United States or Hong Kong ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Just before he died a chicken was killed, and the old people gathered at the house, cooked the chicken, and ate, inviting the ancestral anitos and the departing spirit of Som-kad' to the feast. Shortly after this the spirit of the live man passed from the body searching the mountain spirit land for kin and friend.
Some of these were for the mountains and plains, and they asked their leave when they would pass them: others for the corn fields, and to these they recommend them, that they might be fertile, placing meat and drink in the fields for the use of the Anitos.
In this way the evil spirits are not only kept from noticing the absence of the mother, but are also driven to a distance. This procedure is repeated under nine houses, after which they return to the dwelling with the woman. As soon as they reach the top of the ladder, an old woman throws down ashes "to blind the eyes of the anitos, so that they cannot see to come up."
Anitos and, in a few cases, the shades of the dead have had intercourse with Tinguian women, but children of such unions are always born prematurely. As a rule, a miscarriage is thought to be the result of union with the inhabitants of the spirit realm, though an expectant woman is often warned not to become angry or sorrowful lest her "blood become strong and the child be born."
If it is borne in mind that belief in Anitos is widely diffused in Polynesia and in purely Malay areas, the drawing of certain conclusions therefrom concerning the prehistory of the Philippines is to be despaired of. Little of costume is to be seen, indeed, among them. Therefore, here tattooing asserts its sway.
"Why do not those Ipogau who are making Sayang start the balaua correctly?" said the spirits above. Those anitos who are married, who are Kadaklan and Agemem, say, "It is better that you carry the pig." Then truly they carried the pig up the river, those two Ipogau who are married. "Ala! you walk and walk until you arrive at Sayau, for a person who lives there is making Sayang," said the spirits.
If I come in Sudipan when no one is making balaua it would make all of the people very ill." So Kanag went home. As soon as he arrived he told his father and mother to make balaua for he wanted his sister to see them. "We just made balaua. How can we make balaua again?" said his father and mother. "I want you to see my sister whom I found up in the air, where the anitos took her."
In general they endeavoured to attribute this kind of divinity to their fathers, when they died in years, and the old men, vain with this barbarous notion, affected in their sickness a gravity and composure of mind, as they conceived, more than human, because they thought themselves commencing Anitos.
Slaughter is so great the father swims in blood, but son stands on it. Both return home and hold a great celebration over the heads. The father's spittle is lapped up by a frog which becomes pregnant. Frog gives birth to baby girl which is carried away by anitos. Her half brother hears her, changes self into a bird and visits her in the sky. Is hidden in a caldron to keep anitos from eating him.
Word Of The Day