Traditions of the Tinguian: a Study in Philippine Folk-Lore

by Fay-Cooper Cole

6

There was a woman whose name was Ginambo of Gonīgonan, who went to fight Aponībolinayen of Kaodanan. When she reached the place where the spring was she said, “You people who are dipping water from the spring, whose place is this where the spring is?” “It belongs to Aponībolinayen of Kaodanan,” they said and when they went up to the town they raised a clamor. “What are you so noisy about, you women who are like me?” said Aponībolinayen. “You ask why we are noisy? Because there are many women, who have come to fight against you, at the place where the spring is,” they said, and Aponībolinayen hurried to take her spear. “What are you so noisy for, women like Aponībolinayen?” asked her father Pagatipánan. “What are we noisy about, you ask? Because there are many of my enemies at the spring.” “Do not go Aponībolinayen, for I will go.” “No for you are weak. What can you do now? Once you did kill people in the place where the spring is, and now perhaps it is my fortune,” she said, and she went to the spring. She looked down and truly the enemies looked like many locusts about the spring. “Ala,” said Ginambo of Gonīgonan, “You people who live with me, you are anxious to carry away this woman whom we do not like.” “Yes,” they answered, “but only our names will go back to the towns we came from,” i.e. they expected to be killed. Ginambo answered, “No, we are anxious to capture her without fail.” Page 65

Aponībolinayen said, “You old enemy take this betel-nut,” and she cut it in two and gave it to them. “How are we sure Ginambo of Gonīgonan that only our names will not go back, we are afraid.” Ginambo said, “Do not be afraid, but hurry to be brave.” “Ala, now do what you can,” shouted Aponībolinayen who stood on a high rock. When they started toward Aponībolinayen their spears looked like rain they were so many. She glanced off the spears with both elbows. “Now I am the next to throw my spears,” said Aponībolinayen. “Yes, because all our weapons are gone,” they said.

Aponībolinayen was next, she said, “I will use my magic, and you, my spear, shall kill six and seven at one time, and you, my headaxe, cut off their heads from the left side and from the right side, and in back and in front.” “Ala, you spare me so that I may tell the people in Gonīgonan where I live,” said Ginambo. “Yes, but next month I will come to your town Gonīgonan to fight,” said Aponībolinayen.

Ginambo went home alone to her town. “Why are you alone?” asked the people who lived in the same town when she arrived. “What can we do, all my companions who went to fight are lost, because they did not throw their spears at Aponībolinayen.” “That is what we told you Ginambo of Gonīgonan when you started, but you did not heed, you know that the people of Kaodanan are powerful like Kabonīyan.”[82]

Soon after that Gīnáwan of Nagtinawan said, “You people who live in the same town in which I live, let us go to fight Aponīgawanī of Kadalayapan.” “No, we do not wish to go, because the people who live in Kadalayapan are powerful like Kabonīyan. We do not know whether she has a brother or not though someone has said that Aponīgawanī has no brother.” “No we go,” said Gīnáwan. “If that is what you say, we will go,” said the people. So they went and they walked and walked until they reached the spring at Kadalayapan. Gīnáwan said, “You women who are dipping water from the spring, to whom does it belong?” “To Aponīgawanī,” they said. Gīnawan said, “Ala, you go and tell your bravest that we fight with steel weapons.” The women who dipped water from the well said, “We do not know who is the bravest, whom we should tell, for Aponīgawanī has no brother.” They went up to the town, and said, “Uncle Pagbokásan the place about the spring is filled with enemies.” Then Aponīgawanī was in a hurry to go. “Do not go you will kill somebody,” said her father. “No, father, the spring will be lost and then what can we do? Father, I am a woman and since I have no brother, perhaps it is my fortune to fight, for you are weak.”

