United States or Italy ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


One day when she went to the spring to bathe, there entered her body a spirit who had rice and sugar-cane with him, and he said to her: "Dayapan, take these to your home and plant them in the ground, and after a while they will grow large enough to reap. Then when they are ripe, build a granary to put the rice in until you shall need it, and a sugar-press to crush the cane.

At last they recognize how necessary each one is for the other and cease their wrangling; then the people who live in the house are again in good health. The great spirit sees the people of Bisau celebrating the Ubaya ceremony, and determines to reward them by increasing their worldly goods. He appears as a man and rewards them. Dayapán, who has been ill for seven years, goes to bathe.

So Dayapán taught them all kinds of dawak which the spirit had told her because before when Dayapán was sick, no one knew the dawak. Many years ago there was a woman whose name was Bagutayka. She had had only one daughter whose name was Bagan. A boy who lived in Lantágan wished to marry Bagan, but she did not wish to marry him because she had no vagina, and she was ashamed.

And when these are finished, make the ceremony Sayung, and you will be well." Dayapan was filled with wonder at these strange things, but she took the rice and the sugar-cane and went home as she was commanded. While she was trying to plant them in the ground the Spirit again entered her body and showed her just what to do.

Dayapán followed instructions faithfully, and after the harvest and conclusion of the ceremony, she found herself to be completely cured. After that she taught others, and soon the Tinguian became prosperous farmers. In Part I of this volume a reconstruction of the early life of this people was attempted from their mythology.

Dayapan wept bitterly at this and waited a long time for Kaboniyan, and when at last he came, he said: "If the dog had not killed the cock, no person would die when you make this ceremony; but this is a sign, and now some will die and some will get well."