September, 19 13. Wild Tribes of Davao District — Cole. 175 



cure of the sick, one or more of these women take charge of the cere- 

 monies and for the time being are the religious heads of the community. 

 At such a time the ball van wears a blood -red waist, 1 but on other 

 occasions her dress is the same as that of the other women, and her life 

 does not differ from their 's in any respect. 



When about to converse with the spirits the ballyan places an offering 

 before her and begins to chant and wail. A distant stare comes into 

 her eyes, her body begins to twitch convulsively until she is shivering 

 and trembling as if seized with the ague. In this condition she receives 

 the messages of the spirits and under their direction conducts the 

 ceremony. 



Rosell gives the following description of the possession of a ballyan. 2 

 Nothing of this nature was seen by the writer. 



"They erect a sort of small altar on which they place the manaugs 

 or images of the said gods which are made of the special wood of the 

 bayog tree, which they destine exclusively for this use. When the 

 unfortunate hog which is to serve as a sacrifice is placed above the said 

 altar, the chief bailana approaches with balarao or dagger in hand 

 which she brandishes and drives into the poor animal, which will surely 

 be grunting in spite of the gods and the religious solemnity, as it is 

 fearful of what is going to happen to it; and leaves the victim weltering 

 in its blood. Then immediately all the bailanas drink of the blood in 

 order to attract the prophetic spirit to themselves and to give their 

 auguries or the supposed inspirations of their gods. Scarcely have 

 they drunk the blood, when they become as though possessed by an 

 infernal spirit which agitates them and makes them tremble as does 

 the body of a person with the ague or like one who shivers with the 

 cold." 



SPIRITS. 



The following spirits are known to the ballyan of the Mayo district : 

 1. Diwata. A good spirit who is besought for aid against the 

 machinations of evil beings. The people of Mayo claim that they do 

 not now, nor have they at any time made images of their gods, but in 

 the vicinity of Cateel Maxey has seen wooden images called manaog, 

 which were said to represent Diwata on earth. According to his account 

 "the ballyan dances for three consecutive nights before the manaog, 

 invoking his aid and also holding conversation with the spirits. This 

 is invariably done while the others are asleep." He further states that 



1 Pedro Rosell, writing in 1885, says that the ballyan then dressed entirely in 

 red. Blair and Robertson, Vol. XLIII, p. 217. 



2 Blair and Robertson, Vol. XLIII, p. 218. 



