Part 4

When the Sun arrived, he asked, "Did men come at noon?" "Yes, they are waiting under the house. They came to have the divination ceremony held, because their wives do not have children and they get sick when they have their menses." Then the Sun asked Apinan and Bintauan, "Why did you come?" "We came to have the divination ceremony celebrated." Then the Sun said, "Go home and celebrate the pasang, and you will have children."

They went home and did so and had children, and their wives were not sick when they had their menses.

There is no dancing in connection with this ceremony in the western Benguet Kankanay towns, but in Buguias the wife and husband dance. The wife carries her camote basket filled with blankets, breech-clouts, and cloth, which are offered to the pasang.

The pasang is celebrated for the same purpose by the Nabaloi, the Lepanto Kankanay, and probably other Igorot tribes. I have been told that a corresponding ceremony is celebrated as far north as Kalinga.

ABASANG

The abasang is celebrated in all Benguet Kankanay towns when children are born.

A chicken and a jar of tapuy are used for sacrifice. The mambunong holds the chicken in one hand, and prays to the laglagawin or guardian spirit of the child, asking that it may live long and be lucky. A magical story, which I was unable to secure, is also related.

This ceremony is celebrated by the Nabaloi, but I do not know whether or not it is held in any Kankanay towns outside of Benguet.

SIBISIB

The Kankanay as well as the Nabaloi celebrate sibisib to cure wounds. The mambunong holds against the wound the instrument with which it was inflicted, while relating the following:

Si Boliwan waday dua anakna--da Lumawig un Kabigat.

Sin agou inmeda manganop, ut inaday isa makawas. Sumaada pay nabayda ut nanibayda sin ilungan. Ginudgudda din patang ut inbilagda.

Sin tinmotokdowanda din asoda inapayoda di oduum ay makawas. Din dua sin agi inonodda di asoda. Inyudda un amada un bantayana din patang.

Din isa sinsin agi niangna din makawas, yan adida ut maykapsu. Din makawas linmayau ay waday gayang sin angina. Nantaolida sin nanayanda un amada. Inilada ay yuwud patang.

Inyatna un amada, "Insedan mut patang." Inyat amada, "Adak insida, nayiwud sin manaukak." Inyat anakna, un "Adika ibagay maptung; insedan mut."

Bintyakanut, Boliwan, agusna sin bangina ut mati. Ut inila din san agi ay iwud din patang sin agusna. Ut yatda un, "Angan yatmi insidam, adan binutyakan akusmo ta adika natay."

Ut inbaladda ay manilit mo sino dinangisida sin patang. Inilada di idu sin tongdon di bimabaktadanda, ut inyatna un, "Au, insedak." Din dua sin agi inyatna un, "Puslundaka ut." Din idu inyatna un, "Adikayo pomsu, ta asak todoan si dakayo si mamuyan si magud, ya pabilayuk si amayo loman." Din idu inyatna un, "Yalio san gayang, banig, bislak, ya matadum ay bato." Ut inamagda. Din idu inpauina din gayanag, banig bislak, ya bato sin sagun nagudgud, ya inbunongna. Si Boliwan natagu loman.

Din sin agi inyatda sin idu, "Waada ay anitoka." Din idu inyatna un, "Au, sakun di anito." Din sin agi inyatda, un, "Ingosadtako sin anak di ifugau tamo waday ingus nina ay manomang ya sidotako di pangigapwanda mo sibsibanda."

Boliwan had two sons, Lumawig and Kabigat.

One day they went hunting, and caught a deer. They started home, but became tired on the way. They cut the meat into pieces and dried it.

While they were sitting down, their dogs ran after another deer. The two brothers followed their dogs. They told their father to guard the meat.

One of the brothers hit the deer with his spear, but did not kill it. The deer ran away with the spear in his body. They returned to the place where their father was staying. They saw that the meat was gone.

They said to their father, "You surely ate the meat." Their father said, "I did not eat it, it was taken away while I was sleeping." The sons said, "You do not speak well; you certainly ate it."

Boliwan cut open his (own) abdomen with a bolo, and died. Then the two brothers saw that there was no meat in his stomach. Then they said, "Although we said that you ate the meat, you should not have cut open your abdomen and then you would not have died."

