3 o Traditions of the Tinguian 



to those held in distant islands, or even in Europe, but, as just noted, 

 these are now undergoing change. Doubtless a similar inflow had been 

 taking place, although at a slower rate, long before the Spaniards reached 

 the Islands, and Tinguian mythology has grown up as the result of blend- 

 ing of native tales with those of other areas, the whole being worked 

 over and reshaped until it fitted the social setting. 



Previous writers — among them Ratzel and Graebner 1 — have 

 sought to account for certain resemblances in culture, between Malaysia, 

 Polynesia, and America, by historical connection. A part of our mate- 

 rial — such as that of the blood-clot child (p. 125), 2 the rape of the maid- 

 en by the vine which carries her to the sky (p. 33) , 2 the magic flight 

 (p. 75), 2 and magic growth (p. 38) 3 — may seem to lend support to 

 such a theory. These similarities are assuredly suggestive and interest- 

 ing, but it appears to the writer that the material is too scanty and the 

 folklore of intervening lands too little known to justify us in considering 

 them as convincing proof of borrowing over such immense distances. 4 



GENERAL RESULTS 

 Our study has brought out certain general results. We have seen 

 that Tinguian folklore has much in common with that of other tribes 

 and lands. While a part of this similarity is doubtless due to borrowing 

 — a process which can still be seen at work — a considerable portion of 

 the tales is probably of local and fairly recent origin, while the balance 

 appears to be very old. These older tales are so intimately interwoven 

 with the ceremonies, beliefs, and culture of this people that they may 

 safely be considered as having been developed by them. They are 

 doubtless much influenced by present day conditions, for each story teller 

 must, even unconsciously, read into them some of his own experiences 

 and the current beliefs of the tribe. At the same time these traditional 

 accounts doubtless exercise a potent influence on the thoughts, beliefs, 

 and actions of the people. In Tinguian society, where custom still 



1 Ratzel, History of Mankind, Vol. I, Book II. Graebner, Methode der 

 Ethnologie, Heidelberg, 191 1; Die melanesische Bogenkultur und lhre Verwandten 

 (Anthropos, Vol. IV, pp. 726, 998, 1909). 



2 See Waterman, Journal American Folklore, Vol. XXVII, 1914. PP- 45-46- 



■ Stories of magic growth are frequently found in North America. See Kroeber, 

 Gross Ventre Myths and Tales (Anthropological Papers of the Am. Mus of Nat. Htst., 

 Vol. I, p. 82); also Lowie, The Assiniboin {ibid., Vol. IV, Pt. 1, p. 136). 



« Other examples of equally widespread tales are noted by Boas, Indianische 

 Sagen, p. 852, (Berlin, 1895) ; L. Roth, Custom and Myth, pp. 87 ff ., (New York, 1885) ; 

 and others. A discussion of the spread of similar material will be found m Graebner, 

 Methode der Ethnologie, p. 115; Ehrenreich, Mythen und Legenden der sudamen- 

 kanischen Urvolker, pp. 77 ff.; Ehrenreich, Die allgememe Mythologie und ihre 

 ethnologischen Grundlagen, p. 270. 



