September, 1913. Wild Tribes oe Davao District — Cole. 153 



the rice harvest and when the moon is full, a raid must be made and 

 victims slain so that this spirit can feast. 1 If the warriors fail to render 

 him this service Mandalangan will cause their bodies to swell up and 

 many will die, while sickness will visit all other members of the tribe. 2 



The many spirits who inhabit rocks and large trees are generally 

 favorable to man and are collectively known as magintaldnan. 



Tama owns the deer and wild pigs, and no one hunts or traps in the 

 forest until he has made an offering of betel nut to this spirit. When 

 game is secured its tail and ears are strung on rattan and are hung in a 

 tree, in exchange for the live animal. 



The manidkan, generally evil spirits, resemble snakes, and like them 

 live in the ground. People are frequently made lame by simply stepping 

 over their homes. 



Each man and woman has a spirit, kalalda, 3 dwelling in his body 

 during lifetime. At death this spirit goes into the sky, unless it deserves 

 punishment, in which case it is hurried to Ktlot, a region below. In 

 either place these spirits keep close watch over the living and bring 

 success or disaster according to their will. They have come to be 

 looked upon as the guardians of the fields, and suitable offerings are 

 made to them at planting and harvest time. 



A few old men, makating, are thought to be able to address the 

 spirits with greater probability of success than the others; but they do 

 not stand in the same relation to the spirit world as do the mabalian of 

 the Bagobo. The nearest approach to that class is a group of women 

 known as lokEs i , who act as midwives and make use of roots and herbs 

 in curing sickness. 



The people are warned of disaster or impending danger by various 

 signs. A snake crossing the trail is an imperative order for the traveler 

 to turn back; the call of the limokon 5 is likewise a warning, while should 

 one of the principals to any agreement sneeze during the negotiations 

 the project would be delayed or abandoned. 



There is only slight development of beliefs and ceremonies in con- 

 nection with the cultivation of field crops, due probably to the recent 

 adoption of agriculture by the members of this tribe. A field is seldom 



1 Datu Bongkalasan says it was formerly the custom to make a foray at each 

 full moon. 



2 This was the reason given for the raid on the coast plantations in 191 1. 



3 The Kulaman of Santa Cruz insist that each person has two kalalda, one on the 

 right side and one on the left. At death the one on the right side, goes to a good 

 place in the sky, where there is no work and 'thoughts come easy." The kalalda 

 of the left side goes into the ground to a poor place called Kilot. It is probable 

 that the neighboring Bagobo have influenced the beliefs of this group. 



4 In Santa Cruz known as bagbabolan or mananagdmen. 



5 See p. 63 note. 



