DS
666 827 C65
1911
PHILIPPINE ETHNOLOGY THE BAGOBOS OF DAVAO GULF,
J)~ ~G&
1)21 C~ ,~ II
THE PHILIPPINE
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE D. GENERAL BIOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
No.3
JUNE, 1911
VOL. VI
THE B AG OBOS O F D A V AO G U LF. /
By
FAY COOPER COLE . /'/
(From the Fie/elM (sewn, Chicago, arzel the
B1~reatt
of Science, Manila.)
bl~f
This article gives in some of th) reSUlts of an extended investigation now being carried on lJy the Field 111 useum of N a.t ural I;I:istory among the non-Christian tribes of Mindam.ao . The funds for this work are provided through the generosity of Mr. Robert F . Cumming, of Chicago. The detailed study of this people will appear later under the title The Tribes of Davao Gulf. :NIount .Apo, the highest peak in the Philippine, is situated a few kilometers from the Gulf of Davao in southern Mindanao. The nonChristian people lrnown as Bagobos live on its lower slopes, which in some places reach to the sea, from Daliao on the east to Digos on the west. On the eastern border of their territory they m()rge imperceptibly into the Atas and Guiangas, while to the west the influence of the Bilaans is strong both in material culture and in blood. In color the Bagobos are a light reddish-bro""n with a slight olive --" tinge which is more pronounced in the women than in the men. Their hair is brown-black and varies from slightly way." to closely curled; face hairs are generally removed, yet some men have rather full beards. The average height of th~ men is about 158 centimeters and of the women 147 centimeters; the body is uniformly well developed, but never stocky. The forehead is high and full; the crown and back of the head 102305
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strongly arched; and the distance from the tragus to the vertex is somewhat greater than in most Philippine tribes. The face is high and moderately broad, with cheek lone seldom prominent. The eyes are dark or black-brown an(l are set far apart, while the cyeslits are oblique. The root of the nose is low; the ridge broad and inclined to be conca\7e, although stnigbt noses are not uncommon. The lips are broad and I)Totruding; the chin round and well formed. Both men and women pierce and h'etch the lobes of the ears so as to admit enOTD10US ear-plug.. Tho. e ,yarn by the women are u. ua11y of wood, inlaid with silver or hras , and are connected by a head cl band which passes under the chin. \1{ ooden plug are al a much used by the men, but the most highl~' prized ornament are large ivory ear-plug, made like enormous collar button. Both men and women file and blacken the teeth. The Bagobos are 'I'ithout doubt the most hand omely dressed wild people in the Philippines. The men confine their long hair with head kerchief, the edges of which art< decorated with beacls and ta els. A close-fitting undershirt is often worn, and above thi is an elaborately beaded or embroiderell coat wlicH opens in front and eldom reaches a~ low as the wai t. The hemp-doth trousers scarcely reach the knee, and the bottom of each l).g is decorated 'with a beaded or embroidered band. Two belts are worn, l~ to hold the tronsers, the other to support the fighting or working In iYe which jjh~ man always carrie. In lieu of pockets, each man has ~ hi_ ba k an elabo.r.atel~' headed hemp-cloth bag which is bordered with tassels, and bells of native casting. Both men and \\'omen have many h'anels of beael encircling the neck and orten falling free on the ehest. Shell bracelet are also commonly worn. '1'he dre. s of the "oman i not les a1'ti tic than that or the man. Her jaeket is close fitting around the neck and reaches to the skirt. so that no portion of the upper part of the body is expo eel. Th ese jacket are embroiderecl O'l'e1' the houlcler and arms, and at the neck and wai_ t ; often they have complicated designs in shell disk or beadf-. The skirt is maele like a sack ,rith both end open. and is held at the waist with a doth or beaded belt. 1\Iany strands of bead encircle the neck, and often a broad bea.cl necklace is worn 0\7er one shoulder. A small carrying bag rlccorated with beaels aIlll bells is suspended from a shoulLler. The women are fonel of loacling their arms with ornament' of bras and hell, while anklets anel leglets ,yitb rattles and bells attached are commonly worn. According to the historian or the tribe Uount Apo 'll'H" the first hom e of the race. 1 The trclclition in part is a, follows: When the world fiTF.t began to be there were one man and one woman and they liyed on Mount Apo near the place where the town of Cibolan now is. The 1 Other tales conce111ing the origin of this people are current, but the one here given is the 1110 t often heard and generally accepted,
BAGOBOS OF DAVAO GULF.
