256 VILI-AVEUUE. 



WHY THE ItLGAOS TAKE THE HEADS OF THEIK ENEMIES. 



When 1 was seeking to ascertain the reason for Jiead-talving, the 

 following was related to me hv one of the aged inhabitants of Banaiie. 

 The tale is told throughout the Ifugao district of Xueva Vizcaya; also 

 in Bontoc Province, except that different settlements almost all disagree 

 as regards places and the duration of the t^ood. 



"A long time ago all the country round about was level and had no 

 woods growing on it, with the exception of two mountains; one in the 

 north called "Ainuijao," and one in the southwest called "Alauitan." 



"The people grew a small quantity of rice and caught fish in the river. 

 They also hunted deer and wild hogs among the tall cogon grass on the 

 hanks of the ri\'er. 



"One chupa of rice at that time was equal to two gmilas at the present 

 time, for a tablespoonful of rice after being cooked made a good meal for 

 one person. 



"Once when the wet season should have come it did not. and a dry 

 season followed a dry season. 



"The rice would not grow but burned up, and the cogon grass ijurned 

 up; then the river began to get smaller and smaller until at last it sank 

 out of sight in the ground. Then the people began to die and the Apos 

 said: 'If w-e do not get water soon w-e shall all die. Let us dig down 

 into the grave of the river, for the river is dead and has sunk into his 

 grave, and perhaps w-e shall find the spirit of the river and it will save 

 us from dying.' 



"So they began to dig. At the end of three days the water rushed up, 

 and it came so fast that some of them were drowned before they could 

 get out of the way of it. Then there was plenty of water and the people 

 were happy. 



"They brought a dog and a wild cat and turned them loose in a vacant 

 rice field to fight, that the people might be amused ; and while the dog 

 and cat were fighting, it became very dark and rain tiegan to fall, and 

 the people became afraid because it got dark while it was yet morning, 

 and one old Apo began lamenting and saying "the river God is angry 

 with us for disturbing the grave of the river, now we shall all find our 

 graves in the water;' and the water poured dowTi from the sky faster 

 than it came out of the river. 



"Bugan and her brother Figan had brought out their two dogs to take 

 part in the fighting with the eat, but when it got so dark that they could 

 not see they took hold of the dogs' tails thinking thereby to be guided 

 back home, and thus they followed on after the dogs until they became 

 exhausted and lay down and slept, and when they awoke they found they 

 were on the top of Mount Amuyao. It was .still raining and it rained 

 for fifteen days. After the rain stopped the water began to go down, 



