September, 1913- Wild Tribes of Davao District — Cole. 95 



village. Head-hunting for the sake of the trophy itself, does not exist 

 here. 



Peace can be effected by means of a blood compact known as dayandl. 

 Each principal cuts his own wrist until the blood flows freely; this he 

 catches in his free hand and offers to the other participant to drink. 

 Sometimes the blood of both is caught and mixed in a dish from which 

 they drink, meanwhile addressing the tigyama, 1 saying, ''We are now 

 like brothers, like children of the same parents, and now we cannot 

 fight any more. We ask you to be the witnesses." 



SOCIAL, ORGANIZATION. 



There seems to be no trace of clan or totemic grouping among the 

 Bagobo. Blood relationship is traced as far as the second cousin and is 

 a bar to marriage. The suggestion that a man might marry his mother- 

 in-law was received with horror, but whether this was due to local mother- 

 in-law stories or to an idea of relationship could not be ascertained, 

 However, a man may marry the sister of his wife. 



Each district has its head man, or petty datu who is supposed to be 

 subject to the datu of Cibolan. This seems actually to have been the 

 case until a few years ago, when some of the local rulers withdrew their 

 allegiance. The office is hereditary and usually passes from the father 

 to his eldest son. Should the datu be without an heir, or the son be 

 considered inefficient, the under chiefs and wise old men may choose 

 a leader from among their number. 



In his own district the power of the datu is very great, but even he is 

 obliged to respect the laws and customs handed down by the ancestors. 

 He is supreme judge in all matters, though he may, if he desires, call in 

 the old men to help him decide difficult cases. The usual method of 

 punishment is by means of a fine. Should the culprit be unwilling or 

 unable to pay he is placed in servitude until such a time as the debt is 

 considered canceled, but should he refuse to serve he is killed without 

 further ado. The datu appoints a man for this purpose, and he usually 

 gets his victim by stealth, either by waylaying him in the road or by 

 driving a spear through him as he lies asleep on the floor of his house. 

 When a fine is levied the datu retains a portion as pay for his services ; 

 if the more drastic punishment follows it serves to emphasize his power 

 and is more valuable to him than the payment. When his house needs 

 repairing, his hemp requires stripping, or his fields need attention, his 

 followers give him assistance. In return for these services he helps 

 support a number of fighting men who can always be called upon for 



1 See p. 107. 