129
name of the man was Toglai and of the woman Toglibon. Many fruits grew on the mountain and t he forest was fill ed w ith game, so that it was easy for them to procure food. After a while they had many chi ldren, both boys and girls, who, when they grew up, married. One day Toglai and Toglibon told their oldest boy and gil-I that they should go far away across the ocean, for there was a good place for them. So the two departed and none of the Bagobos saw them again until their descendantsthe white people-came back to Davao. The other children remained with their parents and were happy and pro perous until Toglai and Toglibon died and went to the 1.-y, where they became spi rits. Shortly after their death the country suffered a great drought. No rain fell for three years; the rivers became dry, and the plants shriveled and died, so that there was no food in the land. The people said: "Manama 2 is angry and is puni hing u ., for he has taken away our plants and water; surely we must go to a new place where there is food or we shall die." Two started on the way toward the sun et, carrying with them stones f rom the Cibolan River, and in a few days reached a good land where there were water and plants, and pigs and deer abounded in great fields of grass. There they settled and in time many children \"ere born to them. Since then they have been called l\Iagindanau because of the stones which they carried with them when they left Cibolan. 1\yo others went to the southward and when they found a good land they stopped and made their home. On their journey they carried mall baskets called bira-an, and becau e of thi their children are known as Bira-an.3 A pair who went to the northward calTied :mall dolls and thus obtained the name Eto!
The tradition accounts for the nami g of six other tribe mown to the Bagobo , and then coming to themselres it continue : One pair only remained at Cibolan . They wished very much to go away, but were so weak from hunger and thirst that they could not walk far. One day the man crawled out into the fields once more to see if he could find orne one thing aliye and when he reached there he saw a single stalk of tubbo-sugar canegro\1ing lustily. He cut a piece from the ide and n-ater began to run out until there wa enough for the couple to drink. Becau"e of thi they called the place Bagobo and the people have since borne that name.
From the time of the c1i persion of the people until about three generations ago the tory teller have little to adc1. At that time, we learn, the Bagobos had become numerous. Taopan 5 of Cibolan mled oler all their lani!. "C"ncler his leader hip they made fre luent forays into neighboring districts and returned with many lave. and rich loot. The datu 6 was noted as a brave warrior, but in addition to this he wa a wi:,e and just ruler, greatly belo,ed by all his people. 'Y]len he died more than one thousand of hi subjects attended the funeTal, which la ted A name often applied to the greate t of all . ph-it , Ello""Pamolak ~Ianobo. :.'IIore commonly pronounced Bila-an. • The name applied to the Guiangas and Atas liYing north and west of Daliao. • P. Juan Doyle, S. J., g ive the following genealogy for the Bagobo datus: Salingolop, Bato, Boas, Ba ian, Lumbay, Banga, :\Ialiadi, Taopan, Pangui I an, 2
3
~Ianip.
• The Moro name for chief or ruler. Moro term is in general use.
