September, 19*3 • Wild Tribes of Davao District — CoeE. hi 



nose flute, so common in most parts of the Philippines, was not seen in 

 use here. 



The ceremonies and dances are so closely associated with every day 

 affairs that in the description of the life of the people up to this point 

 we have left only a few still to be discussed. These are, in the main, 

 very similar throughout the Bagobo belt, but to avoid confusion the 

 description here given of the two greatest events of the year — the 

 GinEm ceremony and the human sacrifice — deals with Cibolan, unless 

 expressly stated to the contrary. 



The greatest of all Bagobo ceremonies — the GinEm — may be given 

 by the datu within three or four months after the appearance of the 

 constellation Balatik, when the moon is new or full. Its object is to 

 thank the spirits for success in war or domestic affairs, to ward off 

 sickness and other dangers, to drive away the huso, and finally to so 

 gratify the spirits that they will be pleased to increase the wealth of 

 all the people. Datu Tongkaling expressed a belief that this ceremony 

 is in a way related to the rice harvest, "for it is always made when there 

 is plenty of rice in the granaries." It appears to the writer, however, 

 that this ceremony probably originated in connection with warfare. 



According to the tales of the old men, it was formerly the custom to 

 go on a raid before this ceremony was to take place, and successful 

 warriors would bring home with them the skulls of their victims which 

 they tied to the patan'nan. 1 It seems also to have been closely asso- 

 ciated with the yearly sacrifice, for it was never made until after the 

 appearance of the constellation Balatik, and without doubt a sacrifice 

 frequently did take place during the first day of the ceremony, at the 

 time the decorated poles were raised. However, such an offering at 

 this time did not relieve the datu from the obligation of making the 

 regular sacrifice. 



Datu Ansig of Talun informed me that, unless the death of some 

 great person made a special sacrifice necessary, there was only one such 

 offering made during the year, and that at the time the decorated poles 

 were placed in the dwelling. 



The time for the festival having been agreed upon, messsengers are 

 sent to other datu and head-men, inviting them and their people to 

 attend. Sufficient food is prepared for the guests and when all is ready 

 the mabalian takes one chicken from among those to be used for food 

 and frees it as an offering to the gimokod. It is bidden to wander 



1 Ceremonial poles dedicated to Mandarangan and Darago. In Digos and 

 Bansalan the skulls were not taken but hair cut from the heads of enemies was 

 placed in the swinging altar balakat, and were left there until the conclusion of the 

 ceremony. 