She took her skirt, headaxe, and spear and she went to the edge of Page 66the hill above the spring. She looked and looked at the place where the spring was for truly the enemies were thick like locusts about the well. “What did you come for?” she asked. “We come to fight the people who live in Kadalayapan, because we have heard that the woman who is always in the house[83] has no brother, so we have come to carry her away,” they said. “Ala, if you wish to prove her bravery you take this betel-nut.” She cut it in two pieces and gave it to them. “We asked you to excuse us from going Gīnáwan,” they said. “Ala, you begin and see what you can do,” said Aponīgawanī who stood on a high stone and she stood with her hands on her hips while they threw their weapons. “Now, I am next,” she said. “You, my spear, when I throw you, kill at once seven and six; and you, my headaxe, cut off their heads from the left and right sides, from in back and in front.” When Aponīgawanī had killed all of them except Gīnáwan and she had all their weapons, Gīnáwan said, “Please, my friend, let me live so that someone may go back to the town we came from.” “Ala, yes, if that is what you ask, my friend, but I will come next to your town,” she said, and Gīnáwan went home alone. Not long after that the month which they had agreed on came.

“Now, mother, go and make cakes and after that I will go to fight,” said Aponībolinayen. “Do not go,” said her mother Ebang of Kaodanan, but she could not detain her, so she made the cake, and when she finished, Aponībolinayen went.

“Mother, make preparations for me to go to war, for this is the month we agreed upon with Gīnáwan of Nagtinawan,” said Aponīgawanī to her mother Langa-an of Kadalayapan.

Bye and bye Aponībolinayen who was walking in the middle of the road, stopped because she was tired. Aponīgawanī was also walking and when she looked up she saw a woman to whom none compared, and she was startled, and she said, “Here is a woman who looks like me. I do not like to approach her who looks like me, yet I am ashamed not to do so, for she has seen me,” she said. “Good morning,” said Aponīgawanī to Aponībolinayen who sat on a high stone by the road. They leaned their spears together between them and then they talked. “Now, my friend, where are you going,” said Aponībolinayen. “I am going to war,” said Aponīgawanī. “And where are you going?” said Aponīgawanī to Aponībolinayen. “I am going to Gonīgonan, because the month which I agreed upon with Ginambo of Gonīgonan has come,” said Aponībolinayen. “Ala, let us chew betel-nut.” “Yes, if that is what you say, we will chew betel-nut,” said Aponīgawanī. After that they Page 67exchanged quids. And the quid which had been chewed by Aponīgawanī was covered with agate beads which are called pīnogalan, and the quid of Aponībolinayen was covered with gold. Aponīgawanī said, “You are more beautiful and have more power than I, because your betel-nut is covered with gold.” After that they spat in front of them. The place looked like the place where a child had been born. “Now, my friend, we are going to tell our names.” “Yes,” said each one, and they told their names. “I am Aponībolinayen of Kaodanan who has no brother, and Ginambo of Gonīgonan came to fight against me and the month in which we agreed to fight has come, so I go meet her.” “I go also to the town of Gīnáwan of Nagtinawan, because the month which we agreed on has arrived, my name is Aponīgawanī of Kadalayapan who also has no brother.” “If that is what you are going to do, we will go first to Gonīgonan, then we will go to the town of Nagtinawan,” said Aponībolinayen to her. “If that is what you say we will both go.” So they went.

Not long after they arrived at Gonīgonan. “Now, Ginambo of Gonīgonan I am here because the month which we agreed has come.” “You people who live in the same town with me prepare, because the woman who always stays in the house in Kaodanan has come to fight against us,” said Ginambo. “Yes, Ginambo, we will fight against her. We told you not to go against her before, because the people of her town are related to Kabonīyan. We do not know what magic they may use,” they said. “Now, what can we do, we are lost.” After that they began to fight. “Ala, you my spears and headaxes kill the people from the left and the right sides, from in back and in front,” said Aponībolinayen and Aponīgawanī.