The Bagobo name is lagiamoda, but the
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ten days. On the last day the house was decked, inside and out. with red and yellow fiowel ; many valuable gifts were placed beside the corp e and the place wa then abandoned. He was succeeded by hi on Pangilan, who e admini, tration. 1ike that . of hi father, was firm and ju t. Upon his death he bequeathed the leaderl'hip of a united people to hi son Manib. The ne,,' datu did not proye to be a great warrior and hi deci iom in matters of di, pute were not always just, so that bad blood arose between the people of Cibolan allll Ta.lun. IIe was unahle to quell the disturbance~, and finally open warfare broke out, petty chiefs of other district throwing off hi' control and ruling a datus. This was the con.dition which confronted hi on Tongkaling when he fOlmd him elf nuer of Cibolan. The claim of leader hip over all th~ Bogobo had never been relinqui hed, but the actual power of the datn out>ide hi路 own disb'iet amolmted to little. Tongkaling soon e tabli,hed hi::; right to the namQ of a great warrior, and hi people ~o prospered untler his rule the1t upon the acllent of the Americans he wa much the most powerful amonO' the everal chief. Under the actmiriif>tration of Governor Bolton, Tongkelling ",a officially recognized a th head of the Bagobo , anci with thL a(Me(1 prestige, he 11a finally succeeqed in gaining recognition from all the chief except those about ,"'anta l'UZ, but hi actual control ovu' them i till yery light. II ha been a con is tent friend of the Allll'ricans, but has jealou 1)' guarded hi people again t outslde infiuence . :0 that they are much les affElctecL than those of other di tricts. For thi' reason this paper deal principally with Cibolan, but w"here radical differences occur in other district they will be noted. According to the long-established eU,jom when a ne,,' ruler "a~ to a ume control, Tong-kaling gave a great celebration amI 'ull1Illonell thl' people from ncar and far. On the appointed day more than seYell hundred guests had arriyed and for _ix days they fea_ted. tlrank. rlaneecL an(l made melT~r. On the ,ewnth da:I' the majority of the guest accompanied the datIL to a great tree in the lore t and there witne~f;e(l 01' took part ill a human sacrifice. For thi occasion the datu had proyideci a decrepit old Bila-au _laye for whom he had paid three agongs. 7 rfhe man ,va fastenerl with hi' back to the tree, hi hancls tied high above his head. ,Yhen all wa ready one of the chief warrior addres eel the spirit. a.king them to \yitness that the people followed the olel custom, and to let the reign of the new datn be one of continued prosperity without defeat in battle. The prayer fini heel, the datu placed his pear jld in Iront of, and below the right armpit, and plunged it with full trength into the body of the slaye. As soon as he had withdrawn his weapon the warrior cut 7 Copper gongs worth about 16 pesos each. United tates currency.
One peso is equal to 50 cents
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131
the body in two, across the che t, with their fighting knives, and then having loosened the parts from the tree threw them into a shallow grave which had been dug near by. The people returned to the village and continued the merrymaking during the night, after which they returned to their homes and Tonglealing was fully established as ruleI'. The people have long been accustomed to obey some powerful headman and, to a certain extent, they become the servants of the new chief; but certain laws handed down by theiT ancestors aTe so well established by custom that no one thinks of changing them. The datu is supreme judge in all cases, but he may, if he desires, call in the older men to help him decide the difficult ones. The levying of a fine is the common method of punishment. Should the culprit be unwilling or unable to pay, he is placed in servitude until such time as the debt is considered canceled. Should he refuse to serve, he is killed without further ado. The datu appoints a man for this purpose and he usually gets his victim by stealth, either by waylaying him in the road or by driving a speaT tllToug'h him as he sleeps on the floor of his house. 'Vhen a fine is levied the dat1t retains a portion as pay for his services; if the more drastic punishment follows it serves to emphasize his power and is more. valuable to him than the payment. Theft is punished with a fine; m~rde' by death, if the victim is from the same or a friendly town, and the mUJ!der unprovoked. Incest 8 must be punished by the death of bo,t h parties, otherwise the spirits will cause the sea to rise and cover the land. The crime is uncommon, yet Tongkaling claims to have exaded the death penalty in two cases. In the first, he had the two offenders b01md and thrown into the ea; in the second the culprits were fastened to a tree, in the ame manneT as already described, and two warriors cut the bodies in two with their fighting knives, while all the people stood by and witnessed the punishment. If a wife is unfaithful, her husband may kill both of the guilty parties without fear of punishment, provided that he leaves the spear or knife with which he kills the pair in the body of one of them. A weapon so left is a sign that the killing was because of the fault and the avenger ,can not be held accountable either to the datu 01' the Telatives of the dead man. However, if he withdraw his weapon hom the bod~r. the brothers or relatives of the deceased have a right and duty to avenge the death. Cases are known where the husband accepted payment fOT his wife's affections, but it was considered a sign of weakness 01' CO\fardice, and the man lost caste. Slavery is a recognized institution, and the need of slaves is one of the chief incentives for hostile mids against neighboring tribes. A good 8 Intercourse between brother and sister, mother and son, father and daughter, between first cousins, between mother-in-law and son-in-law, and father-in-law and daughter-in-law comes tmder this head.
