The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine TribeCole, Fay-Cooper
Religion
The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine Tribe
Cole, Fay-Cooper
Tinguian (Philippine people)
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).
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