As soon as they commanded their spears and headaxes their invisible helpers flew and they went to Dangdangáyan of Naglitnan. “Oh, sir, you are so happy, who are in bed in the house. The people who live in Gonīgonan have nearly killed your sister, because she went to fight against them,” said the helpers. After that he went to bathe and wash his hair. “Ala, you three girls take the rice straw and wash my hair,” he said, and the three girls washed his hair. After that he finished to wash and he went up to the town. As soon as they arrived in the town the three girls combed his hair. When they finished to comb his hair, “Now, you put little golden beads on each of my hairs,” he said. As soon as they put all the gold in his hair he took his spear and headaxe and he went.

Lingīwan of Nagtangpan was in bed in his house. “Sir, you are so happy in your bed in your house, your sister went to fight and the enemies have nearly killed her,” said the invisible spirit helpers. “Mother Page 68alan I ask you if I have a sister? I never have seen her.” “What can you do? I picked you up where you had fallen when your father was jealous of your mother,”[84] she said. After that he hurried to start and he went.

When Dangdangáyan of Naglitnan was in the road, he sat down on a high stone where the two women had set before. How terrible it is that those women who never go out of the house have gone to war, for here is where they exchanged their weapons. While he was sitting, “Good morning, my friend,” said Lingīwan of Nagtangpan. “Where are you going?” said the man who sat on the high stone. “I am going anywhere,” he answered, and they talked. “We are going to tell our names, because it is bad for us when we do not know each others names.” They cut and chewed the betel-nut. As soon as they chewed they found that they were relatives. “My name is Lingīwan of Nagtangpan.” “My name is Dangdangáyan of Naglitnan. Let us go together when we go to fight.” After that they went. When they truly arrived they looked into the town, they saw the two women who looked like flames of fire, because of their beauty. “How terrible that those ladies who always stay in the house have gone to war,” they said. After that they went to them, and the people whom they killed were so many that the pig troughs floated in their blood. So they went to them. When the women saw them they said, “How terrible are those two rich men who have power.” After that, “Oh, ladies how were you born,” they said. “Why are you here you ask? Ginambo came to fight against us, that is why we are here in the town of Gonīgonan.” So Dangdangáyan went in front of them, and he scooped them up with his headaxe and put them inside of his belt.[85] After that the two men fought against the enemies. “Please leave someone to bear children,” said Ginambo of Gonīgonan. “If that is what you ask we will kill you last,” they said and she begged mercy.

“Now we will go to Nagtinawan which is the town of Gīnáwan, with whom Aponīgawanī agreed to fight this month.” After that, “You plunder and heads go before us to Kadalayapan, when you arrive at the gate you divide equally and part of you go to Kaodanan.” So they went to Nagtinawan. When they arrived in Nagtinawan, “You Gīnáwan of this town now the agreed month is here.” “How are you Gīnáwan? We told you not to go before and you went; now we will all be killed,” said the people who lived in the same town. “Now we seek vengeance.” They looked as if they cut down banana trees when they cut down their Page 69enemies. “Please spare me, and if you wish marry me,” said Gīnáwan. “If that is what you say we will kill you last,” but they did not kill her.

After that they went home and sent all the heads before them and also the plunder. After that they arrived in Kaodanan. “Good afternoon, Uncle,” said Dangdangáyan to old man Pagbokásan. “Come up the ladder,” he said. “You go and cook so that these boys may eat,” he said. After that, “You go and get one jar of basi which you used to like when you were young,” said his wife Ebang. As soon as she said this they went and they drank, and Pagbokásan said to them. “This is reserved for Aponībolinayen to drink when she returns from fighting.”

When the old woman had finished cooking, she took the rice from the jar and put it on the woven basket, and she took the meat from the jar and put it in the coconut shells, and so they ate. As soon as they finished to eat, “Now we are not going to stay long, because we must go home,” they said. So Dangdangáyan dropped down the women who never go out of the house. “Why Aponībolinayen is here and Lingīwan also,” they said. Dingowan of Nagtangpan took Aponībolinayen and put her inside of a big jar; then they went to Kadalayapan, because they went to take Aponīgawanī. When they arrived they said, “Good afternoon Uncle,” to the old man Pagatipánan. “Good morning,” he answered, and he was glad. “Come up,” he said. When they went up the stairs they were given basi. While they were drinking they let Aponīgawanī fall in front of them, and they were all glad, because Aponīgawanī was there. “How fine that Aponīgawanī is here; we feared that she was lost,” said the old man and woman. “Ala, boys if you go home now, return soon for we are going to chew betel nut.”

