226 THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GARVAN [MEMO fvo* A x£ra; 



her path, but that is only a messenger from her husband to call her back. She, however, heeds 

 it not but speeds on her way in never-ending flight with the marks of the taro leaves 4 still upon 

 her face, and with her starry train accompanying her to the dawn and on to the sunset in one 

 eternal flight. 



THE STORY OF THE IKtJGAN, 6 OR TAILED MEN, AND OF THE RESETTLEMENT 



OF THE AGTJSAN VALLEY 



It seems that long, long ago a ferocious horde of tailed men, Tidung, 6 overran the Agiisan 

 Valley as far south as Veru61a. They were tailed men from all accounts, the tail of the men 

 being like a dagger, and that of the women like an adze of the kind used by Manobos. For 14 

 years they continued their depredations, devastating the whole valley till all the Manobos had 

 fled or been killed, except one woman on the Argawan River or, as some say, on the Umaiam. 



When the Manobos first arrived in the Agiisan Valley they tried to withstand the tailed 

 men. The Manobos of the Kasilaian River are said to have dug trenches and to have made 

 valiant resistance, but were finally obliged to flee to the Pacific coast. 7 It is said that when 

 encamped near the present site of San Luis these tailed folks slept on a land of nettle 8 and being 

 severely stung, took it for a bad omen and returned. 



As to the origin and departure of these invaders nothing seems to be known, but they de- 

 vastated the valley from Butuan to Veruela and from east to west. 



The solitary woman who had hidden in the runo reeds of Argawan continued to eke out an 

 existence and to pass her time in weaving abakd cloth. One day as she was about to eat she 

 found a turtledove's egg in one of her weaving baskets and she was glad, for meat and fish were 

 scarce. But when the hour to eat arrived she forgot the egg. Thus it happened day after day 

 until the egg hatched out, when lo! instead of a little dove there appeared a lovely little baby 

 girl who, under her foster mother's care and guidance, throve and grew to woman's estate. 



Now it happened that, as the war had ended, scouts began to travel through the country 

 to discover whether the Ikugan had really departed, and one day a band of them found the woman 

 and foster daughter. Amazed at the young girl's marvelous beauty the chief asked for her hand. 

 The foster mother granted his request, but upon one condition — that he would place a married 

 couple upon every river in the valley. Well pleased with such a simple condition he started 

 upon his quest and before long succeeded in placing upon every river a married couple. In 

 this way came about the repopulation of the Agiisan Valley: The chief then married the beauti- 

 ful maiden and peace reigned throughout the land. 



GIANTS 



The great mythic giants of Manoboland are Tdma, Mandaydngan, and Apila. All three 

 are described as of marvelous height, "as tall as the tallest trees of the mountains," and their 

 domain is said to be the deep and dark forest. 



Tdma is a wicked spirit, whose special malignancy consists in beguiling the steps of unwary 

 travelers. Leading his victim off the beaten trail'' by cunning calls and other ruses, he devours 

 him bodily. His haunt is said to be sometimes the bdlete tree, as the enormous footprints occasion- 

 ally seen in its vicinity testify. A Man6bo of the Kasilaian River assured me that he had seen 

 them and that they were a fathom long. I have heard various accounts of this fabulous being 

 all over eastern Mindanao. 



Mandaydngan, on the contrary, is a good-natured, humanlike giant, who loves to attend 

 the combats of Manoboland. He is said to have been one of the great warriors of the days 

 of yore. His dwelling is in the great mountain forests, where live the gods of war. 



* Some say that spots upon the moon are a cluster of bamboos; others, that they are balete trees, and others again, that they are the taro 

 marks referred to. 



8 From i-kug, tail. 



( It would be interesting to know whether these Tfdufig were members of a tribe in Borneo that made piratical raids to the Sulu Archipelago. 



' It is true that the Manobos of the Tago River, province of Surigao, claim kinship with those of the Kasilaian and Argawan Rivers, but their 

 migration from the Agusan Valley seems to have been comparatively recent, if I may believe their own testimony. 



' Sag-ui. 





