The Inhabitants of the PhilippinesSawyer, Frederic H.
History
The Inhabitants of the Philippines
Sawyer, Frederic H.
Ethnology -- Philippines; Philippines -- Social life and customs
They bury their dead the day after their decease, wrapping the body
in a mat. The grave is dug about a yard deep, and near the house. The
Balian or priest accompanies the bearers, and sprinkles water on
the house and ground as he goes. Women do not accompany the funeral
party. The body is laid on a bed of leaves, resting on a framework of
sticks or canes at the bottom of the grave. The sides are protected
in the same way, and over it another framework is constructed,
carrying an earthen jar containing food and clothing. The weapons
of the defunct are laid over him, and the grave is filled in with
earth, great care being taken not to let a particle of it touch the
body. Sacrifices are made to the god Diuata; these constitute the
funeral feast, which is consumed in silence. When it is concluded,
the dishes and pots which contained it are turned upside down.
On the eighth day another feast is held, when they talk and dance,
intoxicating themselves with copious libations of pangasi. The priest
then goes through a ceremony the purport of which is to hand over the
soul of the defunct to Diuata-sa-langit, the god of heaven. He begs
the soul to go away with the god, and to trouble them no more. They
then renew the dancing and drinking, and thus conclude the period
of mourning.
The houses of the Subanos are similarly constructed to those of the
Manobos, Montéses, and other tribes, but are not always raised so
high from the ground, and are more roughly built. Their food is
similar to that of the other heathen tribes. The men wear their
hair long, but coiled up on the head, and covered with a kerchief
worn like a turban. They dress in a tight jacket and trousers,
either white, blue, or red. Sometimes they wear a sash. The men do
not wear ear-ornaments of any kind. The women wear large combs made
by themselves from bamboos, but no head-covering. Their ornaments
are ear-rings, strings of beads round the neck, and many bangles
or bracelets of brass or silver. They are clothed in a short shirt,
either of homespun or Manchester cotton, and a skirt worn tight round
the body, and reaching below the knees.
The weapons of the Subanos are the lance, which they call talanan,
a round shield they call taming, a scimitar they call campilan,
the Malay kris they call caliz, the machete or pes.
Their agriculture and industries are very primitive, and on a small
scale.
They have scarcely any other musical instrument than brass gongs
called Agum, which are played as dance music to their two dances,
the Saldiringan and the Sinigay. In the first of these dances the men
stand up in a row, opposite a row of women. All hold a palm-branch
in each hand with which to beat time. They jump up and down with eyes
fixed on the ground.
For the Sinigay, however, the partners touch each other's hands,
but only with the points of the fingers. The Subano, equivalent to
our Mrs. Grundy, would feel shocked to see gentlemen dancing with
their arms round their partners' waists.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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