As soon as they went Lakay[86] Pagatipánan and his wife built balaua, and they called one woman medium[87] to begin their balaua. As soon as they built their balaua they sent someone to go and secure betel-nuts which were covered with gold. Not long after the betel-nuts which were covered with gold arrived and the old woman Langa-an oiled them, and she used magic so that the betel-nuts went to invite all their relatives, who lived in other towns, to attend balaua with them. She told the betel-nuts that if any did not wish to attend balaua with them, to grow on their knees. As soon as she commanded them they went, and the betel-nut which went to Kaodanan arrived, “Good morning,” it said to the old man, Pagbokásan who was lying in the balaua. He looked up and said, “Who was that,” and he saw it was a betel-nut, covered with gold and oiled, and the betel-nut said, “I come to bid you attend the Page 70balaua of Pagatipánan of Kadalayapan, because Aponīgawanī has returned from fighting. So they celebrate.” Pagbokásan sat up. After that he went down out of the balaua and the told people to wash their hair and clothes and to bathe so as to attend the balaua of Pagatipánan of Kadalayapan. So the people who lived with them all went to the river and washed their clothes and hair, and took a bath. As soon as they finished they went home, and they started to go to Kadalayapan. Old man Pagbokásan took Aponībolinayen from the jar, and put her inside of his belt, so they went.

As soon as they arrived there the families who made the balaua went to meet them at the gate of the town and made alawig[88] for them. After that they stopped dancing, and they talked to each other, and the two young men who met Aponībolinayen and Aponīgawanī were with them, because they arrived at the same time. So the old man Pagatipánan said, “Ala, cousin Pagbokásan now we are going to chew betel-nut to see if those two young men who took home Aponīgawanī are our relatives,” and old man Pagbokásan agreed. So they cut the betel-nut which was covered with gold for them to chew and as soon as they cut the nut they all chewed, and they all spat. The spittle of Lingīwan went to the spittle of Pagatipánan, and the spittle of Aponīgawanī, went there also. The spittle of Dangdangáyan went to the spittle of Pagbokásan and that of Aponībolinayen also, and thus they found out that they were relatives. Pagbokásan was surprised, for he did not know that he had a son, and Ebang took her son, and she carried him as if he was a baby. And Lingīwan was glad, because he had met his sister during the fight and Langa-an carried him as if a baby.

When they had learned that the boys who had carried the girls home were their sons they all went back to town, and their people who had been invited were there. As soon as they sat down Iwaginan commanded someone to play the gansas and he took the two skirts and made everyone dance. His wife Gintoban who was a big woman, who used the big jars like agate beads on her head and about her neck, said to Iwaginan, “Why don't you, my husband, bid me dance? I have been waiting for a very long time.” Iwaginan said, “Gintoban do not say that or I shall be ashamed before the people. Wait until I am ready for you.” As soon as Aponībolinayen and Lingīwan finished dancing Iwaginan took the skirts from them and he gave one to Gintoban and the other to Ilwīsan, and so they danced. And the big jars which she had hung around her neck made a noise and the earth shook when she moved her body. As soon as they finished dancing the people who went to attend Balaua Page 71with them said, “Now we going to put the heads around the town and then go for it is nearly one month now and our families are lonesome for us.” So they went to put the heads on the sticks around the town.