Then they lay down and watched to see who had eaten the meat. They saw a snake above where they were standing, and said to it, "Probably you ate the meat." The Snake answered, "Yes, I ate it." The two brothers said, "We shall certainly kill you." The Snake answered, "Do not kill me; I will teach you how to cure wounds, and you can make your father alive again." The Snake said, "Give me your spears, bolos, sticks, and sharp stones." They gave them. The Snake put the spears, bolos, sticks, and rocks near the wound and prayed. Boliwan became alive again.

The brothers said to the snake, "We think you are a god (anito)." The Snake answered, "Yes, I am a god." The brothers said, "We will tell the children of the people, so that if there is something like this they may cure it, and may call our names when celebrating the sibisib."

The story related in Buguias is substantially the same as the one related by the Kabayan Nabaloi in the same ceremony.

The sibisib is celebrated in the town of Bacun in Amburayan, and in Ampusungan of Lepanto, but I do not know whether it is made in other Lepanto towns.

GAYSING

The larger number of the Benguet Kankanay are betrothed while children by their parents. The betrothal ceremony is called gaysing. As a rule this cañao is celebrated when the children are very young; frequently while they are infants; and occasionally before one of them is born.

One of the primary objects of the gaysing is to cement friendship between the parents, and it is frequently held after they have quarreled and pressure has been brought to bear to cause them to become friendly again.

An animal, generally a cow, is killed and tapuy is furnished, but there is no spoken ritual.

The Nabaloi custom of betrothal is the same, and the same ceremony is celebrated.

GALON

The betrothal ceremony celebrated by the young people themselves without the intervention of their parents is called galon. It is held only in the instances where there has been no gaysing, or where the parties for whom the gaysing has been celebrated refuse to marry. Except in the case of the rich, refusal to marry is rare, since the one who refuses must pay all expenses incurred for the gaysing.

The galon is celebrated exactly like the gaysing.

The corresponding Nabaloi ceremony is called kalon.

MANGILIN

The marriage ceremony, called mangilin, is similar to the mangidin of the Nabaloi.

A hog is always offered for sacrifice, and the mambunong prays, calling the names of the sky deities and asking them to witness the marriage. They are also requested to cause those marrying to treat each other properly, to cause them to have many children, to cause everything which they plant to grow well, to cause them to have luck with their livestock, and to give them long life and riches.

After the prayer the Mambunong passes a cup of water to the bridegroom, who drinks, and then gives the cup to the bride.

A taboo is effective against both the bride and groom for three days after the ceremony. At the end of this time they go to the brook to bathe, the man taking his ax and the woman her camote basket. While bathing each one repeats a short formula, after which they are husband and wife.

MANSIYANUN

In case of divorce the mansiyanun, which is the same as the pansijanun of the Nabaloi, is made. There is no spoken ritual, but a hog and tapuy are furnished the people.

The engagement, marriage, and divorce ceremonies are similar throughout Benguet, eastern Amburayan, and southern Lepanto.

SILING

The siling, or funeral ceremony, is celebrated in all Benguet Kankanay towns, and, indeed, under various names, by the majority if not all of the Igorot tribes.

Except in the case of infants or very small children the dead are not buried immediately, but are put into a death chair around which funeral rites are held. In the meantime animals belonging to the dead person or his relatives are killed and eaten, while the burial is delayed.

The interval between the death and the burial varies according to the wealth of the deceased, sometimes lasting for months in the case of the very wealthy. Even when the health authorities force immediate burial on account of danger from infectious diseases, the siling continues just the same with a dummy corpse in the death chair.

Before anything is killed, the mambunong prays, asking that the food eaten at the siling may not cause sickness. A female relative then leans on the death chair and says the following:

"You are dead, ----. We are giving everything we can for your siling. Do not come back for us, but let us live long."

After the siling ends the corpse is put into the coffin and buried in the ground, or placed in a natural cave. The burial takes place either in the afternoon, between sunset and dark, or in the morning before the sun rises.

PUGAS

After a dead person has been buried, the people gather in his yard. They get a vessel of water, and the mambunong puts grass in it and sprinkles them, while saying the following:

Wada, kano, san dua sin agi. Daeda Balitok un Obog. Nananakda ut napno san kabilibilig. Asida naatui san kayilianda. Natui payan inkapotda. Asida matapog nan kayipupugau at alanda san usay pingan ya lima ay tabon di pao, ut manpagasda. Manpagasda pay, kano, yan laton utay magay mamatui un daeda. Ingayan duiay ya lida ut ipugasdasnan kayi ipuipugau ut sianan moada matui, maagum san ipugau ut manpagasna.

