
146 . PEOPLES OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Under these conditions, marriage was naturally 
single: always in theory, and in most cases in practice. 
Even where, as among the Tagalog and Kalinga, the 
wealthy sometimes took several wives, one was reckoned 
the lawful spouse. The others were more or less recog- 
nized concubines, and their children of lower rank. 
Among tribes that strenuously maintain their personal 
independence, such as the Ifugao, an attempt of a man 
to live with another woman inevitably leads to a com- 
pensatory claim against the husband and often to 
divorce. Real polygamy was introduced only by the 
Mohammedans; and even the Moros in their actual 
practices still adhere rather closely to the generic 
Filipino spirit. 
Divorce is easy and in no sense a disgrace. The 
dowry or bride price is returned, unless the husband is 
demonstrably at fault, in which case it is retained as 
compensation for the injury inflicted. Everything is 
restored as well as may be to the ante-nuptial status, 
and each party is free. Among many of the wild tribes 
most men and women change partners several times 
before settling down permanently with a congenial 
mate, and the ancient habit of the peoples now Christian 
seems to have been much the same. The Ifugao assess 
a fine called hudhud upon the spouse whose disposition 
or conduct is responsible for the dissolution of a mar- 
riage: this is in extinction of the mental anguish caused 
the innocent mate. A payment called gibu must be 
made by the widow before remarriage is permitted. Fail- 
ure to pay the gibu would be an affront to the deceased 
wife or husband and her or his kin. 
There is considerable tendency toward cousin mar- 
riage in the Philippines. The hero tales of the Tinggian 
are full of statements such as “‘It is good for us to be 
married because we are relatives,’’ and even first cousins 
