440 The Tinguian 



and often so many of the younger people wish to take part that double 

 lines, or two or more groups, may be dancing at the same time. It 

 sometimes happens, when the basi has been flowing freely, that the 

 participants become so boisterous and the pace so fast that spectators 

 are run down or the dancers are piled in a heap, from which they 

 emerge laughing and shouting. 



The common dance, the tadek, is a part of nearly all gatherings 

 of a social and religious nature. The music for this dance usually is 

 made with three gansas 1 and a drum. The gansas are pressed against 

 the thighs of the players who kneel on the ground. Two of the cop- 

 pers are beaten with a stick and the palm of the hand, while the third 

 is played by the hands alone (Plate LXXXI, Fig. 2). The stick or left 

 hand gives the initial beat which is followed by three rapid strokes with 

 the right palm. A man and a woman enter the circle, each holding a 

 cloth about the size of a skirt. The man extends his cloth toward the 

 woman, and bringing it suddenly down, causes it to snap, which is the 

 signal to begin. With almost imperceptible movement of the feet and 

 toes and a bending at the knees, he approaches the woman, who in a like 

 manner goes toward him. They pass and continue until at a distance 

 about equal to the start, when they again turn and pass. Occasionally 

 the man will take a few rapid steps toward the woman, with exag- 

 gerated high knee action and much stamping of feet, or he will dance 

 backward a few steps. At times the cloth is held at arm's length in 

 front or at the side; again it is wrapped about the waist, the woman 

 always following the actions of the man. At last they meet ; the man 

 extends his hand, the woman does likewise, but instead of taking his, 

 she moves her own in a circle about his, avoiding contact. Again they 

 dance away, only returning to repeat the performance. Finally she 

 accepts the proffered hand, the headman brings basi for the couple 

 to drink, and the dance is over. The man sometimes ends the dance 

 by the sharp snapping of his cloth, or by putting it on his extended 

 arms and dancing toward the woman, who places her cloth upon 

 his (Plate LXXXI, Fig. 1). 



Musical Instruments, Songs, and Dances. — The Tinguian is nat- 

 urally musical. He sings at his work, he beats time with his head-axe 

 against his shield as he tramps the mountain trails, he chants the stories 

 of long ago as the workers gather about the fires each evening of the 

 dry season, he sings the praises of his host at feasts and festivals, 2 



1 Shallow copper gongs. 



* Reyes says that this song, dalcng, is similar to the dallot of the Ilocano 

 (Articulos varios, p. 32). 