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slave, male or female, is valued at about five agongs. If a slave 'woman bears children to her master she is usually freed at once, or if not then, she is certain to be at his death . Her children are free and legitimate heirs. It is considered a serious crime fm' a man to ha.ve illicit relations with another man's slave and a heavy fine will be levied on the offendeT. Should children be born from such a union they are heated as slaves. Polygamy is common, kin hip and the lack of funds forming the only restrictions to the number and choice of wives a man may have. Certain prohibitions exist as to the wearing of the clothing which distinguishes successful warriors and prie te es, but puni hment in these cases is meted out by the spirits and not by the datn. Cibolan is not a compact village, but consi't of man~- small dwellings scattered along tlle mountain sides do e to the clearings in which the people rai e rice, corn, camotes,9 and hemp. These hou es are generally of one room with the floor raised high above the ground. The side are of flattened bamboo, in which maJl, rectangular opening' or peep hole are cut. The sides of the roof rise to a steep peak which, at the top, oyerhangs the ends. Entrance to the house is gained by a ladder or notched pole. StOl\es, S1: nk in a bed of ashe, form the tove which stands near the dooT. A rai ed platform, about one and one-half nwteTs wide, at the far end of the room ene' a a bed for part of the family. In time of danger, l' eluring fesh al , the people assemble at the house o,f the datu. Th~ is an immenfle stnlcture, built on the . ame general plan as the smaller houses, but capable of holding about two hundred people. Eleyatec1, box-like enclosures are con tructed along the sides of the room where the datu and Oille of hi Llaughterfl or wives keep their belongings, and in which they leep. The elevated platform at the end of the room i occupied at night by the fighting men. while the balance of the household-men, women, children, and c1ogs-u e the floor. Along the wall are fastened spears, shields, loom, mu ical in truments, and what not, and in the center of the room hang six large agongs which furnish music for the dancers. Near to the, e are two tall bamboo poles, decorated with stripped leaves. These anc1numerou ot.her devices and receptacles in other parts of the room are for the pirits who control th.e liYes and happiness of the people. To c1escribe in detail the numerous spirits known to the Bagobos, or the ceremonies made to secure their good will, would exceell the limits of this paper, but a few must be mentioned in order to give a clearer insight into the lives of the people. Eugpamolak lIIanoho 10 i the chief of all spirits. It was he who created the world. X 0 ceremony should be made \vithout calling on him and offering him orne white food or object of value. • Sweet potatoes. 10 Also call ed Manama.
