Kankanay Ceremonies Part 7

The ceremony is very similar to the diau kasib of the Nabaloi. It is celebrated in Mancayan, but I do not know whether or not it is celebrated in any other Lepanto towns.

TAMO

The tamo is held in Buguias to cure insanity. It is also made in some of the villages of Mancayan, but I do not know whether it is celebrated in other Kankanay towns.

The mambunong holds the chicken in his hand and prays, but I can not state the nature of the prayer. After the prayer one man dances with a spear in his hand. The dance, which is similar to that of the palis, is repeated three times. Between dances the people sing, but no one seems to be able to explain the meaning of the song. The majority of the words used in both the song and the prayer are probably obsolete.

The ceremony is similar in some respects to the tamo of the Nabaloi.

PASANG

The pasang is celebrated to cause children to be born. The mambunong holds a chicken in each hand and squats between two baskets of blankets, while relating the following story:

Wada, kano, Bintauan un Apinan. Sin Agida. Adida, kanon, mananak ya mo manawasda pay, kano, sumakisakit sin agusda asauwada.

Amuida ut, kanominda manpaanap. Datgnunda, kano, san usay bato ay bui; binmali san usay dakdakui ya ando ay ipugau ay maata di kadumna. Asi ibaganda Bintauan un Apinan ay mananap mo sinoi inmat un asauwada. Asina kanon un, "Amui kayo un boan si agou tan siay mangamo si anap."

Ungayanan amuida Bintauan un Apinan. Datunga pay, kano, san nantotomtoman di lota ya ud tagui. Wada san dadakui ay buui. Binmali ut, kano, abu san usay ipugau ay mandada di matana mayatag kaduna. "Sinoi gapona si inmalianyo?" "Inkami manpaanap tan mo manowas san asauwami ya mansakit ya adikami mananak." "Adi pay, amok di anap, ut amui kayo unda agou un Boan tan daeda dimangamo si anap."

Amuida ut, kano, ingilada di mantumtumog san dua ay kaman buui ay bato ay kalimlimosan si danom. Amugyapda, kano, ay amui ut impaononada san asoda. Ilanda ut, kano, nabasil. Ungayan omonodda si asoda. Mabas ilda ut diay nayapapa ut tagui, yan wada san adado ay buui ay nanataatang.

Dumatang pay yan kabala san si asauwa'n agou, ut kinwanina, "Sinoi kayo?" "Unmali kami ta kami nanpaanap tan adi mananak si asauwami yan mo manawas da mansakitda." "Sangupkayo sian daounmi tan mo dumatung si agou malpa kayo." Ungayan singupda sin daoun di buui di agou.

Dumatung pay, kano, si agou ut inbaga un, "Mo waday inmali ay ipugau ud kugau?" "Au, ay panada si daon di buui. Unda kanon manpaanap tan adi mananakda asauwada ya mansakitda mo manowasda." Ungayan ay agou inbgana Apinan un Bintauan, "Sinoi gapona si inmalianyo?" "Inmali kami tan un kami manpaanap." Ungayan kinwanina agou, "Sumaa kayo ut yaanyo di pasang, ut maganak kayo."

Sumaada Apinan un Bintauan ut siay inyatda ut nanganakda, ya adi nansakit si asauwada mo manawasda.

There were Bintauan and Apinan. They were brothers. They did not have children, and when their wives had their menses, they were sick in the abdomen.

They went then to get some one to make the divination ceremony. They found a stone house; a large tall man with green eyebrows came out of it. Then Bintauan and Apinan asked him to make the divination ceremony so that they could learn what troubled their wives. Then he said, "Go to the Sun and Moon because they know the divination ceremony."

Then Bintauan and Apinan went away. They arrived then at the meeting place of the earth and the sky. There was a large house. A red-eyed man with green eyebrows came out of it. "For what reason did you come?" "We came to cause the divination ceremony to be made, because when our wives have their menses they get sick and do not have children." "I do not know the divination ceremony; go to the Sun and the Moon, because they know the divination ceremony."

They went on and saw two stones as large as a house striking each other, where the water empties. They were afraid to go farther, but sent their dog ahead. They saw he was on the other side. Then they followed their dog. They arrived on the other side, where there were many houses joined together.

