The Bontoc Igorot Part 15

Silica 54.46 60.99

Oxide of aluminum 16.77 17.71

Ferric oxide of iron 11.14 9.53

Oxide of calcium 0.53 0.59

Loss by ignition 16.81 10.65

Oxide of magnesium Trace Trace

Oxide of pota.s.sium Trace --

Oxide of sodium -- Trace

Carbon dioxide -- Trace

The botanist of the Bureau of Government Laboratories[26] says in the report of his a.n.a.lysis of the resin used to glaze these pots:

This gum is known as Almaciga (Sp.). It is produced by some species of the dipterocarpus or sh.o.r.ea -- which it is impossible to determine. ... It should not be confounded with the other common almaciga from the trees of the genus Agathis.

The Government a.n.a.lyst[27] who a.n.a.lyzed the clays and examined the finished and glazed pots says of the Samoki pot that about two-thirds of the organic matter in the clay is consumed in the baking or burning of the pot. The organic matter in the middle one-third of the wall of the pot is not consumed. The clay is a remarkably hard one and is difficult of ignition; this is the reason it makes good cooking vessels. He further says that the glaze is not a true glaze. It seems that the resin does nothing except lose its oils when applied to the red-hot pots, and there is left on the surface the unconsumed carbon.

Basket work

All basket work is done by the men. Much of the time when they are in the fawi or pabafunan, gossiping and smoking, they are busied making the ordinary and necessary utensils of the field and dwelling. The basket work is all crude, with the possible exception of some of the hats worn by the men.

As is brought forth later under the head of "Commerce," much basket work is done by only one or two communities, and from them pa.s.ses in trade over a large area. Most of the basket work of the area is of bejuco or bamboo. There are two varieties of bamboo used in the area -- a'-nis and fi'-ka. A'-nis is found in the area and fi'-ka is brought in in trade from the southwest.

The most important piece of basket work is the ki-ma'-ta, the man's transportation basket, made of a'-nis bamboo; it is shown in Pl. CXX. It is made by many pueblos, and is found throughout the area. It consists of two baskets joined firmly to a light, wooden crossbar called "pa'-tang." The entire ki-ma'-ta weighs about 5 pounds, and with it the Igorot carries loads weighing as much as 100 pounds.

The man has another basket called "ko-chuk-kod'," which is used frequently by him, also sometimes by women, for carrying earth when building the s.e.m.e.nteras. The ko-chuk-kod' is made in Bontoc and Samoki. It is not shown in any of the ill.u.s.trations, but is quite similar to the tay-ya-an', or large transportation basket of the woman, yet is slimmer. It is also similar in shape and size to the woman's transportation basket in Benguet which is worn on the back supported by a headband.

The woman has two important a'-nis bamboo transportation baskets, which are constantly employed. One called "lu'-wa," the shallow lower basket shown in Pl. LXXV, is made only in Samoki; the other tay-ya-an', shown in Pl. XCIII, holds about three pecks. It is made only in Bontoc and Samoki.

Ag-ka-win' is the small rump basket almost invariably worn by women when working in the irrigated s.e.m.e.ntera. It is of fi'-ka bamboo, is made commonly in Bontoc and Samoki, and occasionally in Tulubin. The field toiler often carries her lunch to the field in the ag-ka-win', and when she returns the basket is usually filled with crustaceans and mollusks picked up in the wet s.e.m.e.ntera or gathered in the river, or with weeds or gra.s.ses to be cooked as "greens."

The woman's rain protector, a scoop-shaped affair about 4 feet long, called "tug-wi'," is said to be made only in Ambawan and Barlig. It consists of a double weave of coa.r.s.e splints, between which is a waterproof layer of a large palm leaf. It is worn over the head, and is an excellent protection from the rain. It may well have been suggested to primitive man by the banana leaf, which I have repeatedly seen carried over the head and back by the Igorot in many sections of northern Luzon during the rains. I have also seen it used many times in Manila by Tagalog who were caught out in a storm without an umbrella. The rain protector is shown lying in front of the house in Pl. x.x.xVII.

