IV
The sacrifice of Igon.—One year the crops failed, there was much sickness, and everything went wrong. Then Wígan remembered the advice of Maknón͠gan, and he told his sons to procure an animal for the sacrifice. They caught a rat and sacrificed it, but the evil conditions were not remedied. Then they went out into the forest and captured a large snake and sacrificed it to the gods, but the disease and crop failure still continued. Then Wígan said: “The sacrifice is not great enough, for the gods do not hear! Take your brother Igon, who has no wife, and sacrifice him!” So they bound Igon, and sacrificed him, and called upon the gods. And Maknón͠gan came, and all the other great gods, to the feast. And they took away the sickness, and filled the granaries with rice, and increased the chickens, the pigs, and the children. Then Maknón͠gan said to the people: “It is well, but you have committed an evil in spilling human blood and have thereby brought war and fighting into the world. Now you must separate to the north, south, east, and west, and not live together any more. And when ye have need to sacrifice to the gods, do not offer rats, snakes, or your children, but take pigs and chickens only.”
And one of the sons of Wígan went to the north, and one to the south, and one to the east, and one to the west; and from them are descended the peoples of the Earth World, who fight and kill one another to this day because of the sacrifice of Igon.
Many other illustrations might be given of the differences between the Central and Kián͠gan Ifugao religious conceptions, but the above will suffice for the purposes of the present paper.[66]
One more type of Ifugao origin myth merits our attention before we come to the conclusion. This type consists of the myths invented to explain the origin of the ancient Chinese jars, bronze gongs, amber-agate beads, and other rare articles of foreign manufacture on which the Ifugaos place a high value, and the origin of which they do not know. Many of these objects have been in the possession of the people for at least several hundred years. They were probably brought into the Islands by Chinese traders centuries before the coming of the Spaniards, and gradually found their way to the Ifugaos through the medium of their cursory commerce with the surrounding peoples.[67]
One of these myths, explaining the origin of three well-known jars, runs as follows.
Legend Concerning Ban͠ggílît of Hinagán͠gan, and the Jars that He Brought from the Village of Souls[68]
A long time ago, before the coming of the Spaniards, there lived at Hinagán͠gan a man called Ban͠ggílît. He was a wealthy man, possessing four rice granaries and a very large house; but he was not a priest. His constant desire was to hunt in the forest.
One day Ban͠ggílît went hunting in the forest and was overtaken by night. He called his dogs but they did not come. He made fire, cooked, and ate. Then one dog came to him, and he took it in lead and departed. Near by he found a path. The dog with him barked and the second dog answered, and they went on. And the dog with Ban͠ggílît began to whimper and whine, and to pull on the leash; and Ban͠ggílît ran, and they went on. Suddenly it became light all around them, and they came out of the forest into a large group of people. And the people said among themselves: “Surely Ban͠ggílît is dead,” and they examined his body and asked: “Where were you speared?” And Ban͠ggílît spoke and said: “I have not been speared! I went hunting and was overtaken by night, and my dog here ran ahead on our path. I followed, and came here, and lo! it is light here!”
And they took Ban͠ggílît and went to their town—for there are many large towns there in the dwelling-place of souls. They wished to give him food, but he said: “Wait until my own food is exhausted, and then I will eat of your rice here.” And they asked him: “How many days will you remain with us?” and Ban͠ggílît answered that he would remain four days. Then the people began to laugh and one of them said: “Not four days but four years here!” “Ha!” cried Ban͠ggílît, “I shall never do that! Wait until you see!” “Just so!” answered the other, “but one day here is the same as a year on the Earth World,” but Ban͠ggílît thought that he was lying.
