BENEDICT, BAGOBO CEREMONIAL, MAGIC AND MYTH 21 



healer, and to his home are carried all the diseases which the 

 Bagobo, by magic rites, have coaxed into leaf-dishes or into little 

 manikins. Here, at the mythical spring, the Malaki destroys all 

 sickness that is sent to him. He winds one end of a string, or 

 fibre, around the neck of each disease, ties the other end to some 

 post or tree, and quickly strangles the disease. The Malaki t'Olu 

 k'Waig is believed to know the whole world; he never sleeps; 

 he answers prayer wherever offered. The range of his influence 

 is now generously extended to include even recently-known foreign- 

 ers, for I was] told that if I, while praying in the United States, 

 should ask anything of the Malaki, he would give me an answer. 

 In ceremonies 42 on the mountains, this god is invoked again and 

 again — indeed, there is no other divine person who is so often 

 appealed to for help, who is so frequently mentioned in song and 

 story, or who is so affectionately regarded by all of the Bagobo. 



There is also a family of gods — a male deity, his wife, and 

 two children — known as Olu k'Waig, and associated with the 

 mountain streams. All of them are said to be extremely small in size, 

 but otherwise they are not definitely described, although it is 

 currently reported that Datu Yting once caught sight of them on 

 the mountain trails. In spite of the identity in name, they do not 

 appear to be traditionally associated with the Malaki t'Olu k'Waig. 



There is said to be "a Bagobo god who lives everywhere" and 

 is called Tambara. This is the name given to the bamboo prayer- 

 stand found in many Bagobo houses, yet I have heard but a single 

 mention of a divine personality called by the same name. While 

 possibly this extremely common type of altar was once associated 

 primarily with the worship of the god Tambara, it is certain that 

 its use is not now so limited, for tambara are set up in honor 

 of many different spirits. 



A supernatural protector to whom at least one ceremonial chant 

 is addressed is Duma-Tango, who is otherwise called, tt the god 

 who keeps the people," and a shrine is sometimes set up in the 

 festival house for this divinity. The word duma is variously used 

 to mean companion, wife, or husband, and it is possible that Duma- 

 Tango will eventually be found to be related to one of the 

 other Bagobo deities, for we have to bear in mind, continually, 

 the Malay fondness for paraphrase and for indirect allusions. 



* 2 See Part II. 