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The term diwata i applied to a powerful das of spirits who live near to and serve the great pirit. Toglai and Toglibon have already been mentioned as the first Tnan and woman. ince their death they havE: as umed important place in the pirit world. All marriages and births are caused by them, and they al 0 keep do e watch o\'er the li\'e of men. The tigyama are a class of pirits, one of whom watche over each family . When children of two families marry their tigyallla merge into one, who a sumes guardian hip of the pair. Taragomi own all articles of food and is guardian of the fields and CTOpS. A shrine i ' built for him in the center of the field, and after the rice is gathered a great ceremony is made to thank him fOT the ucces ful harrest. The b U 0 are low, mean pirit who eat dead people and ha\'e 'ome p0'.vel' to injure the living. They are ometimes identified with the pirit, of the dead. All these and many more are addre ~ed by the prie, te ' e or "doctor ." The "doctor' is known a mabal ian and i generally a woman pa t middle life-a woman of influenc and a skilled weaver-who has been \Yarned by the pirit to become mabnlian. It may be that a friendly pirit has imparted a ne\\'" remedy to her, and to thi . knowledge he adds all that the older pri te es can tea 路h her of the art of healing the sick, of the duties of a midwife, and the manner of conducting ceremonie and offering for the higher 1 cing . The weaver of hemp loth are under the pecini patronage of the :,;pirit Baipandi, who taught the "'omen the intricate method of o,'ertying the warp so that portions of the thTead do not receive the dye. he al 0 taught the designs which are wo\'en into the fabrics, and the art of embroidery and bead work. Particular pirits are al 0 the patron of the iron and bra worker . Two very powerful spirit are still to be mentioned. The e are Iandanmgan and his wife Darago. They are the guardialls of the warriors and ean be adc1re ed only by the magan i. The name magani is a term applied to a man "hen he 11a killed two or more person. He i then entitled to weal' a peculiar, ehocolate-colored head C'oYcl'ing with white pattern in it. After hiR score has reached ' ix he is permitted to wear a hlood-red uit and carry a bag of the eame color. His dress doe not change a the number of his victim increases, but hi influence grows with each life put to his credit. A man who kills an unfaithful wife and her admirer may count the two on his score; he may also count tho e of his townspeople whom he has killed in fair fight, hut unprovoked murder will be puni heel by death . He may go to an unfriendly town and kill without fear of cen nre from his own people, and the fact that he generally attacks from ambush or at night doe not detract from the honor due him for the deed. The magani is one of the chief in a war party; he is also chosen to inflict the death pen~lty when it is decreed, and it is usually men of this class who as ist in the human sacrifices.
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Each year when the constella.tion balatik 11 appears in the sky a human sacrifice should be held in honor of the two patron pirits of the maganiY This should be done 'r egaJ:clless of good or bad times, but any peron who has been tToublec1 by enl spirits during the year, or any family in which a death has occurred, may have a part in the sacrifice by making a small payment t.o the datu who is furnishing the victim. On the appointed day people gather from neal' and far to witness the ceremony. The slave is tied, as before de cribec1, and the iatu directs the pear so that it \I.-ill enter the boc1y ju t below the right a.rm. All persons who haye purchased a part in the sacl'ifice may take hold of the pear and at a given signal it is thr"!-lSt through the body of the victim. the magani ,yho is willing to pay the highest price for the honor then cut the body in two with his fighting knife, after which it is buried. At the acrifice which took place at Talum in December, 1907, parts of the body were presented to certain guests and were carried away. However, this does not eem to be the general custom. No part of the corpse is eaten qr tasted at this ~ime, but warrior ' ometimes eat portions of the livers of brave enemies thinking tIm to gain in valor. A short time after thi off~ring a great ceremony l."1lown a ginem i held. u During it pn)gre s two feiltopned pole are raised by the magalli, who afterwards gather around them and one by one confe s to the pirits 1Uandarangan and Dar go, all their warlike deeds ; the number of lives they have ta.ken; the sla es captured; and in hort all that entitles them to be known as magani. Offerings a;1'e provided for other spirits in another pa.rt of the house, but the ceremony is made chiefly to secure the good will of the war deities. 'Other ceremonie" are held in honor of the patron pirit of the blacksmiths, of the bras worlc~rs and of the "eave'rs. When a field is to he cleared, the first rice planted, and at the time of reaping, the spirits are consulted and offerings are made to them. After all the grain is safely stored a thank giving feast~ rivaling the ginem in importance, is held. evere siclmess is cured by appealing to unseen heings. and those eyill~' c1ispo ec1 are .ÂŁrequently appea ed by the erection of a ,mall shrine, on \I'hich offerings are placed. Daily actions are often determined by omens imparted by the birds, and at the critical periods of life the superior beings a.re always consulted, When a birth is expected, the husband summons a ma.balian, who at once begins to administer certain medicines calculated to cau e an easy c1eliyeTJ'. She preac1s out a mat in the center of the floor and on this A constellation which appeal' about the middle of December. 'ome of the people insi t that the sacrifice is partly in honor of Balakat, the spirit who loves blood. 13 Da.tu AJlisig of Talum informed the writer that the sacrifice should occur during the first day of the g'ill'tem, just before the festooned l)oles are raised in the house. 11