Ban͠ggílît visited all of the towns there. He worked in the rice fields and they gave him four jars as his wages. Then his host said to him: “Return home now, for you have been here four days, which, according to the usage of the Earth World, are four years.” “Yes,” answered Ban͠ggílît, “I wish to go home now, as I am homesick for my family. You have been very good to me, for you have given me wages for my work.” And the host said: “It was a gift; not wages, but a gift, that I gave you,” and he led the way and pointed out to Ban͠ggílît a ladder. “Go down that ladder, and in a short time you will arrive at your house,” he said. Ban͠ggílît started to go down, but one of the jars struck heavily against the ladder and was broken. He went down the ladder and at last arrived in the top of a betel-nut tree. He slid down the trunk of the tree to the ground, and the chickens were crowing and it was just dawn. And he looked at his surroundings and exclaimed: “Why this is my own house!” His relatives came out and said: “Who are you?” and he replied: “This is my house.” They looked at him closely and cried: “Well now, it is Ban͠ggílît who has been gone these four years!” And they sat down and talked long together. He showed them the jars, and they asked: “Where did you get those?” And he answered: “I brought them from the Sky World,” and they were afraid and went to look for the ladder but it was no longer there.[69]
The above myth may well have been invented by some man who, unknown to his relatives and friends, wandered across the mountains into Lepanto or Benguet and returned after four years with the jars in question. Hundreds of myths and legends of this type are current among the Ifugaos.
No representative collection of Philippine myths has yet been made, and the present paper can only be considered a beginning. I hope to be able to continue the work.
[1] Read before The Philippine Academy, October 2, 1912. The paper is intended as an introduction to a series of more complete studies in Philippine mythology and religion. [↑]
[2] A complete bibliography cannot be given within the limits of this paper, but a number of the most important printed titles and manuscripts have been cited. [↑]
[3] Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands. Cleveland (1906), 37; (1907), 48. [↑]
[4] This Journal (1906), 1, 812–818. Many plates illustrating Ilongot types and culture are given. [↑]
[5] The Philippine Islands and Their People. New York (1898), 362–434. [↑]
[6] A typewritten manuscript of 60 pages, entitled “The Hampán͠gan Man͠gyans of Mindoro” by Dr. Fletcher Gardner. U. S. A. (1905). In the records of the division of ethnology, Bureau of Science, Manila. [↑]
[7] This Journal, Sec. D (1912), 7, 135–156. [↑]
[9] Smithsonian Misc. Colls. (Paper No. 1700), 48, 514–558. [↑]
[11] I am informed by Dr. N. M. Saleeby that this myth is also known among the Malays of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. [↑]
[12] Kágbubátan͠g is a point within sight of the town of Placer, eastern Mindanao. [↑]
[13] The offering may be very small, even a little piece of wood, and is thrown overboard while passing the point. [↑]
[14] There is said to be a similar locality near Taganíto, eastern Mindanao. [↑]
[15] Bináoi is the name of an oddly shaped peak at the source of the River An͠gdánan, tributary of the River Wáwa, Agúsan Valley. [↑]
[16] Limes and lemons are said to be objects of fear to the búsao. [↑]
[17] Garvan suggests these stories as illustrations of punishment following the imitating or making fun of animals, acts which are strictly tabú in Manóbo culture. [↑]
[18] Some say that the spots upon the moon are a cluster of bamboos, others, that they are a baléte tree. [↑]
[19] Our information concerning these peoples is limited, but of much interest. Besides the work of Garvan, the chief sources are the Letters of the Jesuit Fathers and a paper on the Subánuns [Christie, Pub. P. I. Bur. Sci., Div. Ethnol. (1909), 6, pt. 1]. The latter does not record any myths, but gives several song-stories about great culture-heroes which throw much light on the character of the Subánun mythology and identify it with the mythologies of the other pagan tribes of Mindanao. These hero-stories are too long to be given here. [↑]
