112 THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GAR VAN (MEMO [vo£xxu£ 



TABOOS TO BE OBSERVED BY THE WIFE 



1 . She must not do any heavy work nor carry anything on her head. 



2. She must not sit on a corner of the hearth frame. 



3. While in a sitting posture she must leave one knee uncovered. 



4. She must be careful in the selection of her food for a period that seems to depend, accord- 

 ing to my observation, on individual whim. 



Hence after the inception of pregnancy a woman becomes almost fastidious in the choice 

 of her food. Her every whim must be catered to. No general rule can be given, but her general 

 preference is for vegetable food, especially the core of the various wild palm trees, 4 plantains, 

 and when obtainable, young coconuts. Acid fruits, such as the various species of lemons or 

 the fruits of rattan vines, seem to be her special predilection. 



TABOOS TO BE OBSERVED BY BOTH HUSBAND AND WIFE 



1 . They must not thrust their hands through the floor nor through an opening in the walls 

 of the house. 



2. Anything taken by them from the fire must not be returned by them, but by a third 

 party. 



3. They must not return after having once started to descend the house ladder until they 

 have reached the ground. 



4. They must not sit at the entrance to the house in such a way as to impede free entrance 

 or exit. 



5. They must be careful that the firewood is not unusually speckled or dirty, as the child that 

 is to come might be lacking in due comeliness. I have seen many a husband assiduously peeling 

 off the bark from the more-ugly-looking firewood. 



TABOOS ENJOINED ON VISITORS 



Visitors also are cautioned and expected to observe the third and fourth taboos mentioned 

 under the last section. 6 



ABORTION 



Infanticide is never practiced; on the contrary, every means, natural, magic, and religious, 

 are taken to safeguard the life of the babe. Abortion, however, occurs. 



ARTIFICIAL ABORTION 



Artifical abortion is unknown among the pagan Manobos, but the Christianized members 

 of the tribe who have come under the influence of culture of a different stamp, have acquired a 

 knowledge of its practice for the purpose of concealing their condition and of thereby avoiding 

 subsequent shame and trouble. For this purpose various vegetable products are used, such as 

 the sap of the red dyewood, 6 the core of a wild palm, 7 the sap of black dyewood, 8 and the juice 

 of mint. 9 I was told that these are very effective and, as a rule, not attended with evil con- 

 sequences to the health of the woman. 



INVOLUNTARY ABORTION 



Involuntary abortion, however, is a matter of frequent, occurrence. It would be hard to 

 form an approximate estimate, but, from the opinions expressed by several warrior chiefs and 

 headmen, I believe that it occurs not infrequently. No explanation as to its cause was obtained. 

 The fetus is usually buried without any ceremony under the house. In the upper Agusan, 



' 6-bud. 



' The taboo that forbids a visitor to sit at the door of the house is observed by the lower classes of Manila. Also the taboo that forbids quarreling. 



• Si-kd-lig. 



' Called biilg-a. 



B TA-gum. 



> La-bwi-na. 



