BENEDICT, BAGOBO CEREMONIAL, MAGIC AND MYTH 197 



ha!" — a harsh, mocking laugh, repeated several times in hoarse 

 tones. The laughter ceased, and the priestess struggled through a 

 hard coughing spell, after which was silence, while all the people 

 in the Long House waited eagerly for the announcement of the 

 next anito. 



Presently Singan uttered a low-voiced shout, and chanted in trem- 

 ulous tones, "Malaki t'Olu k'Waig." The Malaki said, addressing 

 Miyanda, "The woman that brings sickness lives in the center of 

 the earth, where there is a large, deep hole" Then Miyanda 

 replied to the Anito, "You, Malaki, must keep us all the time 

 from sickness." 



Soon after this, another anito spoke as follows : "I am the spirit 

 of the Sefiora, and I love (ginawa) the Bagobo." 



At this, the Malaki t'Olu k'Waig took up the same theme and 

 said, "Do not be afraid of that lady because of Jca lambungan (dif- 

 ference in rank), for she is kind to us and we are friends of hers." 



When the Malaki had left off speaking, another anito made him- 

 self heard. It was Abog, the big-bellied one who lives with his 

 many dogs on a little island, 314 and he said: "You have no pig 

 to eat, because when you hunted your dog did not hold and bite 

 the pig. Now give me some arrows, and I, in return, will help 

 you catch a pig; but if you do succeed in spearing a pig, do not 

 sell any of the meat to any people to carry home. 315 Do not let 

 them buy, unless they eat the pig-meat here in this house." 



Singan's voice was failing, for she had been under the strain 

 for some time and had grown very tired. Her chants were broken 

 by labored breathing, by grunts, "Hm! hm! hm!" and by ejacu- 

 lations that were almost moans. Almost incessantly now she had 

 to be stimulated by encouraging little interpolations from Miyanda. 

 The priestess struggled to bring out her words between coughing 

 and choking — "Ohiib! ohiib!" — a pause, a groan; at last, slowly 

 and faintly she enunciated the name "Malaki t'Olu k'Waig." Her 

 voice died away, and she sank into the sleep of sheer exhaustion. 



The second interview with the anito, in connection with the 

 preparation for the Grinum at Tallin, occurred on the night of 

 August 6. After the torches had been extinguished, the priestess 



314 The small island of Saraal, in the gulf of Davao, is Abog's reputed home. 

 818 In reference to a ceremonial tabu which permits nothing used in connection with 

 the Giuum to be carried out of the Long House until the close of the celebration. 



