BAGOBOS OF DAVAO GULF. 133 



The term diwata is applied to a powerful class of spirits who live near 

 to and serve the great spirit. Toglai and Toglibon have already been 

 mentioned as the first man and woman. Since their death they have 

 assumed important places in the spirit world. All marriages and births 

 are caused by them, and they also keep close watch over the lives of men. 

 The tigyama are a class of spirits, one of whom watches over each family. 

 \Mien children of two families marry their tigyama merge into one, who 

 assmnes guardianship of the pair. Taragomi owns all articles of food 

 and is guardian of the fields and crops. A shrine is built for him in the 

 center of the field, and after the rice is gathered a great ceremony is 

 made to thank him for the successful harvest. The buso are low, mean 

 spirits who eat dead people and have some power to injure the living. 

 They are sometimes identified with the spirits of the dead. All these 

 and many more are addressed by the priestesses or "doctors." 



The "doctor" is known as mabalian and is genej-ally a woman past 

 middle life — a woman of influence and a skilled weaver — who has been 

 warned by the spirits to become mabalian. It may be that a friendly 

 spirit has imparted a new remedy to her, and to this knowledge she adds 

 all that the older priestesses can teach her of the art of healing the sick, 

 of the duties of a midwife, and the manner of conducting ceremonies and 

 offerings for the higher beings. 



The weavers of hemp cloth are under the special patronage of the 

 spirit Baipandi, who taught the women the intricate method of overtying 

 .the warp so that portions of the thread do not receive the dye. She 

 also taught the designs which are woven into the fabrics, and the art 

 of embroidery and bead work. Particular spirits are also the patrons of 

 the iron and brass workers. 



Two very powerful spirits are still to be mentioned. These are Man- 

 darangan and his wife Darago. They are the guardians of the warriors 

 and can be addressed only by the magani. The name magani is a term 

 applied to a man when he has killed two or more persons. He is then 

 entitled to wear a peculiar, chocolate-colored head covering with white 

 patterns in it. After his score has reached six he is permitted to wear 

 a blood-red suit and carry a bag of the same color. His dress does not 

 change as the number of his victims increases, but his influence grows 

 with each life put to his credit. A man who kills an unfaithful wife 

 and her admirer may count the two on his score ; he may also count those 

 of his townspeople whom he has killed in fair fight, but unprovoked 

 murder will be punished l)y death. He may go to an unfriendly town 

 and kill without fear of censure from his own people, and the fact that 

 he generally attacks from ambush or at night does not detract from 

 the honor due him for the deed. The magani is one of the chiefs in a 

 war party; he is also chosen to inflict the death penalty when it is 

 decreed, and it is usually men of this class who assist in the human 

 sacrifices. 



