during the
_GinEm_ ceremony.
The following accounts are extracts from the official correspondence
forwarded by the Governor of Davao to the Governor of the Moro Province:
"I have the honor to submit herewith a full report of an investigation
made by myself and the Senior Inspector of Constabulary of Davao,
regarding a human sacrifice made by the Bagobos at Talun near Digos on
Dec. 9th, 1907.
"We left Davao on the morning of the 27th of December and arrived at
Digos in the afternoon of the same day. An order was immediately sent
out to the Bagobos of Talun to come down to Digos to meet us.
"On the morning of the 30th, the entire population of Talun--men, women
and children, to the number of almost one hundred and fifty--arrived at
Digos. They were informed that it was reported that a human sacrifice
had been made at their town and that the authorities desired to know if
this was so.
"Datto[sic] Ansig replied that it was true that a sacrifice had been
held as stated and that both he and his people were ready to tell all
about it as to the best of their belief they had committed no crime, but
only followed out a religious custom practiced by themselves and their
ancestors from time immemorial.
"From the statements made by Ansig and his followers, it appears as
follows:
"That the Bagobos have several gods, 'Bacalad,' God of the spirits,
Agpanmole[sic] Monobo[sic], God of good and his wife the goddess Dewata;
Mandarangan, the God of evil (corresponding perhaps to our devil) and to
whom sacrifice is made to appease his wrath which is shown by
misfortune, years of drought, or evil befalling the tribe or its
members, also it is at times necessary to offer him human sacrifice so
that he will allow the spirits of the deceased to rest, etc. They say
that in case a Bagobo of rank or influence dies, and his widow be unable
to secure another husband, it is necessary for her to offer sacrifice to
appease the spirit of her departed husband in order that she may secure
another. In order that these sacrifices be not made too often, it is
customary for the old men of the town to gather together once each year
during a time when a collection of seven stars, three at right angle to
the other four, are seen in the heavens at seven o'clock in the evening,
which is said to occur once each year during the first part of the month
of December.
"This collection of stars is called by the Bagobos 'Balatic,' and is the
sign of the sacrifice, that is, if a sacrifice is to occur, it must take
place during the time that the stars are in this position.
"The old men meet and decide if enough misfortune has overtaken the
tribe or village during the period since the last sacrifice to render
necessary another tribute to the god of evil. It is not necessary to
offer a sacrifice for each evil, but when the misfortunes amount to a
considerable, a sacrifice is held to cover the entire lot.
"In this case it appears that two widows, Addy and Obby, went to
Datto[sic] Ansig and requested that he arrange a sacrifice to appease
the spirits of their departed husbands which were bothering them. Ansig
called a meeting of the old men at which were present besides himself
Bagobos Oling, Pandaya, and Ansig, and these four decided that as they
had not had a sacrifice since the great drought (about three years ago)
and that since that time many evils had befallen them, it would be well
to offer a sacrifice. These four men sent out to find a slave for
sacrifice, the finder becoming the chief of the sacrifice.
"Ongon, a henchman of Datto Ansig, purchased from Bagobo Ido, a Bilan
slave boy named Sacum about eight years old and who was deaf and
cross-eyed, and had other defects of vision, making him of little or no
value as a laborer. Ido originally received this slave from Duon, a
Bilan, as a wedding present when he married Duon's daughter about a year
ago.
"Ongon agreed to pay Ido five agongs for the boy and took him to the
house of Ansig where arrangements were made for the sacrifice by calling
on all who for any reason had need to appease the evil spirits to come
and take part. Three days after the slave was brought to the house of
Ansig, the people met at Talun near the river Inolia, a short distance
from Ansig's house, this being the regular place of sacrifice.