Tak-o-chug' is the man's dirt scoop made of a'-nis bamboo. It resembles the tug-wi' in shape, but is only about 1 1/2 feet long. It is employed in handling earth, and conveying the dirt to the ko-chuk-kod', or dirt transportation basket.

A basket very similar to tak-o-chug', but called "sug-fi'," is employed by the woman in her housework in handling vegetables. It is shown in Pl. XCIV, containing camote parings.

The to'-pil is the man's "dinner pail." It is made of a'-nis bamboo, is a covered basket, and is constructed to contain from one and a half to three quarts of solid food. In it men and boys carry their lunch to the fields. All the pueblos make the to'-pil.

Another basket, called "sang'-i," is generally employed in carrying the man's food. It is used for long trips from home, although I have seen it used simply for carrying the field lunch. It is made of bejuco in Ambawan, Barlig, and Tulubin, and pa.s.ses widely in the area through commerce. It is worn on the back, secured by bejuco straps pa.s.sing in front of the shoulders.

Fang'-ao is the sang'-i with a waterproof bejuco covering. As it is worn on the back, the man appears to be wearing a cape made of hanging vegetable threads. This is the basket commonly known as the "head basket," but it is used for carrying food, blankets, anything, on the trail. It is made in Ambawan, Barlig, and Kanyu, and is found pretty well scattered throughout the area. It is shown, front and back view, in Pl. XCV.

Fa'-i si gang'-sa is an open-work bejuco basket, in shape very similar to the sang'-i, used to carry the gang'-sa, or metal drum. It is worn slung on the back as is the sang'-i.

A house basket holding about a peck, called "fa-lo'-ko," is made of a'-nis bamboo. It is used in various capacities, for vegetables and cereals, in and about the house. It is made in all the pueblos and is shown in Pl. XCIV. A few other household baskets are often found. Among these are the large, bottle-shaped locust basket, i-wus', a smaller basket, ko'-lug, of the same shape used to hold threshed rice, and the open-work spoon basket, so'-long, which usually hangs over the fireplace in each dwelling.

The large winnowing tray, lig-o', shown bottom up in Pl. XCIII, is made in Samoki and Kanyu of a'-nis bamboo. There are two sizes of winnowing trays, both of which are employed everywhere in the area.

Several small a'-nis bamboo eating trays, called "ki'-ug," are shown in Pl. XCIV. These food dishes are used on ceremonial occasions, and some of them can not be purchased. They are made in all pueblos.

Samoki alone is said to make the rice sieve, called "a-ka'-ug. It pa.s.ses widely in the pueblo.

Aside from these various basket utensils and implements there are the three kinds of fish traps described in the section on fis.h.i.+ng.

There are also three varieties of basket-work hats. The rain hat called "seg-fi'," is made in Bontoc, and may be in imitation of those worn nearer the western coast. This with the suk-lang, the pocket hat always worn by the men and boys, and the kut'-lao. or sleeping hat, worn by children and adults of both s.e.xes, are described under the head of "Clothing."

Weapon production

Igorot weapons are few and relatively simple. The bow and arrow, used wherever the Negrito is in Luzon, is not known to the Igorot warrior of the Bontoc culture area. Small boys in Bontoc pueblo make for themselves tiny bows 1 1/2 or 2 feet long with which they snap light arrows a few feet. But the instrument is of the crudest, merely a toy, and is a thing of the day, being acquired from the culture of the Ilokano who live in the pueblo. The Igorot claim they never employed the bow and arrow, and, to-day at least, consider the question as to their ever using it as very foolish, since, they say, pointing to the child's toy, "It is nothing."

In 1665 -- 1668 Friar Casimiro Diaz wrote of the Igorot that they used arrows,[28] but it is believed his statement did not apply to the Bontoc man. Igorot-like people throughout northern Luzon commonly do not have this weapon, yet the large Tinguian group of Abra, west and north of Bontoc, and the Ibilao of southeastern Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, and adjacent Isabela employ the bow constantly.