[20] The Tin͠ggiáns, or Itnegs, should be excepted, as there are important and accurate accounts of these people by Gironière, Reyes, Worcester, Cole, and others. [↑]
[21] According to the translation by James A. Robertson in Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands (1906), 33, 167–171. [↑]
[22] Note the similarity of this place-name to the Kágbubátan͠g of the Manóbo legend, p. 89. [↑]
[23] Translated by Roberto Laperal from “Igorrotes,” by Angel Perez. Manila (1902), 319–320. [↑]
[24] Jenks, Albert Ernest, [The Bontoc Igorot], Pub. P. I. Ethnol. Surv. (1905), 1. [↑]
[25] Seidenadel, Carl Wilhelm, The First Grammar of the Language Spoken by the Bontoc Igorot, with a Vocabulary and Texts. The Open Court Publishing Co., Chicago (1909). [↑]
[26] Opus. cit., 485–510. Seidenadel gives an interlinear literal translation, which is, in some places, slightly inaccurate. I have made a new free translation directly from the Bontok. The text was told in the form of a story rather than that of a myth, and contains much extraneous matter which I have omitted. [↑]
[28] There are about 127,000 Ifugaos, nearly all living in the subprovince of Ifugao. They are divided into a large number of hereditary clans, each of which has its own social and political organization. They are an agricultural people, and have developed their great stone-faced terraced rice fields to an extent probably not equaled elsewhere in the world. I do not believe that the physical type, language, or culture of these people is wholly a native development. The evidence seems to indicate that the present-day Ifugaos are the result of mixture, perhaps one or more thousand years ago, of several widely different native types with an incoming people of high culture. Indications seem to point to the highlands of Burma as the original home of this highly-cultured people, but this is a supposition that will require proof. Within historic times the Ifugaos have been almost entirely free from mixture of any sort. [↑]
[29] 1.—“The Religious Beliefs of the Kián͠gan Ifugaos,” a manuscript of some 300 pages, by Juan Fernandez Villaverde, translated and annotated by myself with the assistance of Mr. John M. Garvan.
2.—“The Religion of the Kián͠gan Ifugaos,” a manuscript of 350 pages, by Roy Franklin Barton, with notes by myself.
3.—Unpublished notes. “The Religion of the Central Ifugaos,” a manuscript of about 300 pages, by myself. [↑]
[30] The subprovince of Ifugao may be divided into five general culture areas which can be also considered as religious districts. These are: Kián͠gan Ifugao, Western Ifugao, and Central Ifugao, speaking the Pure Ifugao dialect; and Alímît Ifugao and Mayóyao Ifugao, speaking the Sub-Ifugao dialect. ([Plate I.]) Very little is known of the religion of Alímît Ifugao and Mayóyao Ifugao, and they will not be further discussed in this paper. [↑]
[33] It can only be seen at this point for the reason that the earth beneath and the blue-stone underfacing of Kabúnian immediately above cut off the view. Ifugao astronomical knowledge, plus the circular nature of the horizon and the apparent slope of the whitish band above it, has doubtless given rise to this belief in a celestial globe surrounding the universe. [↑]
[34] The Ifugaos have no belief, that I have ever been able to discover, as to the origin of the universe. To their minds it has always existed and will always continue to exist. [↑]
[35] In the three previously mentioned manuscripts on the Ifugao religion, between two and three thousand deities are spoken of by name, and this is only a fraction of the number known to the Ifugaos. Of course, only a few of them are really great deities, but even such may be counted by hundreds. Of the very diverse and all-inclusive character of these deities, no accurate idea can be given within the brief limits of this paper. Suffice it to say there are gods of war, of industry (such as weaving, metal-working, etc.), and of beauty and love; nature-gods, cannibalistic gods, evil deities, mythical monsters, messenger spirits, guardian spirits; and hosts of mischievous elves and fairies. [↑]
[36] Collected by Juan Fernández Villaverde, in 1894, from a celebrated Ifugao priest, Duminón͠g of Kián͠gan. Translated, corrected, and annotated by myself with the assistance of Mr. John M. Garvan. [↑]
