76 THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GARVAN [ME "°R? i! xxm, 



against wild boar. Scarecrows, consisting of pieces of palm frond, tin cans, and other things, are 

 suspended from long rattan cords that diverge in all directions from the watch house 18 in the cen- 

 ter of the field. The waving of these rattan strips, when manipulated by the young person on 

 watch, accompanied by loud yells, serve to frighten away the ricebirds, 19 parrakeets, and monkeys. 

 A little offering of rice is frequently made by way of gaining the good will and speedy departure of 

 the latter. 



A final feast, similar to that described in the preceding pages, is given to Taphdgan by way of 

 thanksgiving, when the crop is nearly ripe for the harvest, and she then passes out of the Manobo's 

 memory for another year. 



THE RICE HARVEST 



The harvest time is the merriest of all the year. It ends, in most cases, the long period of 

 abstinence from rice, and many times terminates a period of actual hunger. It is the season for 

 the celebration of marriages, with their attendant festivals; for hunting and for fishing, especially 

 with poison. And yet it is fraught with religious fear and safeguarded by severe taboos and other 

 restrictions that make it to some extent a season of mystery. In many places it is a time of vigi- 

 lance against the attacks of the enemy. 



The first thing that must be done when the rice is ripe enough to harvest is to close all trails 

 leading to the house and farm. No one may now, under penalty of a fine, enter the precincts, nor 

 may any one but an inmate of the household be present, for otherwise the crop might never come 

 to maturity. 20 Should any one trespass upon the farm, it is imperative that work be discontinued 

 until the following day. This gives a good opportunity to collect the fine imposed on the tres- 

 passer. I did not care to violate this taboo, and for this reason can offer only second-hand infor- 

 mation as to what takes place from the time of the closing of the trails till the harvest feast. 



The owner makes solemn invocation to the omen bird and, if the omens are satisfactory, pro- 

 ceeds to cut some of the ripe heads of rice in the center of the farm. These are then put into a 

 grass bag prepared especially for this purpose. This bag is said to have bezoar stones 21 placed in 

 it in order that the rice may not only not diminish but may even increase in quantity. For the six 

 following days the women and children reap a little every day and deposit the rice in the above 

 receptacle. 



The rice thus harvested is carefully preserved as seed for the following year, though a little of 

 it may be employed for ceremonial purposes during the sowing and harvesting celebrations. The 

 new rice must on no account be eaten before the harvest feast is ready, and it must not be given 

 away, for that would certainly result in a mysterious decrease. 22 In fine, it has such a sacred 

 character that it must be pounded at night and never in the presence of anyone who is not a mem- 

 ber of the household, for should anyone visit the house at this time the rice would be found to have 

 much chaff 23 in it. 



THE HARVEST FEAST 



The harvest feast must take place before the real work of harvesting begins. It usually 

 occurs on the seventh day after the closing of the trails, if everything is in readiness. The impor- 

 tance of this feast is such that he who can not kill a pig for the occasion has no title to aristocracy 

 in the tribe. All being ready, the trails are opened and the drum and gong boom out to announce 

 to relatives and friends that they are welcome to the feast of Haki&dan, the goddess of grain. 



The ceremony differs but little from that to Taphtigan, as described on previous pages. 

 The invocation to Hakiadan is most elaborate, lasting for several hours in the few instances 

 which I witnessed. It is taken up by one priest after another and every inducement is offered 

 to Hakiadan to prevent the rice from being stolen, or destroyed by their enemies, carried away 

 by floods, wet by rain, raided by rats and ants, or stolen by Ddgau, that fickle mischievous 



" Ban-lain n. 

 ■• Miya. 



■ Makn&iiya is the term used to eipress the evil that might befall the crop. 

 » MiU-ja or mil-da. 



" Ka-gu-yiiniun, i. e., literally, that it would be pulled away. 



■ A-pa. 