There were two brothers. They were Balitok and Obog. They had children, and the mountains fell. Then their neighbors died. When they died they buried them. Then the people gathered together, and took one plate and five leaves of cogon grass and made a ceremony. They made the ceremony then so that none of them would die. Then they handed it down to the people so that when there were deaths, the people would gather together and perform the ceremony.

The pugas corresponds to the Nabaloi okat.

KIAD

The kiad is a ceremony celebrated by the Kankanay of Kapangan and Kibungan to cure sickness inflicted upon the wealthy by the souls of their dead relatives.

A carabao, a cow, or a horse may be killed when the kiad is celebrated.

The people first take a jar of tapuy to the grave of that dead relative of the sick person who is indicated by the anap as having caused the sickness. A hole is made in the grave, and the mambunong prays as follows:

Amud, omalika ta yaanaka si noang, gale; ya maninommi tapuy.

Soul of dead relative, come because you are given a carabao, a blanket; and we will drink tapuy.

The blanket is put into the grave, after which the people go to the house of the sick person. They tie the animal to be killed, and give the rope to the mambunong. He then prays as follows, while holding the rope:

Ud niman nay yaanakka si noang, ut masaoan di sakitna.

Now I am giving you a carabao, and may the sickness be cured.

The carabao is then killed and cooked. Just before the people eat, the mambunong says:

Amud, omalika ta mangangtaka.

Soul of the dead relative, come and eat with us.

After the people have eaten, the mambunong shakes the two blankets to be used by the dancers, in order that he may shake out the spirits of the blankets for the dead relative. While doing this he says the following:

Bomaknangkami, onmandokami, ta waday kadayyawanmo.

May we be rich, may we live long, so that there is your remembrance.

The people then spend the rest of the day dancing and drinking tapuy.

The ceremony is entirely different from the kiad of the Nabaloi. It corresponds in purpose and occasion to the Nabaloi tabwak.

KOSDE

Kosde, called pakde in some barrios, is celebrated in all Benguet Kankanay towns. The purpose of the ceremony is to cause agricultural products to grow well, and it is always celebrated some time between rice planting and rice harvesting, generally soon after the planting has been finished.

The night before the ceremony begins, every fire in the barrio is extinguished, and the next morning new fire is produced by means of friction.

Each household must furnish a hog or chicken and a jar of tapuy. The mambunong holds a separate ceremony at each house, and prays to the gods and spirits asking that the yield may be sufficient for the people and that there may be enough surplus with which to celebrate many ceremonies.

After the ceremony has been held at each house, the meat and tapuy are taken to one place. The men proceed to drink the tapuy, but the meat is divided among the people according to the number in each family. The part which can not be eaten is hung above the fire and dried.

This ceremony corresponds to the Nabaloi kosday; to the pakde or begnas of the Lepanto Kankanay; and, in a general way, to the honga of the Ifugao, and the chaka of the Bontoc.

BUGID

The ceremony called bugid is held in the Benguet Kankanay towns when the water for irrigation is not sufficient.

A jar of tapuy and some dried meat are taken to the field for sacrifice, and the owner of the field prays to the spirits of suicides asking them not to try to drink from the irrigation ditches.

The purpose of the ceremony corresponds to the tawal ni payu of the Nabaloi, and to the bakid as celebrated in some of the Lepanto Kankanay towns.

PUNGAU

The pungau is celebrated by the Benguet Kankanay at the beginning of rice harvest. Before any rice can be gathered, the owner of the field must procure a jar of tapuy and either a chicken or dried meat, which are taken to the field. The owner holds the chicken or dried meat in one hand and prays that the rice to be harvested may increase to an amount sufficient to last until the next harvest, and promises that a large part of it will be used for ceremonies.

After the prayer all who are to take part in the ceremony drink tapuy. No one else is allowed in the field until after the harvesting has been completed, and a piece of cloth is displayed to warn away intruders.

This ceremony corresponds to the pungau of the Nabaloi and the safosab of the Bontoc. The Lepanto Kankanay also celebrate a ceremony before beginning rice harvest, but I do not know by what name it is designated nor the manner in which it is celebrated.