At that time the two alan who had picked up Lingīwan and Dangdangáyan arrived. They did not wish to attend Balaua, but the betel-nut had grown on their heads and they had arrived very late. As soon as Lingīwan and Dangdangáyan saw them they took them back to the town. As soon as Pagatipánan knew that they were the alan who took care of the boys he summoned the people around the town. They danced for one month. After that Langa-an and Ebang went to talk with the two alan, and said to them, “We are surprised for we did not feel our sons come out.” The alan said, “Lingīwan I picked up by the side of the road while you were walking, that is why you did not feel him; he was a little bloody when I picked him up, and I made him a man because I have no child to inherit all my things. Now that you found out that he is your son you come and take all my things in Kabinbinlan, as soon as the Balaua is finished. As soon as you will get all of them I will fly somewhere.” So when the people went home, after the Balaua was finished, Lingīwan and Dangdangáyan went to follow their alan mothers. As soon as they arrived in the different places where the alan lived they gave them all the things which they had and they used their power so that all the things went to their town. When all the things arrived in Kadalayapan the people in the town were frightened, for there was a golden house. When the things arrived in Kaodanan the people were frightened for there were the valuable things which Dangdangáyan took with him.

After one month passed Lingīwan said to his father Pagatipánan, “You go and make pakálon for Aponībolinayen for I want to marry her.” So his father sent his wife Langa-an to Kaodanan to tell to the father and mother of Aponībolinayen that Lingīwan wished to marry her. So Langa-an took her hat which looked like the Salaksák[89] and her new skirt. As soon as she dressed she started and went. When she arrived in Kaodanan Pagbokásan was lying down in his balaua. “Good morning,” she said to him. Pagbokásan was a in hurry to sit up and he said to her, “I am glad to see you, what are you coming here for in the middle of the day.” “What am I coming for you say? I am coming to see if you want Lingīwan for a son for he wishes to marry Aponībolinayen.” Pagbokásan took her to his house and said to his wife, “Here is cousin Langa-an who came to see us.” So Ebang told him that he should get some old basi for them to drink. Page 72

As soon as they drank Ebang went to cook. As soon as she finished cooking they ate. After they finished eating they took the big coconut shell and filled it with basi and each of them drank, and they were all drunk, and Langa-an said, “I like to hear from you if you wish Lingīwan to be a son.” Soon Pagbokásan and Ebang agreed. They decided on the day for pakálon. So Langa-an went home and when she arrived she laid down on the porch of the house for she was drunk, and Lingīwan saw her and waked her. “What is the matter with you?” he said. “I am drunk for Pagbokásan and Ebang urged me to drink much basi, so I was scarcely able to get home, that is why I slept on the porch.” “Mother, you go into the house, do not sleep on the porch.” So she went in and Lingīwan asked her the result of her visit to Kaodanan. “They accepted you and we agreed to make pakálon the day after tomorrow.” So Lingīwan was glad, and went to tell the people about his marriage, and all the people prepared so that they might go.

As soon as the agreed day came they went to Kaodanan and they took many pigs and basi jars. When they arrived there Pagbokásan, who was the father of Aponībolinayen, and the other people were already there and had cooked many caldrons of rice and meat. Pagbokásan took the gansa[90] and he commanded someone to play and they danced. After that they ate. As soon as they finished to eat they played the gansa again and they danced. Iwaginan of Pindayan said, “Stop playing the gansas we are going to settle on how much they must pay for Aponībolinayen. As soon as we agree we will dance.” And the people were quiet and they agreed how much Lingīwan was to pay. The father and mother of Lingīwan offered the balaua three times full of jars which are malayo and tadogan and ginlasan.[91] The people did not agree and they said, “Five times full, if you do not have that many Lingīwan may not marry Aponībolinayen.” He was so anxious to marry her that he told his parents to agree to what the people said. As soon as they agreed Langa-an used magic so that all the jars which the people wanted were already in the balaua—five times full. As soon as they gave all the jars which they paid, Iwaginan ordered them to play the gansas and they danced. After they danced, all their relatives who went to attend pakálon were anxious to go home for they had been there one month. “Do not detain us, for we are one month here.” So Pagbokásan let them go. Everyone carried home some jars and they all went home.[92] So Pagatipánan said to Pagbokásan, “Now that the pakálon is over we Page 73will take Aponībolinayen, because Lingīwan wants her now.” Pagbokásan said, “Do not take her now. You come and bring Lingīwan day after tomorrow.” “If that is what you say we will bring him, if you will not let us take Aponībolinayen now.”

