BENEDICT, BAGOBO CEREMONIAL, MAGIC AND MYTH 179 



each class of garments that she was presenting- to the gods: pana- 

 pisan (skirts), ampit (cotton textiles), sinalapid (wide necklaces), 

 pankis (brass bracelets), and when dedicating the first fruits of the 

 products of the field she turned slightly in the direction of the 

 plate, or bowl, or leaf-dish that she was offering. At a certain 

 point in the service, Yting handed to her a plain, undecorated lime- 

 tube, and she went through with the motions of sprinkling lime 

 over the betel, although no lime came out, because it had become 

 dried in the tube. For a few minutes during the invocation, Hebe, 

 having stepped to the altar, stood directly back of Odal. As she 

 went forward, she told me in a low tone, on passing, that her 

 own dios were now being called upon. When Odal had finished, 

 Datu Yting offered a brief prayer. 



Then followed the binang; that is, the partaking of the now 

 sacred fruits of the field by individuals in the following order: 

 Datu Yting, Soleng (the elder wife), the priestess Odal, Sumi, Hebe 

 (the younger wife), Brioso (Yting's eldest son), Hebe's sister, then 

 Ikde, Modesto's mother and several other old women, then the 

 younger women and the men. Each individual took a very little 

 rice with his fingers from some one dish and put the rice into his 

 mouth. A few took from several dishes, apparently in a fixed order. 

 Yting began with the third row of large plates, then passed on to 

 the first row of saucers, and finally returned to the plates. Soleng 

 took a portion from the third saucer, in which Odal had stuck the 

 needles and the little knives. The six large plates of rice, garnished 

 with fish, eggs, etc., were handed entire to the guests of rank. 

 The ceremony closed when all of the food had been eaten. 2S4 



In the evening, there was the usual gathering at Yting's house 

 for the consultatation of the manganito spirits. 



281 A letter written by Father Gisbert, and dated January 4, ]886, briefly charac- 

 terizes the harvest festival among the Bagobo. "They have two feasts annually: one 

 before the sowing of rice, and the other after its harvest. This last is of an innocent 

 enough character, and is called the feast of women. At that feast all the people gather 

 at the house of their chief or the master of the feast, at the decline of the afternoon. 

 That day they feast like nobles, and drink until it is finished the sugar-cane wine which 

 has been prepared for that purpose. There is music, singing, and dancing almost all 

 the night, and the party breaks up at dawn of the following day." Blair and Ro- 

 bertson: op. eit., vol. 43, pp. 233—234. 1906. 



For a description of the elaborate reaping ceremonies practised by the Malavs of 

 Selangor, see Skeat, op. cit., pp. 235 — 239. 



