92 The Philippine Journal of Science isis 



Let us now turn to the highest type of Philippine beliefs; 



THE WELL-DEVELOPED POLYTHEISTIC RELIGIONS OF NORTHERN 



LUZON 



I shall mention chiefly the Igorot, Bontok, and Ifugao peoples, 

 as these three, in addition to holding the highest order of beliefs, 

 are the best developed in general material and social culture 

 of any of the Philippine mountain tribes. The Tinggian, Ka- 

 linga, and other tribes in that region also have religions of high 

 type, but our information concerning them is more limited.^" 



The literature relating to the Igorot-Bontok-Ifugao group is 

 very considerable in extent, and I shall refer only to a few of 

 the more important papers dealing particularly with religion 

 and mythology. 



Before taking up the mythology proper, we should have somp 

 idea of the religion as a whole. These peoples believe that the 

 regions of the sky world, earth world, and underworld are~ 

 peopled by an almost incalculable number of deities of vary- 

 ing character and powers. Some of these deities are the great 

 beings who inspire the phenomena of nature, while others are 

 guardian spirits, messenger spirits, or mischievous tricksters. 

 The great nature deities are mostly of malevolent character, and 

 are much feared. Ancestral souls and the souls of sacred ani- 

 mals are looked upon as mediators between gods and men. Pigs 

 and chickens are sacrificed to the deities, and other articles of 

 food and drink are provided for them. Many elaborate religious 

 feasts and ceremonies are held at which priests officiate. The 

 priests form a well-defined class, and in some districts there 

 are also priestesses. A religious ceremony is required for every 

 important act of life, and the priests and priestesses are usually 

 busy people. 



It would seem that a religion of this same general type was 

 also common among the lowland peoples of the Philippines 

 before they were Christianized by the Spaniards. Pigafetta, the 

 first European to write of the Philippines, describes a cere- 

 mony, which he saw performed in Cebu in the year 1520, as 

 follows: 21 



" The TiiTggians, or Itnegs, should be excepted, as there are important 

 and accurate accounts of these people by Gironiere, Reyes, Worcester, Cole, 

 and others. 



" According to the translation by James A. Robertson in Blair and 

 Robertson, The Philippine Islands (1906), 33, 167-171. 



