BENEDICT, BAGOBO CEREMONIAL, MAGIC AND MYTH 69 



and buds of the kinarum. She dyed thread in many colors and 

 stitched rich embroideries, piercing the holes with a point of brass 

 wire. The Tuglay began to cast small bells from moulds of bees- 

 wax and to stamp fine patterns in brass and to make kamagi 

 neck-bands from the most delicate of gold scales. The knowledge 

 of these arts seems to have spread slowly, for Bagobo romances 

 indicate that, while on one mountain-top the tuglay wore bark gar- 

 ments and knew nothing of hemp-culture, on another neighboring- 

 mountain there were mona who had the finest of textiles and the 

 richest of ornaments. 134 



Be that as it may, a golden age was dawning for those pre- 

 historic Bagobo. The tuglay and the tuglibung, the malaki and 

 the bia, lived in houses of gold with pillars of ivory and doors of 

 mirrored glass. On the eaves hung linked brass chains; ,35 the 

 rattan bindings of the floor sent out flashes of forked lightning 

 that played perpetually throughout the house. Beside their homes, 

 were mountain lakes whose waves were pure white. All around, 

 grew fragrant plants with flowers of gold, and the leaves on the 

 trees were hung with little bells. Textiles of gold covered the 

 meadows like layers of dry leaves, and the blades of grass were 

 points of rare embroidery (tambayang). 130 Cocoanuts and areca- 

 nuts grew in clusters at the height of a man's waist, so that one 

 had not the labor of climbing for them. In those days, many 

 individuals had magic power, and of many a malaki it is sung 

 that he was tnatolus. ,3T When the tuglay lacked anything, he 

 had only to wish for it, and at once the wish was accomplished. 1 ^ 

 If he wanted a tall behuka 13 ° to grow in a certain place, it was 

 there. At the summons of the bia, there came, on the instant, a 

 wealth of ivory and gold and fine garments. uo The invincible 



,3U Cf. ibid., pp. 35—36. 



135 Cf. ibid., p. 27. 



136 See p. 74. 



1 3 7 See p. 26, footnote. 



138 In the sagas of India, there are countless episodes where individuals or things 

 appear magically, as soon as wished for. "He when thought of readily came to the 

 minister." Somadeva: Katha Sarit Sagara; tr. by C. H. Tawney, vol 1, p 282. 1S80. 

 "And when called to mind they came." Ibid., vol. 1, p. 421. "The hermit came when 

 thought of." Ibid., vol. 1, p. 436. For similar Bagobo episodes, see Jour. Am. Folk- 

 lore, vol. 26, pp. 32—33, 35, 36. 1913. 



1 3 9 The Visayan word for several species of rattan. 



l *° Of. Jour." Am. Folk-lore, vol. 26, p. 36. 1913. 