They arrived then, and the wife of the Sun came out and said, "Who are you?" "We came to have the divination ceremony made, because our wives do not have children and when they have their menses they are sick." "Come under the house because when the Sun arrives he will wilt you." Then they went under the house of the Sun.

When the Sun arrived, he asked, "Did men come at noon?" "Yes, they are waiting under the house. They came to have the divination ceremony held, because their wives do not have children and they get sick when they have their menses." Then the Sun asked Apinan and Bintauan, "Why did you come?" "We came to have the divination ceremony celebrated." Then the Sun said, "Go home and celebrate the pasang, and you will have children."

They went home and did so and had children, and their wives were not sick when they had their menses.

There is no dancing in connection with this ceremony in the western Benguet Kankanay towns, but in Buguias the wife and husband dance. The wife carries her camote basket filled with blankets, breech-clouts, and cloth, which are offered to the pasang.

The pasang is celebrated for the same purpose by the Nabaloi, the Lepanto Kankanay, and probably other Igorot tribes. I have been told that a corresponding ceremony is celebrated as far north as Kalinga.

ABASANG

The abasang is celebrated in all Benguet Kankanay towns when children are born.

A chicken and a jar of tapuy are used for sacrifice. The mambunong holds the chicken in one hand, and prays to the laglagawin or guardian spirit of the child, asking that it may live long and be lucky. A magical story, which I was unable to secure, is also related.

This ceremony is celebrated by the Nabaloi, but I do not know whether or not it is held in any Kankanay towns outside of Benguet.

SIBISIB

The Kankanay as well as the Nabaloi celebrate sibisib to cure wounds. The mambunong holds against the wound the instrument with which it was inflicted, while relating the following:

Si Boliwan waday dua anakna--da Lumawig un Kabigat.

Sin agou inmeda manganop, ut inaday isa makawas. Sumaada pay nabayda ut nanibayda sin ilungan. Ginudgudda din patang ut inbilagda.

Sin tinmotokdowanda din asoda inapayoda di oduum ay makawas. Din dua sin agi inonodda di asoda. Inyudda un amada un bantayana din patang.

Din isa sinsin agi niangna din makawas, yan adida ut maykapsu. Din makawas linmayau ay waday gayang sin angina. Nantaolida sin nanayanda un amada. Inilada ay yuwud patang.

Inyatna un amada, "Insedan mut patang." Inyat amada, "Adak insida, nayiwud sin manaukak." Inyat anakna, un "Adika ibagay maptung; insedan mut."

Bintyakanut, Boliwan, agusna sin bangina ut mati. Ut inila din san agi ay iwud din patang sin agusna. Ut yatda un, "Angan yatmi insidam, adan binutyakan akusmo ta adika natay."

Ut inbaladda ay manilit mo sino dinangisida sin patang. Inilada di idu sin tongdon di bimabaktadanda, ut inyatna un, "Au, insedak." Din dua sin agi inyatna un, "Puslundaka ut." Din idu inyatna un, "Adikayo pomsu, ta asak todoan si dakayo si mamuyan si magud, ya pabilayuk si amayo loman." Din idu inyatna un, "Yalio san gayang, banig, bislak, ya matadum ay bato." Ut inamagda. Din idu inpauina din gayanag, banig bislak, ya bato sin sagun nagudgud, ya inbunongna. Si Boliwan natagu loman.

Din sin agi inyatda sin idu, "Waada ay anitoka." Din idu inyatna un, "Au, sakun di anito." Din sin agi inyatda, un, "Ingosadtako sin anak di ifugau tamo waday ingus nina ay manomang ya sidotako di pangigapwanda mo sibsibanda."

Boliwan had two sons, Lumawig and Kabigat.

One day they went hunting, and caught a deer. They started home, but became tired on the way. They cut the meat into pieces and dried it.

While they were sitting down, their dogs ran after another deer. The two brothers followed their dogs. They told their father to guard the meat.

One of the brothers. .h.i.t the deer with his spear, but did not kill it. The deer ran away with the spear in his body. They returned to the place where their father was staying. They saw that the meat was gone.

They said to their father, "You surely ate the meat." Their father said, "I did not eat it, it was taken away while I was sleeping." The sons said, "You do not speak well; you certainly ate it."

Boliwan cut open his (own) abdomen with a bolo, and died. Then the two brothers saw that there was no meat in his stomach. Then they said, "Although we said that you ate the meat, you should not have cut open your abdomen and then you would not have died."