﻿ix. d. 6 Robertson: The Igorots of Lepanto 511 



Palis is a canao in which a hog is killed at night time; they beat the 

 drums and sing; this canao is held for the sick, in order that the people 

 afflicted with enlarged intestines, the poor, and pale and weak people may 

 be cured; the next morning they kill another hog which they call sabusab 

 (meaning the end of the canao) . These are the only cures for sickness 

 that the people believe in. 



SICKNESS 



When a person gets seriously sick, the parents or relatives send for 

 an old woman, who is called baylayi (priestess). This woman prays to 

 the anito and then speaks to the sick person, in a trembling voice, saying, 

 "We have caused you to be sick because you have failed to offer up to us 

 our customary sacrifice (a hog or a chicken) ; we have made you sick, so 

 that from now on you may not forget again; we may not only make you 

 sick, but we may kill you also." The patient then answers and says, "Yes I 

 will sacrifice to thee all thou asketh; though I have it not, I will find 

 it, but I pray thee, restore my health to me again." In the meantime 

 the parents or relatives prepare a coconut shell of tapuy over which they 

 pray and say, "If it be true, that thou, the anito, hast made him sick, 

 we pray thee to restore him again to health so that he will be able to 

 make the sacrifices that thou hast asked of him." If the anito, so prayed 

 to, is the one that made the person sick, the patient will get well as soon 

 as the sacrifice is offered; if the patient does not get well, another old 

 women is called, who goes through the same ceremonies as the other 

 one; this is kept up until some old woman baylan finds the anito who 

 made the person sick." 



SETTLING QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS 



Old men only, who have reached a certain age, are allowed to take part 

 in the settling of disputes and complaints of their townspeople. As soon 

 as a complaint is made, the old men are called together to investigate 

 the complaint. A dog and 2 chickens, of the same size and color, are 

 prepared. The 2 chickens represent the 2 litigants; the chickens are 

 killed by beating them with small sticks; then they are held over the fire 

 and partly roasted, with the feathers on;" after that they cut them up 

 and take out the gall. If the galls of the chickens are of equal size, they 

 counsel the litigants to make a friendly settlement, which will settle their 

 dispute forever. The dog and the chickens are then cooked and eaten. 

 The litigants pay for them as well as for other things that are used up 

 during the settlement of their question. Should the galls be of different 

 size, the one whose chicken has the larger gall loses the case. The old 

 men then will inform the one whose chicken had the larger gall that the 

 case has been decided against him; then he will be obliged to make good 

 whatever there is stated in the complaint. For instance, if he had stolen 

 a horse, he would have to return the horse or make good in some other 



" Cf . Blair and Robertson, ut supra; 5, 129 (Loarca, Relation, ca. 1580) ; 

 40, 336, 337 (San Antonio, Chronicas, 1738-44) ; 43, 108, 109 (Ortiz, 

 Practica del ministerio, ca. 1742) ; 43, 310-319 (Present beliefs in Luzon, 

 1905). 



a The object of holding the chicken over the fire is to burn the feathers 

 off — ildgim. — Beyer. 