The natural projectile weapon of the Negrito is the bow and arrow; that of the Malayan seems to be the blowgun -- at present, however, largely replaced by the spear, though in some southern islands, especially in Paragua, it has held its own.

Wooden weapons

s.h.i.+elds are universally made and used by the Igorot. They are made by the men of each pueblo, and are seldom bought or sold. They are cut from single pieces of wood, and are generally constructed of very light wood, though some are heavy. The hand grip is cut in the solid timber. is almost invariably made for the left hand, and will usually accommodate only three fingers -- the thumb and little finger remaining outside the grip and free to press forward the upper and lower ends of the s.h.i.+eld, respectively, slanting it to glance a blow of a spear.

Within the present boundary of Bontoc Province there are three distinct patterns of wooden s.h.i.+elds in use in three quite distinct culture areas. There is still another s.h.i.+eld immediately beyond the western border of the province but which is believed to be produced also in the Bontoc area.

First, is the s.h.i.+eld of the Bontoc culture area. It is usually about 3 feet long and 1 foot wide, is blackened with a greasy soot, though now and again one in original wood is seen. The upper part or "chief"

of the s.h.i.+eld is cut, leaving three points projecting several inches above the solid field; the lower end or "base" is cut, leaving two points. Across both ends of the s.h.i.+eld is a strengthening lace of bejuco, pa.s.sing through perforations from front to back. The front surface of the s.h.i.+eld is most prominent over the deep-cut hand grip at the boss or "fess point," toward which a wing approaches on both the dexter and sinister sides of the front of the s.h.i.+eld, being carved slightly on the field. This is the usual Bontoc s.h.i.+eld, but some few have meaningless straight-line decorations cut in the field.

In the Tinglayan culture area, immediately north of Bontoc, the usual s.h.i.+eld is very similar to the above, except that various sections of both the face and back of the s.h.i.+eld are of natural wood or are colored dull red. The strengthening of bejuco lacings and the raised wings are also found.

Still farther north is the Kalinga s.h.i.+eld -- a slim, gracefully formed s.h.i.+eld, differing from the typical Bontoc weapon chiefly in its more graceful outline. It is of a uniform black color and has the bejuco lacings the same as the others.

The fourth variety, made at Bagnen, immediately across the Bontoc border, in Lepanto, and probably also made and certainly used near at hand in Bontoc, is quite similar to the Bontoc type but is smaller and cruder. It is uncolored, and on its front has crude drawings of snakes and frogs (or perhaps men) drawn with soot paint.

Banawi area, south of the Bontoc area. has a s.h.i.+eld differing markedly from the others. It is longer, usually somewhat wider, and not cut at either end. The lower end is straight across at right angles to the sides; the upper end rises to a very obtuse angle at the middle. The front is usually much plainer than is that of the other s.h.i.+elds mentioned.

Throughout the Bontoc area there is a spear with a bamboo blade, entirely a wooden weapon. The spear is employed in warfare, and is losing its place only as iron becomes plentiful enough and cheap enough to subst.i.tute for the bamboo blades or heads. Even in sections in which iron spears are relatively common the wooden spear is used much in warfare, since spears thrown at an enemy are frequently lost.

Sharp-pointed bamboo spikes are often stuck in the trails of war parties when they are returning from some foray in which they have been successful. These spikes are from about 6 inches in length, as among the people of the Bontoc area, to 3 or more feet, as among the Ibilao of southeastern Nueva Vizcaya. The latter people nightly place these long spikes, called "luk'-dun," in the trails leading to their dwellings. They are placed at a considerable angle, and would impale an intruder in the groin or upper thigh, inflicting a cruel and disabling wound. The shorter spikes either cut through the bottom of the foot or stab the instep or leg near the ankle. They are much dreaded, and, though crude, are very effective weapons.

Metal weapons