Ritualistic and Explanatory Myths 175 



38 1 



The Ipogau are digging where they make stand the poles of their 

 houses. "You go to give the sign," said the master of the sign to the 

 sikEt. 2 SikEt went. "Why do we have a bad sign? We remove the 

 poles," said the Ipogau, and they removed that there might be no 

 bad sign. The deer went to call when they were digging where they 

 removed those poles which they made stand. "We remove again the 

 poles," said the Ipogau, and they removed again. When they were 

 digging, where they made to stand those poles which they removed, 

 the wild pig went to grunt. They removed again the poles which make 

 the house. 



As before, the snake went to climb the pole with which they made 

 the house, and they removed again. When they were digging again 

 where they made the poles stand with which they made the house, the 

 labEg 3 skimmed over, and as they had a bad sign the Ipogau moved 

 again the poles with which they made the house. "Koling," and 

 "Koling" and again "Koling" (the bird cried); they removed again the 

 log which they made stand, with which they made the house. The 

 salaksdk clucked, who flew where they dug, where they made those 

 poles stand, with which they made the house. 



Since they have the bad sign again, they say to the others — those 

 who make the poles stand — "We are very tired always to dig and 

 dig, and to make stand and make stand those poles, we go ahead to 

 make the house," and they placed their lumber and they went — one 

 family of the Ipogau. Then they finished what they built, their 

 house. There was nothing good for them, and there was nothing 

 which was not their sickness (i.e., they had all manner of sickness). 



"My wife," said Kabonlyan, "give me the coconut oil, that I oil 

 my spear, for I go to see those Ipogau who are sick." When those 

 Ipogau who were sick were in their house, his spear fell in their house. 

 "What is the matter with you, Ipogau?" said Kabonlyan. "What is 

 the matter with you, you say, and there is nothing which we do not 

 do for our sickness, and we are never cured," said those Ipogau. And 

 Kabonlyan answered, "How can you become cured of your sickness 

 when you have a bad sign for that which you made — your house? 

 The reason of your sickness is because you do not make Sangdsang." 

 The good way (is) you find a rooster, and that you command the 

 one who knows how to make dlam of the Sangdsang to make Sangdsang. 



1 Chanted when the ceremony is made to remove a bad sign. 



2 An omen bird. 



* The true omen bird. 