[37] This statement is significant, as it shows an understanding of the true cause of the echo. Ifugao cosmographical and astronomical knowledge is not very primitive, as a careful study of this myth will clearly demonstrate. [↑]
[39] Ifugao knowledge of the part played by erosion in the formation of the topographical features of the earth is clearly shown. [↑]
[40] Shellfish, greens, fruits, meats, or fish that constitute the savory part of the meal, as contrasted with kánon which refers only to staple foods such as rice, sweet potatoes, etc. [↑]
[41] Mumbónan͠g has a head covered with bristles, just like a porcupine, but radiating and sharp pointed like nails facing outward to penetrate any object on the outside. He possibly represents some constellation. [↑]
[42] The goddess of weaving. [↑]
[43] Or N͠gílîn an Maknón͠gan (?). [↑]
[44] Deities which the Ifugaos believe to be their ancestors. [↑]
[45] The people of Alímît Ifugao. ([Plate I.]) [↑]
[46] Tad-óna and Inúke are recognized as common ancestors by all the Kián͠gan Ifugaos, and the myths about them are legion. [↑]
[47] Ceremonies to the búni, accompanied by prayers and sacrifices. [↑]
[48] A version of the same type, but very different in detail, is contained in the unpublished notes of Mr. Roy Franklin Barton. I have also several others from the same area (Kián͠gan Ifugao) that were collected by Lieut. Maximo Meimban. [↑]
[49] For bibliographical reference, see Villaverde, loc. cit. [↑]
[50] Manaháut is the greatest and most hated evil deity of the Ifugaos. [↑]
[51] The memory of cannibalism so common in Ifugao mythology possibly dates back to a period of contact with human cannibals. [↑]
[52] The Ifugao version of the story states that the sky was so low that it interfered with the plying of the spear, while the Manóbo story relates that the rice pestle would strike against it. It is possible that this myth dates back to cave-dwelling ancestors—for the low roof of a cave would be an inconvenience of the same character as that which is here ascribed to the sky.
A further proof of this is the following Tagálog myth furnished me by Mr. Roberto Laperal: “In former times the sky was very low and could be touched with the hand; when men were playing, they would strike their heads against it whenever they jumped upward. This made them impatient, and one day they began to throw stones at the sky. The great god Bathala was very angry and removed the sky to its present position.” [↑]
[53] For bibliographical reference, see footnote 36. A less complete version of this myth, differing somewhat in detail, is given by Barton in the second manuscript mentioned in footnote 29. [↑]
[55] God of the lightning. [↑]
[56] It is a common belief, widespread in the Philippines, that the appearance of a woman at a place where men are hunting will render the search for game fruitless. J. M. Garvan. [↑]
[57] It will be noted that most of the things created by Búgan from the corrupted half of Balitúk were pests and things of evil omen to torment the people of Kián͠gan as they had tormented her. [↑]
[58] Ído, or ídu, is the Ifugao name for the omen spirits. A certain small black and white bird called pîtpît is believed to be an omen spirit, and therefore it is also properly called ído. When an Ifugao is going on a journey and sees one of these birds, or hears its cry, he immediately stops and calls out to it. He tells it where he is going and why. If the bird flies away to one side or in a forward direction, it is a good sign; but if it flies backward along the path, uttering a sharp cry of fright, it is a very bad omen, and the man will probably return home and not continue on his journey until another day. [↑]
[59] I am informed by Dr. Dean S. Fansler that he obtained from an Igorot of Túblai, Benguet, in May, 1910, a myth very similar to this story of Búgan and Kin͠ggáuan. The details are different, but some of the more important incidents are the same and I will give a brief summary of the myth here: A god named Dumágid, whose home is in one of the lower regions of the sky, came down to the earth and lived among the people. He taught the people many things, and often went hunting with them in the forest. But one day, when he was out in the woods alone, he met a beautiful girl by the name of Dúgai with whom he fell in love, and they were married. A son was born