V. THE CEREMONIES 



A visitor, who enters the Tinguian territory in the period following 

 the rice-harvest, quickly gains the impression that the ceremonial life 

 of this people is dominant. In nearly every village, he finds one or 

 more ceremonies in progress, while work is almost forgotten. This 

 condition exists until the coming of the rains in May, when all is 

 changed. Men and women go to the fields before daybreak, and return 

 only when darkness forces them to cease their toil. During the period 

 when the fields are in preparation, or the rice is growing, few cere- 

 monials are held, except those intended to promote the growth of 

 the crops, to cure sickness, or to ward off impending misfortune. 



Aside from the rites, which attend birth, marriage, and similar 

 events, the ceremonies may be placed in two divisions : first, those 

 which may be celebrated by all people; second, those restricted to 

 certain families. The first class we shall designate as the minor cere- 

 monies. 



i. The Minor Ceremonies 



Dawak (also called BonI and Alopag). — The name Dawak is ap- 

 plied to that part of important ceremonies in which the spirits enter 

 the bodies of the mediums. It is also given as a separate ceremony, 

 usually to cure sickness, but in some settlements it follows a birth. 



According to tradition, it was taught, together with the Sayang 

 ceremony, by the spirit Kabonlyan to a woman Dayapan ; and she, in 

 turn, taught it to others, who were then able to cure sickness. 



It is probable that the name comes from ddwat (a "request" or 

 "petition") ; yet there is little in it which corresponds to prayer or 

 entreaty. 



As there was considerable variation in each Dawak witnessed by 

 the writer, the complete ceremony is given for the village of Ba-ak, 

 together with striking variations from other towns. 



In this instance, the rite was held to effect the cure of a sick woman 

 and to learn the desires of the spirits. Two mediums, assisted by several 

 men and women, spent the first afternoon preparing the things to be 

 used. First, a short cane was fashioned out of black wood, rattan rings 

 were slipped over this, and all were placed inside a Chinese jar. A 

 dish of cooked rice was put over the top, as a cover, and a blanket 

 spread over the whole. This was brought close to the patient, the 



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