September, 1913. Wild Tribes of Davao District — Cole. 197 



i 

 We have already learned that the crocodile is held in great regard 

 and in some sections there is evidence of its more or less sacred char- 

 acter. Its importance in the minds of the people is well shown by the 

 frequency with which it appears in their decorative designs. Fig. 55 A 

 shows one of these animals which has just eaten a man. Both 

 figures are so realistic that the intention of the weaver is apparent. 

 In B, D, E, and F, the animal is still realistic, but the man disappears, 

 and in his place is a formless object or straight lines which are identified 

 as "something eaten." 



The pattern G is given as the next step in the conventionalization. 

 Here the legs, feet, and "something eaten" have assumed undue pro- 

 portions, while nearly every trace of likeness has vanished. This 



FIG. 56. 

 Crocodile design. 



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'% 



dsmSsm 



FIG. 57. 

 DESIGN USED IN WEAVING. 



figure is multiplied five times to obtain the highly conventionalized form 

 shown in H. 



By referring to G it is possible to see how the complicated designs 

 in I and / have been derived, although they bear little resemblance 

 to the original crocodile form. 



Fig. 56 was identified as a crocodile but was not regarded as a step 

 in the conventionalization shown. Many other figures such as 57 

 appear so closely related to the designs just described that it seems 

 certain they must have had a common origin, yet this was denied by 

 all the weavers, who insisted that such decorations were added only 

 to make the garments pretty. 



