Remarriage of the Widowed
16. The gibu payment to terminate marriage.—Even death itself does not terminate an Ifugao marriage. It terminates neither the obligation of the widowed to the soul of the dead spouse nor the compact of alliance between the two families involved. This obligation and this compact may be terminated only by the payment known as the gibu.
The word gibu means literally “finish”. In its narrowest and probably original sense it may have meant a payment to terminate all the relations and obligations growing out of a marriage. There is another explanation. From the day of the death of a spouse till the third day after the interment (when the binokbok ceremony is performed), the kin of the deceased and the kin of the surviving spouse are on terms of theoretical enmity. They observe with reference to each other all the taboos that are observed toward enemies. This practice may have arisen from a former belief—a belief that is current among many primitive peoples today—that every death is due to sorcery or witchcraft. Whom so naturally blamed as the surviving spouse or his kin? If this be the explanation, then the gibu originated as an indemnity paid for the life of the deceased.
In the present day, the gibu in a broader sense applies to all fines and indemnities paid in connection with the abuse or termination of a marriage.
A remarriage may not properly be effected by the widowed until he has paid the kin of the dead spouse the gibu ’n di nate (gibu of the dead), or the datok, as it is specifically called. Failure on the part of the widowed to make this payment would lead to a seizure of his property or a lance throwing. In the Kiangan area this payment is not nearly so high as in other parts of Ifugao land, and for the reason that in the former area large payments are made to the kin of the woman in the hakba gifts at the beginning of the marriage. In Benaue and other areas of Ifugao the payments are about five times the amounts shown in the subjoined table.
The following is the datok payment of the Kiangan area:
Datok[6]
For the Wealthy
| Pu-u, 1 death blanket | ₱8.00 |
| Haynub, 1 pot | 5.00 |
| Haynub, 1 pot | 2.00 |
| Natauwinan | 1.00 |
| Natauwinan | 1.00 |
| Natauwinan | 1.00 |
| Natauwinan | 1.00 |
| Natuku | .50 |
| Natuku | .50 |
| Na-oha | .25 |
| Amo: | |
| 6 irons | 1.50 |
| Paduldul (offering to the soulof the dead), 1 pig | 10.00 |
| Total | ₱31.75 |
For the Middle Class
| Pu-u, 1 death blanket | ₱4.00 |
| Haynub, 1 pot | 2.00 |
| Haynub, 1 pot | 2.00 |
| Natauwinan | 1.00 |
| Natauwinan | 1.00 |
| Natuku | .50 |
| Natuku | .50 |
| Nunbadi | .40 |
| Na-oha | .25 |
| Amo: | |
| 4 irons | 1.00 |
| Paduldul, 1 pig | 8.00 |
| Total | ₱20.65 |
For the Very Poor
| Pu-u, 1 pot | ₱4.00 |
| Haynub | 1.00 |
| Natauwinan | 1.00 |
| Natuku | .50 |
| Nunbadi | .40 |
| Na-oha | .25 |
| Amo: | |
| 4 irons | 1.00 |
| Paduldul, 1 pig | 5.00 |
| Total | ₱13.15 |
It is considered an insult to the deceased and his kin for a widowed person to remarry within a year from the death of his spouse. In such an event, a larger gibu is demanded by the kin of the dead spouse. Should the spouses have had no children, double the amount usual is demanded as the datok.
If the widowed remarries without having first formally notified the kin of his dead spouse of his intention, or if he scandalously has sexual intercourse, he commits adultery according to Ifugao law, and must pay the gibu luktap (see [sec. 75], [94]). As a matter of fact, I do not believe that this law is often enforced. The Ifugaos say that it was nearly always enforced before the establishment of foreign government.
If the widowed be a woman, both she and the man with whom she contracts a second marriage are responsible for the gibu payment. The payment as a matter of practice is always made by the man who marries her; but it is said that, should her second husband for any reason fail to pay, the widow would be held for the payment.
In the event of the birth of a bastard child to a surviving spouse, the gibu must be paid.
The following is an instance of the non-payment of this indemnity, and the sequelae:
Piniliu of Longa married the wife of Butlong, a deceased kinsman of Timbuluy, also of Longa. Piniliu did not come forward with the usual datok payment, notwithstanding the fact that it was repeatedly demanded of him.
Finally Piniliu went to Nueva Viscaya, and there bought a carabao. Timbuluy gathered his kin and met Piniliu when he was bringing back the carabao. About two miles before they reached their home village Timbuluy and his kin seized the animal, hamstringing and slaughtering it before Piniliu’s eyes.
The act of Timbuluy may very safely be said to have been justified by Ifugao custom, and so to have been legal.
The gibu is smaller if the second spouse taken be a kinsman or kinswoman of the first.
If the living spouse should not have furnished the animal required of him (see [sec. 13]) and a death blanket for the funeral of the dead spouse, the value of these things is added to the amount of the gibu.[7]