The Cycle of Life 293 



group; and the succeeding ceremonies are necessary to its full par- 

 ticipation in life. Death is likewise of long duration. Following the 

 last breath, the spirit remains near by until the magic power of the 

 funeral severs, to an extent, his participation with society. The pur- 

 pose of the final ceremony is to complete the rupture between the living 

 and the dead. 



To the writer, the facts of Tinguian life and beliefs suggest a some- 

 what different explanation. We have seen how strong individuals may 

 be affected by magical practices. The close connection between an in- 

 dividual, his garments, or even his name, must be considered to apply 

 with quite as much force to the helpless infant and the afterbirth. 

 So strong is this bond, that even unintentional acts may injure the 

 babe. Evil spirits are always near; and, unless great precautions are 

 taken, they will injure adults if they can get them at a disadvantage, 

 particularly when they are asleep. The child is not able to protect 

 itself from these beings; therefore the adults perform such acts, as 

 they think will secure the good will and help of friendly spirits, while 

 they bribe or buy up those who might otherwise be hostile ; and lastly 

 they make use of such magical objects and ceremonies, as will compel 

 the evil spirits to leave the infant alone. As the child grows in size and 

 strength, he is less in need of protection ; and at an early age he is 

 treated like the other younger members of the community. Naming 

 follows almost immediately after birth, while puberty and initiation 

 ceremonies are entirely lacking. Apparently then, a child is considered 

 as being fully alive at birth, and at no time does he undergo any rites 

 or ceremonies which make him more a part of the community than he 

 was on the first day he saw the light. 



When death occurs, the spirit remains near to the corpse until after 

 the funeral, and even then is close by until the ten days of taboo are 

 over. He still finds need of nourishment, and hence food is placed 

 near to his mat. As at birth, he is not in a position to protect his body 

 from the designs of evil spirits, and if his relatives fail to give the 

 corpse proper care, it is certain to be mutilated; likewise certain acts 

 of the living towards the corpse can affect the position of the spirit 

 in Maglawa. Hence it is of supreme importance that the former owner 

 guards against any possible neglect or injury to the body, and it seems 

 plausible that the presence of the spirit near its old haunts may be for 

 the purpose of seeing that its body is carefully attended to. The folk- 

 tales tell of several instances, in which the spirits took vengeance on 

 relatives who neglected their bodies, or violated the period of taboo. 1 



1 See Traditions of the Tinguian, this volume, No. 1, pp. 180-182. 