BUGAK

Before any new rice is eaten, the ceremony called bugak is held. Some of the new rice and either dried meat or a chicken are cooked. A mambunong is not necessary, but the head of the household throws some of the cooked rice in the fire and says:

You, the fire which did the cooking, shall be the first to eat, in order that the rice shall not cause us to become sick.

He prays a similar prayer to the pots in which the cooking has been done, to the rack on which the rice was dried, and to the mortar in which it was threshed.

This ceremony corresponds to the bakak of the Nabaloi.

SALDI

The ceremony called saldi is held before eating the meat of animals which have died of disease or have fallen from a cliff.

Pieces of the animals' liver are thrown in various directions while the mambunong addresses the bilig living in the pasture lands of the animal, asking that sickness may not result from eating the meat.

After the meat has been cooked, the mambunong invites the fire and the pot to eat first, in order that the people who eat may not become sick.

This ceremony, which corresponds to the Nabaloi salchi, is celebrated in all Benguet Kankanay towns, and also in Bacun, Amburayan, and in Ampusungan and Mancayan, Lepanto.

BILIG

The bilig are spirits which are friendly to the people, but cause sickness when they need blankets or food. The ceremony called bilig is performed to cure the sickness caused by these spirits.

A chicken, tapuy, rice, and blankets are obtained. The mambunong puts a basket full of blankets on his head, holds a chicken in one hand, and while squatting beside the tapuy and rice says the following:

Usay agou ud nabaon, din dagum ya din kimat nanbatbatda isan mabilig. Kinwanin kanon, dagum un, "Wawadaak mo si sika." Tumba pay, kano, si kimat, "Wawadaak mo si sika, tan mo kanuk sikayi, pantaoliuk ut matagua loman. Mo si sika payut mo waday kanun yan matui." Asi abun kanon dugum un, "Mo sakun kanuk yan matagua loman."

Asi kinwanina kimat un, "Mo si asa amuita sin bato ay dakdakui ta mo pitakun din bato. Ta mo adika pitakun din bato, asika pantaolinmo makipitak, yan mauabakko sika."

Ungayan domagum si madadama yan adi makapitak sin bato. Mayisokat pay din kimat kapitat sin bato ut asina pantaoliun. Din kimat kinwanina un, "Mauabakko sika tan adika nakapitak sin bato."

Ungayan alanda san takokoda ut inda manigay. Manigay pay si dagum yan usay odang yan usay dalit kitkitoi waday. Din kimat kinwanina un, "Sakun di manigay." Sia din putna adado adadaka ikan. Sia kinwanina sin dagum un, "Sika manotoka."

Din dagum inana sin usay sugat ut apoiana. Din kimat kinwanina un, "Ay bakun adadosa. Adi makakan san banga. Sakun din manoto ta ilaum."

Kaa ut, kano, si kimat ut siay manoto. Kaa usay bugas, ut pay inana isan bangada. Din bugas pinmona san bangada.

Din kimat kinwanina un, "Manungdungka kakod." Din dagum inpaina din usay dakdakui ikan sin bangada. Ilan pay, Kanon, kimat kinwanina un, "Nakun, adi makakan san banga. Ilaum sakun di manungdung." Din kimat ginisgusna din ikan ut payuna di usay gusgus sin banga. Din gusgus pinmona san banga.

Din kimat kinwanina un, "Tapagunta nan igan di ikanta, asita panoliunta eda loman." Makakanda pay, kano, yan itup eda san igan di inpangada. Itupada paysan igan di inpangan dagum. Adi nantaoli. Itupada paysan igan di inpangan kimat; manlangoi ut, kano, duwandan komaan.

Din kimat kinwanina un, "Inauabakko sika." Din dagum kinwanina un, "Au, ungaykayiman naabakak isan." Ungayan mankayunda.

One day, long ago, the Wind and the Lightning met on the top of a mountain. Said the Wind, "I am greater than you." Then the Lightning answered, "I am greater than you because when I destroy a tree, I make it live again. But when you have it for food, it dies." Then said the Wind again, "When I eat it, it lives again."

Then said the Lightning, "Then we will go to a large rock, so that you can break the rock to pieces. Because if you do not break the rock to pieces and then return the broken pieces, I win against you."

Then the Wind blew hard, but the rock was not broken. Immediately then the Lightning broke the rock, and then put it back together. The Lightning said, "I win against you, because you did not break the rock."

