Kankanay Ceremonies Part 4

The prayer recorded above is used in Legleg and all the other Kankanay barrios of Kapangan, but in Kibungan the prayer recorded under the mandit is also used for batbat. In Buguias the souls of the dead and the malevolent spirits as well as the deities are addressed, and the prayer as a whole is probably more similar to the Nabaloi prayer for batbat than to the one recorded above.

Dancing the tayo forms a part of this ceremony in all Benguet Kankanay towns.

The ceremony may last from one to three days, and is generally more expensive than the batbat of the Nabaloi. As a rule more hogs, tapuy, and rice are used.

It will be noted that in the prayer used by the Kankanay for batbat only the deities are addressed, while the Nabaloi not only relate a sacred story, but also pet.i.tion the souls of ancestors, the pasang, and some of the constellations.

In some respects the Lepanto ceremony called keslei resembles the batbat.

Among the Benguet Kankanay as well as the Nabaloi the term saad is used to designate the batbat on a small scale.

KAPI

Kapi is celebrated by the Buguias Kankanay in compliance with dreams, or a vow made during sickness.

A hog, tapuy, and rice are necessary. Just before the hog is killed, the mambunong prays, addressing his prayer to the deities, the souls of the dead, and the malevolent spirits. They are asked not to cause sickness, but to give good luck, riches, and long life.

After the hog has been killed and cooked, the prayer is repeated. There is no dancing, but the people generally remain all day and spend the time drinking tapuy.

I have never seen this ceremony in any of the western Benguet Kankanay towns, but have been told that it is sometimes celebrated in Kapangan. It is celebrated in all Nabaloi settlements, and in the towns.h.i.+p of Mancayan in Lepanto.

AMLAG

The amlag is a ceremony celebrated in all Benguet Kankanay towns. Its purpose is to cause the release of the captured soul of a living person.

A chicken, some rice, and a collection of tools are necessary for sacrifice. The mambunong holds the chicken in one hand and squats beside the tapuy and rice while he prays.

He begins his prayer by addressing the amlag of the various settlements from the coast town of San Fernando, La Union, to the place where the ceremony is held; and then requests that if any of them have captured the soul of the sick person, they release it in exchange for the food, tapuy, and tools.

This ceremony is celebrated for the same purpose as the amdag of the Nabaloi; but no sacred story is told by the Kankanay mambunong, nor are the deities addressed. The ceremony is celebrated in the Lepanto town of Mancayan, and probably in other Lepanto towns.

LAWIT

Lawit is a ceremony celebrated by the Benguet Kankanay to cause the return of the soul of a living person which has wandered away. One of the Kibungan mambunong said:

Mo iitauum ay wadaka's adaway sin buuina, ifugau, sia amona aydin ababiikna tinaymana.

If a person dreams that he is far away from his house, he knows that his soul has left him.

The mambunong takes a plate of rice from which tapuy has been fermented and holds it in one hand, while holding a chicken in the other. He turns his face toward the sky and says the following:

Sika ababiikna ----, omalika, mo sinoi inmoyan, sinan buuitaka, tan inayan nanbuui di kakading. Mo ituum isa matika, ut ungay adika mangan sinan ilagbuam.

You, the soul of ----, come back if you have wandered away from our home, because it is dreadful to live in the home of the souls of the dead. If you stay there you will die, and you will not eat what you have earned.

The lawit is celebrated in Kibungan, Kapangan, Bacun, and Ampusungan; but I do not know whether or not it is celebrated in any other Kankanay towns. It corresponds to the Nabaloi tawal and to the Bontoc ofat.

TINGITING

The Buguias Kankanay celebrate a ceremony called tingiting to cause the return of the souls of the persons who have occupied a house which has been burned. It is believed that the souls fly away with the fire and smoke.

One of those who has occupied the house holds some dried meat in his hand, while he calls the names of all the sky deities he can remember, and asks that they send the souls to earth again.

This ceremony is celebrated by the Nabaloi, and in the Lepanto Kankanay town of Mancayan.

PALIS

The palis is celebrated by the Benguet Kankanay against witchcraft, and also to cause injury to befall an enemy.

Tapuy, cooked rice, and either a chicken or a dog are necessary for sacrifice.

The prayer is addressed by the mambunong to the amlag. They are asked to dissolve their alliance with the witch and take the side of the people, or to visit the enemy and cause him bad luck, in consideration of the tapuy and food which are furnished.

As soon as the prayer has been finished, the people present sing the angba, a song in which the deities are called by name and asked to witness the palis.

One man then dances and waves a spear as if he were attacking an enemy, while some of the people keep time by beating together wooden sticks.

The palis is celebrated by the Nabaloi and the Lepanto Kankanay. The ceremony, or its equivalent, is probably celebrated by all Igorot tribes, since a belief in witchcraft is prevalent throughout their territory. When the ceremony is celebrated to divert injury from oneself to an enemy, it corresponds to the Nabaloi sagausau.

BUANG

The buang is celebrated to cure deafness in Buguias, in some of the Kankanay barrios of Atok, and probably in some if not all of the Benguet Kankanay settlements farther west.

The mambunong holds in one hand the chicken to be sacrificed and with the other hand he holds a cup of tapuy above the head of the deaf person, while relating the following story:

Kabigat of the earth was constructing a sod fence. While he was bending over to pick up a large piece of sod, he heard the noise of loud thunder. He did not look around, but continued to work.

Soon his wife Bangan, who was working in a nearby camote field, called to him saying that it was time to go home. Kabigat did not answer, but continued to build fence. His wife became angry and began to scold, but when she turned around she saw the Thunder standing near. The Thunder said, "Do not become angry with your husband. He does not answer because he can not hear you. I made him deaf. If you want him to be cured get one chicken and one jar of tapuy and celebrate the buang."