132 THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GARVAN [MEM0 ™ L N xxnt 



The tuning is regulated by the size of the little wedges which impart greater or lesser tension 

 as desired. I understand neither the theory nor the practice of tuning this guitar. 



While being played the guitar is held in both hands. The first finger and thumb of the right 

 hand manipulate the bass strings, while the three treble strings are controlled by the other hand. 



The weird staccato music produced by this instrument is indescribable. One must hear it 

 and hear it repeatedly in order to appreciate its fantastic melodies. 



Both men and women make use of it for secular and, I am inclined to think, for religious 

 motives. During the famous tungud™ movement (1908-19 10) it was used universally in the 

 religious houses, but I was unable to obtain definite information as to its sacred character. In 

 the postnatal ceremony that has been described under "Birth" I observed the use of the instru- 

 ment on several occasions, but could obtain no further information except that the strains of this 

 primitive guitar are pleasing to Mandait, the tutelary spirit of infants. This point merits 

 further investigation.' 7 



The takumbo. — Though classed here as guitar, the takumbo hardly deserves the name. 

 It is a bamboo joint which has one joint wall opened. At the other end beyond the second 

 joint it is so cut as to resemble a miter. Two strings, uplif ted from the surface about 4 centimeters 

 apart, and held in an elevated position and at their requisite tension by kttle wooden wedges 

 placed underneath, form the strings. A lozenge-shaped hole in the center between the strings 

 increases the resonance. The instrument is played by beating the strings with little sticks 

 preferably of bamboo. Two persons may play at one time. 



The time observed is the drum rhythm. The sound produced is very faint and unimpressive, 

 and the instrument is of very sporadic occurrence. 



The fact that one end is carved in the form of a miter tends to confirm my supposition that 

 this is a purely religious instrument. The carving is supposed to represent the mouth of a 

 crocodile. 18 



I was given to understand that this instrument is used in the immolation to the blood-deities 

 in case of hemorrhage and such other illnesses as are accompanied by fluxes of blood. It is 

 said that the instrument is set in a vertical position, the miterlike cutting being upward, and that 

 a part of the victim's blood is placed upon the node as if it were a little saucer. The instrument 

 is then played. I never witnessed the ceremony, nor heard the instrument played, and am not 

 prepared to give credence to the above story till further investigation corroborates it. 



the violin 19 



I neither saw nor heard this instrument, but my inquiries substantiate the existence of it. 

 The body is said to be of coconut shell with the husk removed. The bow is made of bamboo 

 bent into the form of a defensive bow, to the ends of which are attached several threads of 

 abakd fiber that serve as the bowstring. The strings of the violin are two in number and are 

 made of abdkd fiber. 



The violin is said to be played as our violins are by drawing the bow across the strings. 

 It is not played by women, according to reports, nor are there any stated times and reasons, 

 religious or otherwise, for its use. 20 



THE JEW'S-HABP 21 



Another instrument which is found occasionally in Manoboland, is a species of jew's-harp, 

 made out of bamboo. It is a frail instrument made more for a toy than for its musical quabties. 

 It is ordinarily about 26 centimeters long, and consists of a slender piece of bamboo from the 

 central part of which a small tongue abou 1 6 centbneters long is cut. The tongue remains attached 

 at one end, the tip of it being toward the middle of the instrument. On the the reverse side there 



w A religious movement that sprang up in 1908 and spread itself all over the southeastern quarter of Mindanao. (See Chapter XXIX.) 



17 The followirg are the names of some of the tunes played on the above guitar: ma-su-gud, tdm-bid, gam-au-gd-tnau, pa-ma-yd-bui, tig-ba-bau. 



" This figure is called bin-u-i-da, or bin-u-wd-ya from bu-d-ya, crocodile. 



"K6-gtU. 



>° The names of some of the tunes played are: Pan*un-gd-kU, lin-lg-tui ka-bu-ka, ba-yurbai, pan-ig-d-bon to ka-bi. 



a Kubifig. 