"Leaving the house of Ansig the boy Sacum was seated upon the ground
near the place of sacrifice. He was naked but no other preparation was
made with regard to the person. Upon a platform or bench of bamboo about
two feet high and a foot or two square was placed a small basket or
receptacle made of the bark of the bunga tree; in this each person
present and taking part in the sacrifice placed a piece of betel-nut,
over this the men placed their head handkerchiefs and the women strips
of the bark of the palma tree. Upon this the men laid their bolos, and
spears were then stuck in the ground in a circle around the platform.
Next Datto Ansig as chief of the sacrifice made an oration which was
about as follows: 'Oh, Mandarangan, chief of evil spirits and all the
other spirits, come to our feast and accept our sacrifice. Let this
sacrifice appease your wrath and take from us our misfortunes, granting
us better times.'
"After this, the boy Sacum was brought forward by Ongon, placed against
a small tree about six feet high, his hands tied above his head, and his
body tied to the tree with bejuco strips at the waist and knees. Ansig
then placed a spear at the child's right side at a point below the right
arm and above the margin of the ribs. This lance was grasped by the
widows Addy and Obby, who at a signal from Ansig forced it through the
child's body, it coming out at the other side. It was immediately
withdrawn and the body cut in two at the waist by bolos in the hands of
Moesta Barraro and Ola, after which the body was cut down and chopped
into bits by the people present, each of whom was allowed to take a
small portion as a momento[sic] of the occasion, the remainder of the
body being buried in a hole prepared for it.
"It is said the child was deaf and almost blind and that it did not
realize what was to happen to it until the moment it was tied up when it
began to cry; further, that death was almost instantaneous, the only cry
being one uttered when the spear first entered the child's body.
"Datto Ansig, a man about sixty years of age, says that in his life he
has attended or officiated at fifty human sacrifices, more or less, both
among the Bagobos and the Bilanes, and that human sacrifice is also
practiced among the Tagacolos, although he has never been present at one
held by that tribe.
"The Bagobos do not sacrifice any but old and decrepit or useless slaves
captured from other tribes, but the Bilanes sacrifice even their own
people.
"Being asked if it was customary to eat any portion of the body
sacrificed, Ansig replied that it was not customary nor did he know of
any case where such had occurred.
"The last sacrifice before this was held at Talun during the year of the
drought (about 1905) when a Bilan slave, an old man who was paralyzed in
one arm, was sacrificed by Datto Oling, his master.
"Asked if the sacrifice of an animal would not do as well as that of a
human being, they said, 'No, better to have no sacrifice at all.'
"They appeared utterly unconscious of having committed any crime, told
their story with frankness, said it was a matter not talked about among
their own people but that if we wanted to know the facts they would give
them to the authorities. They claimed the offering of human sacrifices
by their tribe to be an old custom and, as far as they knew the only way
to appease the wrath of the evil spirits, but said if they were ordered
to give the custom up they would do so even if the devil got them all."
Then follows the statement of an eye-witness to the ceremony:
"My name is Modesta Barrera; I live in the town of Santa Cruz, my father
being a Visayan, my mother a Bagobo. I cannot read or write, and I think
that I am about twenty-three years old, although I am not certain on
that point.
"On the 8th instant myself, Baon, Otoy, and Oton left Santa Cruz early
in the morning to go to Talun, a day's march from Santa Cruz, for the
purpose of trading with the natives of Talun, and also to collect some
debts which they owed Baon. We remained that night at Saculampula, near
Talun, where Ungon and Ido, two Bagobos, live with their families. There
we found two children the only persons at the house who informed us that
we should go to the house of Ambing, at Talun, where we could sell our
merchandise. On the morning of the 9th we got up about 7 or 8 o'clock
and started for Ambing's house. When within about an hour's walk of the
house, we found a great many people congregated together. We were told
that a human sacrifice had just taken place and on approaching to
discover what had happened, we saw a little boy about eight or nine
years old, the upper half of whose body was suspended by the wrists to a
tree, the lower half lying on the ground. The child had been thus tied
up while alive and had been cut into two parts at the waist; this was
about the position of the body when we saw it.
