BENEDICT, BAGOBO CEBEMONIAL, MAGIC AND MYTH 207 



or nine times, but unlucky if wound once, or three, or five times, 

 or any odd number. 



A tenuous and wiry legband called tikus, made by twisting the 

 split sheath of certain plants round the stems of certain other plants, 

 is worn by Bagobo men and women just below the knee. The 

 effect is highly decorative, and a man will wear two or three 

 hundred in a cluster, but a single tikus suffices as an amulet against 

 the bite of poisonous vipers. In selling a set of these legbands, a 

 Bagobo is pretty sure to keep one for himself as medicine. 337 



A strip of rattan decorated in patterns by a process of over-lacing 

 with hemp before dyeing, forms a neck-band that is a charm against 

 the sting of centipedes. This type of neck-band is worn more than 

 almost any other, as it is also a magical defense against the attacks 

 of Buso. 



One's home may be safe-guarded from the demons if one walks 

 around the house — presumably in dextral circuit — while holding 

 in the hand a red pepper and a piece of lemon, for both of these 

 fruits are believed to frighten any buso. 



As has been stated in an earlier chapter, a rice-altar is put in 

 the field at the time of sowing, and there is placed round the altar 

 a little eight-wicketed fence of split bamboo. The fence is alat, 

 and it forms a magical protection for the young rice so that no 

 harm can come to the growing plants. In addition, this charmed 

 circle keeps the family owning the field from being sick. 



A charm on the principle of a barbed wire fence is the digo, a 

 shallow, squarish basket that is used as a rice-winnower. If a 

 woman is tossing rice up and down for the wind to blow off the 

 chaff, and she has reason to think that a buso is approaching, she 



337 "Dass auch bei den Senoi, neben der Hiifte, der Hals und die Arm- und Fussge- 

 lenke als Schmucktrager verwendet werderi, versteht sich wohl von selbst. Bei den Natur- 

 stammen spielt auch hier das schon erwahnte 'akar batu' die wichtigste Itolle, iudem es 

 teils einfach urn Hals und Gelenke gewundeu wird, oder indein eiuige Mycelien zu einem 

 etwas kunstvolleren Schmuck miteinander verflochten werden. . . Die einfachen Arm- und 

 Beinbander haben, so viel ich erfahren konnte, meist eine heilkraftige oder prophylak- 

 tische Bedeutung, oder ihr Trager hofft dadurch seine Muskeln zu kriiftigen. Selten, und, 

 wie es scheint, nur bei den nordlicben Stiimmen, finden sich an solchen Bandern auch 

 Blatter, Baststreifen, Graser oder WurzelD angckniipft, von denen man wohl ebent'alls 

 eine Heilwirkung erwartet." Martin: op. cit. p. 698 — 699. 1905. 



"Allgemein verbreitet sind ferner Amulete in Form von Hals-, Arm-, und Beinbiin- 

 dern, teils einfache Akar batu-Schniire, teils mit Knochelchen, Zahnen und Haaren ver- 

 schiedener Tiere behangene oder aus Krauterbundeln bestehende Ketten, die besouderen 

 magischen Zwecken dienen." Ibid, p. 954. 



