60 Traditions of the Tinguian 



to take Aponlbolinayen to Adasin," said Aponibalagen. Soon it became 

 morning and they all went to Adasin and Gimbagonan carried two big 

 baskets of cakes, and while they were walking she ate all the time and 

 she ate half of them. When they arrived at the spring of Gawigawen of 

 Adasin, they were surprised, for it was very beautiful and its sands were 

 of beads, and the grass they used to clean pots with was also beads and 

 the place where the jars sat was a big dish. 1 



Go and tell Gawigawen that he must come here and bring an old man, 

 for I am going to take his head and make a spring for Aponlbolinayen," 

 said Aponibalagen. So someone went and told Gawigawen to bring the 

 old man TaOdan with him to the spring. So Aponibalagen cut off his 

 head and he made a spring and the water from it bubbled up and the 

 body became a big tree called Alanglgan 2 which used to shade Aponl- 

 bolinayen when she went to the spring to dip water, and the blood of the 

 old man was changed to valuable beads. Not long after they went up 

 to the town and the place where they walked — from the spring to the 

 ladder of the house — was all big plates. Gimbagonan sat below the 

 house ladder, because they were afraid the house could not hold her, for 

 she was a big woman, and she hated them and she said to Iwaginan, 

 "Why do you put me here?" "We put you there because we are afraid 

 that you will break the house and give a bad sign to the boy and girl 

 who are to be married." 3 



Aponlbolinayen covered her face all of the time and she sat 

 down in the middle of the house, for Indiapan said that she must not 

 uncover her face for her husband Gawigawen had three noses, and 

 she was afraid to look at him. 4 But Gawigawen was a handsome 

 man. Aponlbolinayen believed what Indiapan had told her. Not 

 long after Dinawagan spread the string of agate beads along the floor 

 where Aponlbolinayen sat. 6 After a month they were still there and the 

 people from the other towns wished to go home, and Aponibalagen said 

 to Aponlbolinayen, "Ala, be good to your husband and uncover your 

 face. We are going back home now." But Aponlbolinayen would not 

 uncover her face. Not long after all the people went back to their towns 

 and Aponlbolinayen's mother-in-law commanded her to go and cook. 

 She did not uncover her face, but always felt when she went about, and 

 when she had cooked, she refused to eat, but Gawigawen and his father 



1 Similiar ideas appear in tales from Borneo. See p. 15, note I. 



* Ilangilang. 



* It is still considered a bad sign if anything falls or breaks at a wedding. 



4 Apparently Gawigawen had not been present at the pakdlon. Such a condition 

 frequently exists nowadays. 

 8 See pp. 12, 128. 