"Immediately about twenty persons began to chop the body into small
pieces; and Ansig, the datto of Talun, came over to us and gave Baon two
pieces of the victim's hair attached to the scalp, which is a sign of
the sacrifice. The victim was a slave owned and sacrificed by Datto
Ansig. The first bolo cut which severs the body at the waist and which
in this case we were told was done by Ansig is always performed by the
person making the sacrifice. The people present were guests of Ansig and
were not responsible for the killing, though it is the custom for the
more favored ones to assist in chopping the victim into small pieces
after death."
In the letters written by Father GISBERT in 1886, are many references to
the religious practices of the Bagobo, from which the following are
extracts:
"The feast which they hold before the sowing is a criminal and repugnant
trago-comedy. The tragical part is the first thing that is done. When
they have assembled in the middle of the woods * * * they tightly bind
the slave whom they are going to sacrifice. All armed with sharp knives,
leap and jump about their victim striking him, one after the other, or
several at one time, amid infernal cries and shouts, until the body of
the victim sacrificed has been cut to bits. From the place of the
sacrifice they then go to the house of their chief or the master of the
feast, holding branches in their hands which they place in a large
bamboo, which is not only the chief adornment but the altar of the house
in which they meet * * * The principal part is reserved for the old man
or master of the feast, he standing near the bamboo which I have
mentioned above, holding the vessel of wine in his hand, and, talking
with his comrades, addresses the great demon called _Darago_, whose
feast they are celebrating, in the following words: 'Darago, we are
making you this feast, with great good will and gladness, offering you
the blood of the sacrifice which we have made and this wine which we
drink so that you may be our friend, accompany us, and be propitious in
our wars.' * * * * * * * * * * *
"When they marry, if the lovers think that it will be of any use they
make a human sacrifice so that they may have a good marriage, so that
the weather may be good, so that they may have no storm, sickness, etc.,
all things which they attribute to the devil. In the same way also when
they learn that there is any contagious disease, or fear death, several
of them assemble and make a human sacrifice, asking the devil to let
them live, since they generously offer him that victim. They also
believe that the disease can be conjured. But the time that it is
necessary to make a sacrifice, according to the law of the Bagobos, is
at the death of anyone of the family, before they can remove the
_lalaoan_ or mourning * * * At the point and on the day assigned, all
the sacrificers assemble, or possibly one member of each of the families
who are in mourning, at times fifty or more. The value of the slave
sacrificed is paid among them all, and he who pays most has the right to
sacrifice first."[**]
[**] In BLAIR and ROBERTSON, Vol. XLIII. pp. 244-51, will be found a
very interesting letter from FATHER GISBERT, in which he describes the
sacrifice of a Bagabo[sic] half-blood who had fallen in debt.
The official files in the Governor's office at Davao contain an account,
written by Gov. Bolton, of the sacrifice at Cataloonan, July 1, 1904.
This was held to secure the return to health of Chief Obo, who later
died.
[Transcriber's note: The two paragraphs immediately above both comprise
a single footnote.]
By the side of the trail, or in the forests, little shrines or platforms
about 3 ft. high and a foot square at the top, are frequently seen.
These are known as _buis_ and are erected for the _buso_, in order to
avert their displeasure and to keep them at a distance from the
dwellings. When the family has been subjected to petty annoyances, or
when for any other reason, the _mabalian_ thinks an offering should be
made, she orders the family to provide her with betel nut, a piece of
iron, and bits of broken dishes, or castoff clothing. These are placed
on the platform and the _buso_ are exhorted to come and accept them.
Good offerings are never made to this class of spirits, for "they do not
expect to be treated like the more powerful." A shrub known as
_dalingding_ is planted by the side of the shrine so that its location
may be known even after the platform has fallen, and all passersby will
make some small offering, hoping thus to keep these evil beings in good
humor.
Rain can be stopped by placing an offering of a leg ring, or prepared
betel nut beside the trail and presenting them to the _Gimokod_, at the
same time asking them to stop the downpour.