BENEDICT, BAGOBO CEREMONIAL, MAGIC AND MYTH 217 



laid on the timbers of the roof, and kept there for a set length 

 of time during the process of building. 



Charms hewing Inherent Virtue 



In the forms of magic thus far considered, associations are set 

 up that' act as stimuli or as inhibitions to the individual that the 

 chiirm is meant to influence. In most cases, there is a more or 

 less conscious play of attention on the part of the subject of the 

 charm, in response to the suggestions put forth. 



In the class of charms now to be discussed, the value lies in 

 some hidden virtue, some mysterious efficacy, by which the desired 

 result is produced directly, without any act of associative memory 

 on the part of the subject of the medicine or of the witchcraft. 

 Indeed, the person is ordinarily unconscious of being worked upon 

 until he begins to feel sick, and then he may not know who or 

 what has caused the trouble. On the other hand, the charm may 

 serve a beneficial end, and may bring about a valued result by its 

 own force, there being here, too, no need of calling out a train 

 of associations in the mind of the person who is undergoing the 

 magical influence. 



In this connection, it should be noted that there are a few ani- 

 mals which are thought to have mysterious qualities, such as the 

 flying lemur, the monkey, the crow, 348 and to certain parts of their 

 bodies a curative power or a magical virtue is assigned — the 

 liver and the foot of the crow, the hair of the flying lemur. The 

 armature of crabs, of tortoises, of lobsters appears in various mag- 

 ical associations. Monkeys (lutung) are regarded with wonder and 

 with a vague feeling of unrest that finds expression in little sym- 

 bolic acts or motions. Such expression was called forth one day 

 after a number of Bagobo men had been watching, with eager, 

 delighted faces, the antics of my pasteboard monkey climbing a string. 

 They were turning to go, when one man, almost as an afterthought, 



3 * 8 The crow was a sacred bird with the Tagal and with some other Filipino tribes. 

 Cf. Blair and Robertson, vol. 12, pp. 265 — 266. 1904. While it might be going too 

 far to say that the Bagobo hold this bird as sacred, yet it is clearly regarded as pos- 

 sessing a peculiar magical value. The crow figures in mythical associations; Cf. Jour. 

 Am. Folk-Lore, vol. 26, p. 62. 1913. The crow's liver, beak and foot are used as 

 charms or as medicine. Handles of guitars are roughly carved in imitation of a crow's head. 



