The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao: The R. F. Cummings Philippine ExpeditionCole, Fay-Cooper
History
The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao: The R. F. Cummings Philippine Expedition
Cole, Fay-Cooper
Ethnology -- Philippines -- Mindanao Island
The ordinary man of the tribe wears a loosely fitting shirt and wide
trousers made of white or blue cotton cloth. (Plate LXIX-LXX). These
garments are frequently decorated with embroidered designs and are
finished at the shoulders and knees with a cotton fringe. The trousers
are supported at the waist by means of a belt, and below reach nearly to
the ankles.[100] An incised silver disk is attached to the front of the
jacket, while ornaments of beads, seeds, and alligators' teeth encircle
the neck.
[100] Along the coast this type of garment is now seldom seen, for the
men are adopting the close-fitting dress of the Moro.
When on the trail the man covers his head with a little palm bark hat
(Fig. 47). This is sometimes conical, but more frequently is narrow and
turned up at the front and back. Painted designs, betel wings, and
chicken feathers make the hat a striking decoration which compensates
for its lack of utility.
FIG. 47. MEN'S HATS.
A class of warriors known as _bagam_[101] dress in red and wear turbans
of the same hue, while women mediums, _ballyan_,[102] may also make use
of red cloth.
[101] See p. 180. [Transcriber's note: This is page 167.]
[102] See p. 174.
Other women wear blue cotton jackets, in the fronts and back of which
are many artistic embroidered designs. Their hemp cloth skirts, like
those of the Bagobo, are made tube-like and are held at the waist by
means of belts. They are very careless about the hang of these garments
and one side may be above the calf of the leg while the other drags on
the ground (Plate LXVII). No head coverings are worn, but quite
elaborate combs (Fig. 48) are thrust into the knots of hair at the back
of the head. Wooden ear plugs (Fig. 49) ornamented with incised silver
plates and with bead and silver pendants fit into openings in the lobes
of the ears. Like the men they wear necklaces of beads, sweet smelling
herbs, and seeds. Many of the latter are considered to have medicinal
value and are eaten to cure pains in the stomach. One or more silver
disks are worn on the chest or over the breasts, while anklets, such as
are used by the women of the other tribes, are frequently seen. Both
sexes are fond of bracelets of brass, shell, or vines, as well as of
finger rings of tortoise shell and silver (Plate LXXI).
FIG. 48. WOMAN'S COMB.
FIG. 49. FAR PLUGS WITH BELL PENDANTS.
None of the garments contain pockets, and in order to make up for this
deficiency the men carry bags (Plate LXX) suspended on their backs by
means of bands which pass over the shoulders. In these they carry their
betel-nut outfits, tobacco, and the like. Small covered waterproof
baskets (Plate LXVIII) serve the same purpose for the women and are
carried at the back or at the side.
HISTORY.
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