Then they took their nets and went to fish. The Wind fished, and he caught one lobster and one small eel. The Lightning said, "I will fish." He caught many large fish. He said to the Wind, "You cook."

The Wind took one chupa (of rice) to cook. The Lightning said, "Not that much. The pot will not contain it. I shall cook so that you will see."

The Lightning went immediately and cooked. He immediately got one grain of rice, and put it into the pot. The grain of rice filled the pot.

The Lightning said, "You cook the fish." The Wind put one large fish into the pot. When the Lightning saw it he said, "Not that much; the pot will not hold it. Watch me cook." The Lightning cut the fish into pieces and put one piece into the pot. The piece filled the pot.

The Lightning said, "Put into a pile the bones of the fish; then we will cause them to become alive again." They finished eating, and then threw into the water the bones of what they had eaten. They threw into the water first the bones of what had been eaten by the Wind. They did not return to life. Then they threw into the water the bones of what had been eaten by the Lightning; they swam, and went away.

The Lightning said, "I won against you." The Wind said, "Yes, truly, I lost this." Then they became friends.

DAGAS

When two or more persons living in one house become sick at the same time, the anap generally shows that the dagas, which are spirits that live in houses, have caused the sickness. When the people living in a certain house have not had a cañao for a long time, the dagas which live with them become hungry and make them sick. The ceremony which must then be celebrated is called by the same name, dagas.

A chicken, rice, blankets, and tapuy are necessary. The mambunong holds the chicken in one hand, and squats near the rice, tapuy, and blankets while relating the following:

Wada, kano, san dua ay sin agi. Bomalada pay, kano, mo waday mansida. Pankapokapoan san ipugau. Ay kaasi ta pay kanosna adi unya nan manili si ipanganta. Daeda kinwanina un, "Amuita ut ta unta masapos boita sin lomasan." Makasapoda payan unmadas asoda, ut unda manganop.

Manganopoda pay, kano, yan guniyagiak san asoda isan gawanda kadu. Amuida ut, kano, gigyakunda san malawas ay kayi, ya malawas ay bulo, malawas ay maka. Daeda kinwanina, "Alauntako ut nata sapounta si boita."

Alaunda pay, kano, ut sapounda boida. Yan kanutnut kasindan sasakit; ungayan alanda ut, kano, san usay manokda, ut ya anda san dagas pay mayilatonan. Asida pay ipaytok sinan ipugau ut siay yat abun nan ipugau.

There were two brothers. They went out of the house when there was a ceremony. The people rubbed their greasy hands on them. They were sad because they were not given food by the people. They said, "Let us go and make our house out of sight." When they had left, they took their dogs and went to hunt.

While they were hunting, their dogs barked in the midst of the forest. They went there, and they were barking at a branchless tree, a branchless bamboo, and a branchless vine. They said, "Let us take them and use (them) for making our house."

They took them and used (them) for making their house. Then they were always sick, but they took one chicken and gave it to the dagas. Then they handed this down to the people, and it is being done again by the people.

LAGLAGIWIN

When the mambunong decides that a person has been made sick by his guardian spirit, he causes the sick person to hold a chicken in his hand and to repeat the following:

Sika Laklakiwin, ay poon di ababiik, omalika tan magay ya ak sika si manok makon sikay mamaspasaki, un ya adodi ya adi un pansakitun sakun.

You, Laglagiwin, the origin of the ababiik, come, because I will give you a chicken if you are the one that has caused the sickness, and you will not again make me sick.

The chicken is then killed and cooked, and just before it is eaten the sick person repeats the prayer.

TANONG

The tanong is a ceremony celebrated to cure sickness caused by the souls of dead ancestors. A carabao, a cow, a hog, or a chicken may be sacrificed, according to the wealth of the sick person. A mambunong is not necessary, but the sick person himself prays as follows:

Yan nay ay din nouangko, ta mayilotonan din anguk, mokon dakayo paksau sinan angut ay mansakit. Yamo si bigat ya mataguak ya way nouangak ya andaka loman.

Here I am giving for tanong my carabao so that my body will be cured if you made my body sick. If tomorrow I am alive and have a carabao, I will give it again.

The promise to make additional sacrifice is rarely kept, and I have been told by those celebrating the ceremony that they had no intention of keeping it.