The Cycle of Life 283 



whole cost of the gathering to the plaintiffs, and return the gifts. If 

 the charge is sustained, the relatives recover the price of the pig, and 

 retain the articles received in exchange for the baskets and dishes. 



Divorce is not uncommon, and is effected by a council similar to 

 that just described. An attempt to reconcile the couple is made, but 

 if that fails, the old men decide who is at fault, and assess the ex- 

 penses of the gathering to that one. If blame attaches to the husband, 

 he must complete any part of the marriage price still due; but if the 

 woman is guilty, her parents and relatives must return the gifts dis- 

 tributed at the time of the engagement. The chief causes for divorce 

 are cruelty or laziness on the part of the man, or unfaithfulness of 

 the woman. 



Small children are generally left with the mother, but when they 

 are old enough to decide, they may choose between their parents. 

 However, the father must aid in the support of his offspring, and 

 they share in his property when he dies. Either party to a divorce 

 may remarry at any time. 



The Tinguian recognize only one wife, but a man may have as 

 many concubines (pota), as he can secure. The pota lives in a house 

 of her own, but she is held somewhat in contempt by the other woman, 

 and is seldom seen in the social gatherings or in other homes. Her 

 children belong to the father, and she has no right of appeal to the 

 old men, except in cases of cruelty. Men with concubines do not suf- 

 fer in the estimation of their fellows, but are considered clever to 

 have won two or three women. 



The pota is generally faithful to one man, and prostitution is almost 

 unknown. Unfaithfulness on the part of a betrothed girl, or wife, 

 or even a pota is almost certain to cause serious trouble, and is likely 

 to end in a murder. 



The early pledging and marriage of the children has reduced illicit 

 sexual intercourse to a minimum ; nevertheless, it sometimes happens 

 that an unbetrothed girl, not a pota, is found to be pregnant. In such 

 a case the man is expected to make a gift of about one hundred pesos 

 to the girl's people, and he must support the child when finally it comes 

 into his keeping. Neither party to such an occurrence loses standing 

 in the community unless the father should fail to redeem the child. 

 Should this happen, he would be a subject of ridicule in the com- 

 munity, and a fine might also result. The usual outcome of such an 

 illicit union is that the girl becomes the pota of her child's father. 



Death and Burial. — Sickness and death are usually caused by 

 unfriendly spirits; 1 sometimes Kadaklan himself thus punishes those 



1 See Traditions of the Tinguian, this volume, No. 1, p. 172. The origin 

 of death is also given in the tales, ibid., p. 177. 