to them, and they named him Ovug. Shortly after this Dumágid informed the people that he must return to the Sky World to make report to the chief deity, Kabigat, but that he would soon come down again to the Earth World. But the people demanded that he take his wife with him, and that they leave their son as security for their return. Dumágid told Dúgai that the path was so hot that she might die, but this the people would not believe. So Dumágid and Dúgai started out, but as they approached the sun it grew so hot that Dúgai died. Dumágid returned her body to the earth, and went on to his home in the sky. Later he came back to the earth, in company with the god Ban͠gan di Bai-án͠gan, and told the people that he must take his son Ovug to the Sky World. This the people refused to allow him to do, so Dumágid took a knife and divided his son Ovug into equal parts by cutting him straight down. When he had done this, he told the people to keep one half and make a new boy out of it. The other half Dumágid took with him to the Sky World and reanimated it. Then he looked down to the Earth World and saw that the half of his son there was becoming decayed because the people had not given it new life. So he came down with the boy he had made, and made another beautiful boy out of the decayed half. Then he made the two boys stand before the astonished people. For their greater astonishment, Dumágid asked the boy he had made in the Sky World to talk. He spoke very loud like sharp thunder, so that the people were frightened almost to death. Then Dumágid asked the other boy to talk, and he spoke low like the rolling thunder. Then the first boy went up to the Sky World whirling like fire, and thundered there. And it is believed that this is the origin of the lightning and the sharp thunder that comes after; and it is also believed that the low thunder is the voice of the second boy, or the one made on the earth. [↑]
[60] Collected by myself from various Ifugaos of Banáuol clan, in 1906. A similar but less complete version was collected at the same place by Levi E. Case, in May, 1905, and published in This Journal, Sec. A (1909), 4, 256–260. [↑]
[61] Or Alauítan in Sub-Ifugao. See [Plates I] and [II]. [↑]
[62] The Ifugao rice drink, usually known as búbûd. [↑]
[63] About six months. The duration of the flood varies greatly in the different versions of this myth. [↑]
[64] Incest is looked upon by the Ifugaos with horror, and is held to be one of the gravest of crimes. [↑]
[65] The number and names of the children of Wígan and Búgan are variable in the different Ifugao clans. [↑]
[66] The frequent repetition of Búgan as the name of a female deity is worthy of further explanation. Búgan is the Ifugao ideal of feminine beauty. There is no single goddess of love and beauty such as Venus or Aphrodite, but an abstract ideal of womanly perfection. Therefore, all beneficent female deities are called Búgan, which is also the most common name among Ifugao women. When a man wishes to praise his wife, he speaks of her as Búgan-ko (my Búgan), and when a young man goes courting he often speaks of it as mum-Búgan (searching for a Búgan). Light, fleecy clouds, high in the sky, are often called “the wavy hair of Búgan.” Such poetic usages are almost innumerable. It is an interesting conception, and is one of the proofs of Ifugao æsthetic development. [↑]
[67] A Chinese author, Chao Ju-kua, writing in the year 1280, mentions that porcelain jars and bronze gongs were two of the most important exports from China to the Philippines.—Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands (1906), 34, 181–191. [↑]
[68] Free translation of an Ifugao text obtained by myself in January, 1909, from Tugínai Páit ([Plate III, fig. 3]), an Ifugao of Amgodé clan, Central Ifugao. [↑]
[69] The three unbroken jars brought by Ban͠ggílît from the village of souls in the Sky World are still in existence and their location is as follows: The first jar is called Inhyúwat, and is owned by Bînwâg of Búwôt. The second is called Ináyao, and is owned by Ináyao of Hinagán͠gan. The third is called Búût, and is owned by Búût of Hápao. These jars have an estimated value of several hundred pesos each, but, unless driven to it by dire extremity, their owners would not sell them for any price. ([Plate IV, fig. 1.]) [↑]