12,
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places many valuable articles of wearing apparel, weapons, and agongs. These she offers to the spirits, be eeching them to permit an easy birth, and to give good health to the mother and child. The articles offered at this time may be used by their former owners, but as they now belong to the spirits they can not be disposed of unless others of equal value are substi tu ted. The mabalian cuts the umbilical cOI'd and assists in the removal of the afterbirth, which she places in a bamboo tube, coyers with ashes and then hangs to the side of the house, where it remains until it fall of its own accord. The child must be placed at once on a soft piece of bark for "it bones are soft a.nd our hands are hard and will injure it," and water is poured over it. The mabalian must then rub a mixture of clay and medicine on its eyes, and on the eyes of all who witnessed the birth, otherwise they would become blind. For her services she receiYe ' from five to twenty pesos, according to the wealth of the family and the sex of the child. Twins are accepte,.d without question, but triplets are killed at once by filling their mouth with ashes. "If this is not done the parents will die, for they are like animals." Marriage among the, Bagobos takes place much later than is common among most Philippine tribes, tbe couple often being eighteen or twenty years of age. As a rule the parents of the boy select the girl and negotiate the match. Going ~o the hou e of the girl they casually broach the subject, and if her parents are favorable a certain day is set to di cu s the details. This meeting is attended by the friends and relatives of both families, and two headmen or datus must also be present to represent the contracting parties. The price the girl should bring ,arie according to the wealth of the interested parties and the accomplishment of the bride. Whatever the sum paid, the father of the girl mu t make a return. present equal to one-half the value of the marriage gift "so that he does not sell his daughter like a slave." . Usually marriage does not take place until a year or more after thi settlement, and during the interval the boy must serve his father-in-law to be. When the time for the final ceremony arrives the relatives and friends assemble and for two or three days they feast and ma.lee merry. A mabalian spreads a mat on the floor, places on it many valuable articles and then offers all to the spirits, in order that they may be pleased to give the couple a long and prosperous life together. Finally, she puts a dish of rice on the mat and after offering it to the spirits he places it between the boy and girl as they sit on the floor. The girl takes a hlJ-ndful of the rice and feeds it to the boy who in turn feeds her, and the ceremony is complete. The couple may then go to their new home, but for severa] years the girl's family will exact a certain amount of service from the gI'oom. When a person is critically m, he iB removed from hi O1rn hou~e to another in order that be may be under the care of the good spirit,
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re iding there. Should it become evident that he will die he is taken back to his own place, otherwise his family must reimbur e the owner of the house in which the death occurs for bringing evil or unfriendly pirit into their dwelling. Unless the deceased ha been a per on of considerable importance the body j kept only until a coffin can be ho,llowed out of a plit log. He is then dressed in good clothes and placed in the coffin together with his weapons or other prized article, ; the top of the log i fittecl over the lower half and he i buried beneath the hou e. From that time until a human sacrifice ha been made the family i required to wear old clothes, to eat poor rooel, and to abstain from clallCing and other pastimes. It is po sible to remove the ta.boo by making a special acrifice, but more commonly all the familie in which death;:; haye occurred will buy a. part in the yearly offering, made after the appearance of the con tellation balati7c.
)
•
ILLUSTRA110NS. PLATE
1.
House of Bagobo datu. PLATE
II.
FIGs. 1 and 2. A Bagobo man. PLATE
III.
FIG. 1. A Bagobo weaveI with loom. 2. A Bagobo weaver oVE\rtyjng warp th 'eads. PLATE
IjV.
Fro. 1. A group of Bagobo women. 2. Bagobos harvesting rice.
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BA
[PHIL. JOUR N. SCI., VOL. VI, No.3.
.OBOS OF DAVAO GULF.]
F,G. 1 .
FIG. 2. PLATE III .
!I
[PHIL. JOURN.
COLIl: BACOBOS OF DAVAO GULF.]
F IG.
2.
PLATE
IV.
Sr., VOL. VI, No.3.
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II E R I T ,\ G E The Bagobos of Davao Gulf I by Faye Cooper Cole