208 THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GARVAN 



in whom the evil influence is thought to dwell and at the same time a short address is made in an 

 undertone to this same influence, 29 bidding it betake itself to other parts. The chicken may be 

 then killed ceremonially and eaten, but if it is not killed it becomes consecrated and is given to 

 the priest until it can be disposed of in a ceremonial way on a future occasion. 



This ceremony is very common, especially after the occurrence of a very evil dream or a bad 

 conjunction of omens or in case of severe sickness or on the erection of a new house or granary. 

 On one occasion it was performed on me under the impression, it is presumed, that I was the bearer 

 of some malign influence. 



I have never been definitely informed as to the reason for the efficacy of this rite, nor of 

 its origin. Tradition handed down by the old, old folks and everyday experience are sufficient 

 foundation for the popular belief in its efficacy. 



Blood lustration. — When a fowl or a pig has been killed sacrificially, it is customary to smear 

 the blood on the person or object from whom it is desired to drive out the sickness, or in order to 

 avert a threatened or suspected danger, or when it is desired to nullify an evil influence. The 

 ceremony is performed only by a priest and in the following way : Taking blood in a receptacle 

 to the person for whose benefit it is intended, the priest dips his hand in it and draws his bloody 

 finger over the afflicted part, or on the back of the hand and along the fingers in the case 

 of a sick person, or on the post of the house, thereby leaving bloody stripes. During the 

 operation he addresses the indwelling evil and bids it begone. This ceremony usually follows the 

 preceding one and is performed in all cases where the previous ceremony is applicable, if the 

 circumstances are considered urgent enough to call for its performance. 



I once saw a variation of this ceremony. Instead of killing the fowl the priest made a small 

 wound in one leg and applied the blood that issued to a sick man. The fowl then became the 

 property of the priest and could never be eaten, for the evil influence that had produced the 

 sickness in the man was supposed to have passed into the fowl. 



Lustration by water. — Lustration by water is somewhat similar in its purpose to the preceding 

 ceremony. It is performed as a subrite among the Christianized Manobos of the lake region. 

 I am inclined to think that it is only an imitation of an institution of the Catholic Church because 

 I never saw it performed by non-Christian Man6bos. 



The following is the cermony : When the divinities are thought to have eaten the soul or 

 redolence 30 of the viands set out for them, and to have cleansed their hands in the water provided 

 for that purpose, the priest seizes a small branch, dips it in this water and sprinkles the assembly. 

 Though, on the occasions on which I witnessed this rite, the recipients did not seem to relish the 

 aspersion, as was evinced by their efforts to avoid it, yet it was believed to have great efficacy in 

 removing ill luck and malign influences. 31 



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