Ifugao folklore [the anger of the spirits of the river]

Title

Creator

Rev. Lambrecht, Francis

Language

English

Year

1941

Subject

Ifugao -- Folklore

Ifugao folk literature

Folklore & women

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

- UT OMNES UNUM SINT! - 249 Hugao Folklore The Anger of the Spirits of the River. When some one gets seriously ill (at least apparently) ull of a sudden, one or more sacrifices are offered and a special story is narrated which is beliei:ed to bring along the rec01.·ery as quickly as the illness itself has come. The magician tells this story in f arnr of sick men as well as women; in the latter case, hoivei·er, he calls the woman Bugan, in the former case he speaks of Wigan, the name of a man, and furthermore inserts a few particularities of minor importance. I shall narrate the story assuming that it is a u·oman who got ill. A long, long time ago there were in Mayaoyao a certain Bugan and her husband Wigan. They lived in joy and happiness, for they had big rice fields, they had many chickens and many pigs, and their children were growing up in full health. One night Bugan had an awful dream: she saw the Spirits of the River coming from all sides, there up in the Upstream Region; they gathered at the river and said: "'Look down, there at the house of Bugan and Wigan in Mayaoyao, they have many pigs and many chickens, and never they off er to us; let us kill Bugan !" And when the night became morning, Bugan got up and ate; then she took her basket and her iron pin and came down on the houseyard. "Where are you go-ing ?" asked Wigan, her husiand. -"I go down the mountain here in front of us and shall bring home -a basket of sweet potatoes." So Bugan went away and told nothing -0f her dream to Wigan. She walked on the embankments of the rice fields and descended the path toward the river. And there in the river sat the Spirits; they hid behind the rocks· and stones. When Bugan had reached the river they cried: "Hello! Hello! Bugan is there, Bugan the wife of \Vigan who won't offer to us! Hello !Hello! let us kill Bugan !" And from behind every stone an angry spirit came forth. They jumped upon Bugan, they tore her into pieces and scattering the body of Bugan along the bank they hurried to their abode in the Upstream Region, crying: "You are dead now, Bugan, we have killed you, Bugan, you won't offer to us, Bugan, you despised us, Bugan !" And that evening no Bugan came home. When the night had become morning again the Sun god looked down and saw at the bank of the river some legs and arms and a chest and a head. "Well, well!" exclaimed the Sun god, "it is Bugan, the wife of Wigan who has so many pigs and who offered to me so often! I can't stand this, I shall make her live again!" The Sun god jumped down upon the earth, he ran towards Bugan, and in his way down to the river 250 - UT OMNES UNUM SINT! - he pulled off a betel nut. He took a seat in the river bed and chewed his betel nut, then he went to stand in front of Bugan's body and spat his red spittle upon the arms, upon the legs, upon the chest and upon the head of Bugan. And lo! the hgs moved and stuck to the chest, the arms moved and stuck to the shoulders, the head moved and stuck to the chest, and Bugan was alive again and began to walk. "What happened," asked the Sun god, "why did you come here?" -"I passed here yesterday and was on my way to our sweet potato field," replied Bugan. -"Who killed you?" asked the Sun god again. -"I don'tknow,"answeredBugan, .. only I heard voices crying: 'let us kill Bugan,' and then they tore me into pieces."-"Oh!" exclaimed the Sun god, "they were the Spirits of the River, who came from the Upstream Region who lay in ambush behind the stones until you would pass there." -"What shall I do now,'' said Bugan, "they will come back and they will kill me again." "Don't fear,'' said the Sun god, "I shall give you some good protectors." And the Sun god took from his hip bag two earrings of fire and hung them at the ears of Bugan and said: "These will bum the Spirits." Then the Sun god caught a bi~ wasp and placed it in the hand of Bugan saying: "This will sting the Spirits if they come." And he snatched a green snake and wound it around the neck of Bugan and tdld her: "This snake will bite the spirits and they will be Enjoying a New Year Dinner. - UT OMNES UNUM SINT! - 251 poisoned, and they will die if they Sun god made me live again and ever come to kill you!" he told me we should offer a Bugan then felt reassured and chicken to the Spirits of the Upthe Sun god smiled and said: "Go strrnm Region." home now, Bugan, but tell your And this they did. And on achusband that he should offer a count of this the sudden illness chicken to the Spirits of the River, vanished and released Bugan, she so that they may not kill you again got up and walked to and fro on after some months." the houseyard. She was as healthy And when Bugan arrived at Ma- as ever, and Bugan and Wigan yaoya..> she saw her husband wor- were happy again and never more rying and she exclaimed: "Here I -.vere bothered by the Spirits of the am!" -"Where have you been?" River who live in the Upstream asked Wigan. -"I was killed by Region. the Spirits of the River, but the Rev. Francis Lambrecht Come ye all to Me

Description

When somone gets seriously ill (at least appraently) all of a a sudden, one or more sacrifices are offered an a special story is narrated which is believed to bring along the recovery as quickly as the illness itself has come. The magician tells this story in favor of sick men as well as women; in the lattr case, however, he calls the woman Bugan, in the formaer case he speaks of Wigan, the name of a man, and furthermore inserts a few particularities of minor importance. I shall narrate the story assuming that it is a woman who got ill.

Media