September, 1913. Wild Tribes of Davao District — Cole. 177 



fall in the roots of the tree. Meanwhile one of the older men calls 

 the attention of the spirits to the offerings and begs that they be accepted 

 in payment for the dwelling which they are about to destroy. This 

 food is never eaten, as is customary with offerings made to other spirits. 

 After a lapse of two or three days it is thought that the occupant of 

 the tree has had time to move and the plot is cleared. 



In former times it was the custom for a victorious war party to place 

 the corpses of their dead, together with their weapons, at the roots of 

 a balitl tree. The reason for this custom stems now to be lost. 



3. Busau. Among the Mandaya at the north end of Davao Gulf 

 this spirit is also known as Tuglinsau, Tagbusau, or Mandangum. He 

 looks after the welfare of the bagani, or warriors, and is in many respects 

 similar to Mandarangan of the Bagobo. 1 He is described as a gigantic 

 man who always shows his teeth and is otherwise of ferocious aspect. 

 A warrior seeing him is at once filled with a desire to kill. By making 

 occasional offerings of pigs and rice it is usually possible to keep him 

 from doing injury to a settlement, but at times these gifts fail of their 

 purpose and many people are slain by those who serve him. 



4. Omayan, or kalaloa nang omay, is the spirit of the rice. He 

 resides in the rice fields, and there offerings are made to him before the 

 time of planting and reaping. 



5. MuntIanak is the spirit of a child whose mother died while preg- 

 nant, and who for this reason was born in the ground. It wanders 

 through the forest frightening people but seldom assailing them. 2 



6. Magbabaya. Some informants stated that this is the name 

 given to the first man and woman, who emerged from the limokon 

 eggs. They are now true spirits who exercise considerable influence 

 over worldly affairs. Other informants, including two ballyan denied 

 any knowledge of such spirits, while still others said magbabaya is a 

 single spirit who was made known to them at the time of the Tiii 

 movement. -5 Among the Bukidnon who inhabit the central portion 

 of the island the magbabaya are the most powerful of all spirits. 



7. Kalalfa Each person has one spirit which is known by this 

 name. If this kalalda leaves the body it decays, but the spirit goes to 

 Dagkotanan— "a good place, probably in the sky." Such a spirit 

 can return to its former haunts for a time and may aid or injure the 

 living, but it never returns to dwell in anv other form. 



*»> 



1 p. 106. 



2 The belief in a similar spirit known as Mantianak is widespread throughout the 

 southern Philippines. 



3 P- 179- 



