ACADEMY OF SCIENCES] DRESS 49 



up, it is said, in the forest; the pods of the ta-bi-gi tree, one or more, used for carrying incense 18 

 for religious purposes; odoriferous seeds and roots 16 cut up small and strung on dbakd filaments 

 with such beads as the wearer may not desire to use, because of their color or shape, for the 

 ornamentation of other parts of his body. 



The purpose of these various objects is, to all appearances, to ornament the person and to 

 impart a fragrance to the wearer. In this last respect the redolent herbs and seeds admirably 

 fulfill their purpose. But many of these objects serve other ends, medicinal and religious. I took 

 no little pains in investigating this point, but the replies to my inquiries were at times so indeter- 

 minate, at others so varied, and so contradictory that I can not make any definite statement; 

 but I am strongly inclined to believe, for sundry reasons, that both medicinal and magic powers 

 are attributed to many of the innocent-looking objects that go to make up the girdle pendants. 



THE SKIRT 



The Manobo woman is not encumbered with all the wearing apparel of more cultured tribes. 

 She vests herself with the simple sacklike skirt of good strong abakd cloth, durable, and admirably 

 suited to her manner of life. 



As the cloth comes from the loom it is in one long rectangular piece (3.6 meters by 90 cen- 

 timeters more or less). It is cut in two and the ends of each of the two pieces are sewed together, so 

 that two bottomless sacks are made. These two sacks are then joined together, thus forming one 

 long rectangular garment, which by night serves for blanket, sheet, and frequently mosquito bar, 

 and by day for a skirt. When used as a skirt, it is folded over in such a way that it resembles 

 two sacks, one inside the other. As it is considerably larger than the person of the wearer it must 

 be drawn to one side, always the left, and tucked in. The lower part of the garment on the left 

 side bulges out so far that it makes the woman's figure ungraceful in appearance. 



From the dimensions given above it follows that the dress does not reach much below the 

 knees, a salutary arrangement, indeed, for one whose occupations lead her through the slush of 

 forest trails and the grime of farming life. 



There are two types of skirt in common use; first, the type that is of purely Manobo manu- 

 facture, and, second, the type that is imported from the Mandayas of southeastern Mindanao. 



The purely Manobo type is distinguished by its simplicity and absence of elaborate design. 

 Alternating bands of red and black, with dividing lines of white, all running longitudinally along 

 the warp, and inwoven, are the only effort at beauty of design. 



The second form of skirt is that imported from the Mandayas or purchased, whenever obtain- 

 able, from Bisaya traders or, on the upper Agusan, from trafficking intermediaries. It is strik- 

 ing with what appreciation the Manobo regards this article. A Manobo from the Argawan and 

 Umaiam will travel over to Hinatuan, a journey of three or four days, to procure a piece of Man- 

 daya skirt cloth. He values it above the costliest pieces of European fabric that he has seen. 

 The Manobo woman upon seeing a fine specimen dances with joy, and is long and loud in her 

 praise of it. No value is too high for such a specimen and no sacrifice too great to purchase it. 



The explanation of this high regard in which Mandaya cloth is held is simple. The cloth 

 is made, I was habitually assured by Manobos, by enchantment, under the direction of the 

 priestesses in the lofty mountain fastnesses of Mandayaland. 17 No other explanation will 

 satisfy the credulous Manobo. He can not possibly understand how the fanciful and elegant 

 designs on Mandaya cloth can be produced by other than supernatural means. 



The cloth as it comes from the loom is of practically the same size as Manobo cloth and 

 it is made into the form of a skirt in identically the same way. The only difference is that the 

 Mandaya fabric is heavier and has a beautiful inwoven pattern. 



15 Called pa-li-na. It is obtained by tapping the ma-QU-bai tree. 



w The following are the native names of the roots and plants seen by the writer: ta-b6, the seed of a plant which looks like a sweet potato; ti-i, a 

 helmet-shaped seed of a tree of the same name; ku-su, the root of a leguminous plant; ma-gu-bal, the bright red seed of a tree of the same name. It 

 is interesting to note that this same seed is used for the eyes of sacred images. A'a-6fs-da' and ko-mud-ta are also made use of. 



" I have covered nearly the whole of the Mandaya country and can testify to the numerous religious practices and restrictions connected with 

 the fabrication of the cloth. 



