viii, D, 2 Beyer: Myths Among Mountain Peoples 113 



traveled about all the day and returned to the house at night to sleep. 

 He did this for three days, and then as he was coming back on the 

 third evening he said to himself that there were no other people in the 

 world but themselves, and if the world was to be repopulated it must 

 be through them. * * * At last Biigan realized that she was pregnant. 

 She burst into violent weeping, and, heaping reproaches on his head, ran 

 blindly away toward the East, following the course of the river. After 

 traveling a long way, and being overcome with grief and fatigue, Bugan 

 sank down upon the bank of the river and lay there trembling and sobbing." 

 After having quieted herself somewhat, she arose and looked around her, 

 and what was her surprise to see sitting on a rock near her an old man 

 with a long white beard! He approached her and said: "Do not be afraid, 

 daughter! I am Maknongan, and I am aware of your trouble, and I have 

 come to tell you that it is all right!" While he was speaking, Wigan, who 

 had followed his sister, appeared on the scene. Then Maknongan placed 

 the sanction and blessing of the gods upon their marriage, assuring them 

 that they had done right, and that through them the world must be 

 repeopled. He told them to return to their house, and whenever they were 

 in trouble to offer sacrifices to the gods. After Biigan had become con- 

 vinced in this manner, they left Maknongan and returned home. 



In the course of time nine children were born to Wigan and Bugan, 

 five sons and four daughters. The four oldest sons married the four 

 daughters, and from them are descended all of the people of the Earth 

 World. The youngest son, who was named Igon, had no wife." 



IV 



The sacrifice of Igon. — One year the crops failed, there was much 

 sickness, and everything went wrong. Then Wigan remembered the advice 

 of Maknoiigan, and he told his sons to procure an animal for the sacrifice. 

 They caught a rat and sacrificed it, but the evil conditions were not 

 remedied. Then they went out into the forest and captured a large snake 

 and sacrificed it to the gods, but the disease and crop failure still con- 

 tinued. Then Wigan said: "The sacrifice is not great enough, for the 

 gods do not hear! Take your brother Igon, who has no wife, and sacrifice 

 him!" So they bound Igon, and sacrificed him, and called upon the gods. 

 And Maknoiigan came, and all the other great gods, to the feast. And 

 they took away the sickness, and filled the granaries with rice, and in- 

 creased the chickens, the pigs, and the children. Then Maknoiigan said 

 to the people: "It is well, but you have committed an evil in spilling 

 human blood and have thereby brought war and fighting into the world. 

 Now you must separate to the north, south, east, and west, and not live 

 together any more. And when ye have need to sacrifice to the gods, do 

 not offer rats, snakes, or your children, but take pigs and chickens only." 



And one of the sons of Wigan went to the north, and one to the south, 

 and one to the east, and one to the west; and from them are descended 

 the peoples of the Earth World, who fight and kill one another to this 

 day because of the sacrifice of Igon. 



"Incest is looked upon by the Ifugaos with horror, and is held to be 

 one of the gravest of crimes. 



^ The number and names of the children of Wigan and Bugan are 

 variable in the different Ifugao clans. 



L. 



