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)
When garments are put on, they are identical with those worn by the
elders. At all ages the people will discard their clothing without
any sense of shame, whenever the occasion demands; as, for instance,
the fording of a stream, or when a number of both sexes happen to be
bathing at the same time in the village pool. This does not lead to
immodesty or lewdness, and a person who is careless about the acts,
which are not considered proper in Tinguian society, is an object of
scorn quite as much as he would be in a more advanced community.
The first toys generally consist of pigs, carabao, or horses made by
sticking bamboo legs into a sweet potato or mango. A more elaborate
plaything is an imitation snake made of short bamboo strips fastened
together with cords at top, center, and bottom. When this is held near
the middle by the thumb and forefinger, it winds and curls about as
if alive.
Stilts of bamboo, similar to those used in America, are sometimes
used by the older children, but the more popular local variety is
made by fastening cords through the tops of half coconut shells. The
youth holds a cord in each hand, stands on the shells with the lines
passing between the first two toes, and then walks.
Flat boards with cords attached become "carabao sleds," and in
these immense loads of imaginary rice are hauled to the granaries. A
similar device serves as a harrow, while a stick is converted into a
"plough" or "horse," as is desired. Imitation carabao yokes are much
prized, and the children pass many hours serving as draught animals
or drivers. The bull-roarer, made by putting a thin piece of bamboo
on a cord and whirling it about the head, makes a pleasing noise,
and is excellent to use in frightening stray horses. Blow-guns, made
out of bamboo or the hollow tubes of plants, vie in popularity with
a pop-gun of similar construction. A wad of leaves is driven through
with a plunger, and gives a sharp report, as it is expelled.
Tops are among the prized possessions of the boys. They are spun,
or are wound with cord, and are thrown overhand at those of other
players, with the intention of splitting or marking them.
Quite as popular, with the small girls, are tiny pestles with which
they industriously pound rice chaff, in imitation of their mothers.
While still mere babies, the boys begin to play with toy knives
made of wood, but by the time they are seven or eight years of
age, they are permitted to carry long _bolos_, and before puberty
they are expert with the weapons used by the tribe (Plate XI). In
the mountain regions in particular, it is a common occurrence for
groups of youngsters, armed with reed spears and palm-bark shields,
to carry on mock battles. They also learn to make traps and nets, and
oftentimes they return to the village with a good catch of small birds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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