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
Usually, the body is buried in the ground at a distance from the house.
The coffin is made out of a split log, in which weapons, jars, and the
like are placed for the use of the spirit. If the dead man has been a
warrior he is dressed in the clothing distinctive of his rank, and his
grave is covered with red flowers. At times the coffins are shaped to
resemble small boats and are then placed on high poles near to the
beach.
For a month following a funeral the relatives refrain from all
merrymaking. At the expiration of this period all go to a near-by river
and with their knives, cut to pieces a braided cord, which has been made
since the burial, and as they destroy it they shout "This is a man we
are killing. This is a man we are killing." Finally, the pieces are
thrown into the river and the period of taboo is past.
IV. TAGAKAOLO.
SYNONYMS.
(a) TAGAKAOLA.
(b) SAKA--"head of the river."
(c) KAGAN, KALAGAN, CALAGANES, CALAGARS.
(d) LAOC. According to the account of PASTELL,[90] this name is given to
a small, degraded division of the Tagakaolo who live in the mountains of
Haguimitan on San Augustin peninsula.
[90] BLAIR and ROBERTSON, Vol. XLIII, p. 259.
The present habitat and general condition of this tribe is nearly the
same as that of the Kulaman.
Prior to Spanish times they held the hill region back of the coast,
between Malalag and Lais. On the Gulf side they were barred from the sea
by the Kulaman and Moro, while in the mountains they encountered the
powerful Bila-an tribe.
About fifty years ago that part of the tribe living furthest to the
north united under the leadership of a brave warrior named Paugok, and
made war on the Bagobo. They were successful in this conflict and drove
their enemies from the rich valleys of the Padada and Bulatakay rivers,
where they established themselves. This brought them in close contact
with the Kulaman and Moro of the coast, with whom they lived on friendly
terms. The influence of the latter group was so great that the newcomers
not only adopted their style of dress, but also substituted cotton for
hemp in the manufacture of their garments. Today the members of this
tribe can still be recognized by their close fitting suits of red and
yellow striped cloth, from which they have received the name of
Kagan.[91] They have also been constant borrowers, from all their
neighbors, of ideas for house-building and utensils. They have
intermarried to some extent with the Kulaman, and in times past Bila-an
and Bagobo slave women have been added to the tribe.
[91] The general name applied to red cotton trade cloth.
Today practically all the members of the Kagan division are found living
on the American plantations along the Padada and Bulatakay rivers. They
are on friendly terms with their Tagakaolo kinsmen, and are still so
like them in language, social customs, and religious beliefs, that one
description will suffice for both.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account