When they started to go home Pagbokásan said to them, “Dangdangáyan wants to marry Aponīgawanī who is your daughter.” “You will wait until next month,” said Langa-an. “After Aponībolinayen and Lingīwan are married, we will think first.” Not long after the day on which they agreed to take Lingīwan to Aponībolinayen came, and he carried one jar.[93] As soon as they arrived there they made the rice ceremony.[94] When the ceremony was over Pagatipánan and Langa-an and the others went home and left Lingīwan.

As soon as they arrived in Kadalayapan Langa-an asked Aponīgawanī if she wanted Dangdangáyan to be her husband. Aponīgawanī said, “If you think it is good for me to be married now, and you think he is a good man for my husband it is all right, for he has magical power like us.” As soon as the agreed month passed the parents of Dangdangáyan came to ask if they wished the marriage. They prepared a number of basi jars for them to drink from when they should arrive. When they arrived there Pagatipánan was prepared and he met them with the basi and they all drank. After that they told all the people who lived in their town that they were going to celebrate the arrival of Pagbokásan and his companions. “Ala, we do not stay long now, Abaláyan,[95] we want to know if you wish Dangdangáyan to be married to Aponīgawanī. We will have a good time during pakálon,” they said. After that Langa-an and Pagatipánan said, “Now the meal is ready. We are going to eat first and after that you will hear what we say.” And Pagbokásan and Ebang did not wish to eat for they were in a hurry and only went to hear if they wished Dangdangáyan to be the husband of Aponīgawanī. “If you do not wish to come and eat with us, we do not want Dangdangáyan to be married to Aponīgawanī,” they said. Then they all went to eat. After they ate, “Ala now that we have finished eating you excuse us, for we want to know if you wish Dangdangáyan to be married to Aponīgawanī.” Langa-an and Pagatipánan said, “You will come next month, we will make pakálon.” So they went home and Dangdangáyan went to meet them at the gate of the town, and he asked at once, “Father and mother did they accept me?” He said, “Yes, if we can agree on what they want us to pay, and we have to go there next month.” So Page 74Dangdangáyan was glad and told the people about it, and he invited them to go the next month to make pakálon.

As soon as the agreed month to go to Kadalayanpan came, they went. As soon as they arrived there they danced for one month. Lingīwan and Aponībolinayen had their golden house, which the alan had given them. The people agreed on how much they should pay for the pakálon, and Pagatipánan and Langa-an said, “Pay just the same as we paid for Aponībolinayen when Lingīwan married her.” “If that is what you say, it is all right,” they said. And Ebang used magic so that the balaua was five times full of jars which are malayo, tadogan, and ginlasan. So the balaua was filled five times, and each of the relatives who went to attend the pakálon took some jars. As soon as the pakálon was finished the people all went home, and Pagbokásan and Ebang said, “Ala, now that the pakálon is over let us take Aponīgawanī,” Langa-an answered, “If you make extra payment you can take Aponīgawanī now,” and Dangdangáyan said to his mother, “If they want the extra payment, ask them how much.” Langa-an replied, “Another five times the balaua full,” and Ebang said to her son, “We have to pay again the balaua five times full.” “That is all right mother I have many jars which my alan mother gave me,” so they gave the extra jars which they asked. As soon as they gave all the jars they took Aponīgawanī of Kaodanan with them. As soon as they arrived they made a big party, and they invited the alan. As soon as the alan arrived at the party they danced and gave more presents to them. After that the alan and the other people went home and Aponīgawanī and Dangdangáyan had their own house which the alan gave them. This is all.

(Told by Lagmani of Patok.)