﻿484 The Philippine Journal of Science m* 



They often do this, and there is no day designated especially when they 

 have a celebration or feast to thank Cabunian for giving them a good 

 crop to harvest, or for the increasing of their animals, their good health, 

 or whenever there is a wedding (bomayas) ,** or when one of them 

 dies. (Plate II, fig. 2.) 



They surely believe that there are souls, and they say that anitos 

 of their forefathers visit them frequently. They have also a belief that 

 these anitos are the companions and helpers of Cabunian to look after the 

 people, to give prosperity, and also to give hardship and bad luck to 

 the people; if one of their children is sick, they say that the anito of 

 their forefathers visited him and thus they must kill a hog or a chicken 

 to feed him. They believe that this offering of food is eaten by the 

 anito and that he will give health to the sick and cure him." 



According to their customs, whenever they go to any place or go to 

 another town or the authorities call them, they must first have a caiiao; 

 or if they intend to do something they first perform a mamidis, the so-called 

 pidis, which is that they must kill one chicken to see if its liver is 

 satisfactory; if it is good and full they continue, but if it is unsatisfactory 

 they stop and have another mamidis (to kill a chicken and see the liver) . 



When they are already on the way, if a crow, mouse, snake, etc., runs 

 across the road, they at once stop their journey. They say that it is 

 bad luck or that the object of their journey will not be accomplished 

 or that it will turn out badly. For that reason they must stop for a 

 while or else return to the town which they started from." 



It can be seen that there exists great union among them, for when 

 one of them has something to do and cannot do it alone all the people 

 will agree to help; when one is going to build his house, all the people 

 must help him to secure all the materials and other things needed and 

 help build the house asking no pay." 



If there is a person of any kind who asks a shelter in their house, they 

 feed him and request no pay; they are humble and obedient to the orders 

 of the authorities. 



BANAAO 48 



"Official names of the barrios are : Banaao, Dacudac, Pandayan, 

 Lebga, Cagubatan, and Cada-anan." 



"A bumayas is not a wedding. It is a great ceremony given only 

 by members of the aristocracy as a public demonstration of their right 

 to their titles. It is often given by an aristocratic couple immediately 

 following their wedding ceremony. — Beyer. 



" See footnote 9. 



" These superstitions were common in early times to all the peoples 

 now called Filipinos. Cf. Blair and Robertson, ut supra: 7, 189 (Plasencia, 

 Customs of the Tagalogs, 1589) ; 40, 341-346 (San Antonio, Chronicas, 

 1738-44). There are many references in Philippine documents to this 

 superstition. 



" But they expect to and do receive a very considerable quantity of food 

 and drink. — Beyer. 



*' Banaao is located 18 kilometers south of Cervantes. It is the center 

 of extensive rice fields. See Perez, Igorrotes, 141-152. 



