The type of clothing worn by this tribe is practically identical with that of the Bagobo, while the cloth from which it is made is procured by a like process.  However, in the ornamentation of these garments there is wide variation.  Beads are not used to any great extent, but in their place are intricate embroidered designs which excel, both in beauty and technique the work of any other wild tribe in the Islands, while on the more elaborate costumes hundreds of shell disks are used in artistic designs.  The woman’s skirt is of hemp and is made in exactly the same manner as those of the Bagobo, but the general pattern is different, and it seldom contains the broad decorative center panel (Plate LX).

Some of the men cut their hair so that it falls in bangs along the center line of the forehead and behind reaches to the nape of the neck, but the majority of them, and all the women, allow the back hair to grow long and tie it in a knot at the back of the head.  Ordinarily the men dispense with head covering, or at most twist a bit of cloth into a turban, but for special occasions they wear palm leaf hats covered with many parallel bands of rattan and crowned with notched chicken feathers (Plate LI).  Rarely is a women seen with any kind of head protection or hair ornament other than a small comb which is peculiar to this tribe (Fig. 36).  This comb is made of bamboo or rattan splints drawn together at the center but flaring at top and bottom until it forms an ornament in the shape of an hour glass.  The ear plugs worn by the men are of wood and are undecorated, but those of the women have the fronts overlaid with incised brass plates (Fig. 37).  In other respects the dress of the women differs little from that of the Bagobo.  They have the same necklaces, arm and finger rings, leglets, and anklets, although in less quantity.  They also carry trinket baskets, but these are larger than those used by the women of the other tribe and are lacking in bead and bell pendants.  However, they are tastily decorated with designs in colored bamboo or fern cuticle.  We have already noted that the use of plain red garments is limited to warriors, but cloth of that hue which contains narrow black stripes may be used by all.  Quite a number of garments are seen in which white pattens appear in a red background (Plate LVIIIc).  In this tribe the use of such suits is not restricted, but with the neighboring Kulaman they can be worn by warriors[1] only.

FIG. 36.  WOMEN’S COMBS.

FIG. 37.  A. WOMEN’S EAR PLUGS.  B. MEN’S EAR PLUGS.

[1] See p. 155 for a description of this process. [Transcriber’s note:  20 pages further from this one.]

Before we proceed further with the description of the life of the people, it will be well for us to inquire into their religious beliefs, for, as is the case with all their neighbors, their faith in unseen beings influences their daily life to a very great extent.  The two following tales deal with the Bila-an genesis.