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The old men of each ato discover those who have disobeyed the pueblo law by working in the field, and they announce the names to the old men of Lowingan and Sipaat, who promptly take from the lawbreaker firewood or rice or a small chicken to the value of about 10 cents, or the wage of two days. March 3, 1903, was teng-ao' in Bontoc, and I saw ten persons fined for working.
There are two such in Bontoc Toki, of Lowingan, and Finumti, of Longfoy and each has practiced his art on the other. Finumti has his back and legs tattooed in an almost unique way. I have seen only one other at all tattooed on the back, and then the designs were simple. A large double scallop extends from the hip to the knee on the outside of each of Finumti's legs.
It occurs on an average of about every ten days throughout the year, though there appears to be no definite regularity in its occurrence. The old men of the two ato of Lowingan and Sipaat determine when teng-ao' shall occur, and it is a day observed by the entire pueblo. The day is publicly announced in the pueblo the preceding evening.
There are seven of these men, and each has a distinct title. All are apparently of equal importance to the group. Le-yod', of ato Lowingan, whose title is "Ka-lob'," has charge of the ka-lob' ceremony held once or twice each year to allay the baguios. Ang'-way, of ato Somowan, whose title is "Chi-nam'-wi," presides over the chi-nam'-wi ceremony to drive away the cold and fog.
If this storm continues three or four days, Le-yod', of ato Lowingan, performs the following ceremony in his dwelling: "Ma-kis-kis'-kay li-fo'-o min-chi-kang'-ka ay fat-a'-wa ta-a'-yu nan fa'-ki lo-lo'-ta." A very free translation of this is as follows: "You fogs, rise up rolling. Let us have good weather in all the world! All the people are very poor."
As the watering of fil-lang' is through the special dispensation of Lu-ma'-wig, so the taro left by him in his garden school received from him a peculiar lease of life it is perpetual. The people claim that all other taro beds must be planted annually. Lu-ma'-wig showed the people how to build the fawi and pabafunan, and with his help those of Lowingan and Sipaat were constructed.
The first class is called "Wa-ku'," of which there are three men, namely, Fug-ku-so', of ato Somowan, Fang-u-wa', of ato Lowingan, and Cho-Iug', of ato Sigichan. The function of these men is to decide and announce the time of all rest days and ceremonials for the pueblo. These Wa-ku' inform the old men of each ato, and they in turn announce the days to the ato.
Some are old and blackened; others are all but gone a short stump being all that projects above the earth. The tops of some posts are rudely carved to represent a human head; on the tops of others, as in a'-to Lowingan and Sipaat, there are stones which strikingly resemble human skulls.
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