Spanish writers make frequent mention of these idols,[2] and in his reports[3] Governor Bolton describes the image of a crocodile seen by him in the Mandaya country “which was carved of wood and painted black, was five feet long, and life-like.  The people said it was the likeness of their god.”  Lieutenant J. R. Youngblood, when near the headwaters of the Agusan River, saw in front of a chief’s house “a rude wooden image of a man which seemed to be treated with some religious awe and respect.”  Mr. Robert F. Black, a missionary residing in Davao, writes that “the Mandaya have in their homes wooden dolls which may be idols.”

[2] BLAIR and ROBERTSON, Vol.  XII, 269, XLIII, p. 217, etc.

[3] Filed in the office of the Governor of Davao.

From this testimony it appears that in a part of the Mandaya territory the spirit Diwata, at least, is represented by images.

2.  Asuang.  This name is applied to a class of malevolent spirits who inhabit certain trees, cliffs and streams.  They delight to trouble or injure the living, and sickness is usually caused by them.  For this reason, when a person falls ill, a ballyan offers a live chicken to these spirits bidding them “to take and kill this chicken in place of this man, so that he need not die.”  If the patient recovers it is understood that the asuang have agreed to the exchange and the bird is released in the jungle.

There are many spirits who are known as asuang but the five most powerful are here given according to their rank, (a) Tagbanua, (b) Tagamaling, (c) Sigbinan, (d) Lumaman, (e) Bigwa.  The first two are of equal importance and are only a little less powerful than Diwata.  They sometimes inhabit caves but generally reside in the bud-bud (baliti) trees.  The ground beneath these trees is generally free from undergrowth and thus it is known that “a spirit who keeps his yard clean resides there.”  In clearing ground for a new field it sometimes becomes necessary to cut down one of these trees, but before it is disturbed an offering of betel-nut, food, and a white chicken is carried to the plot.  The throat of the fowl is cut and its blood is allowed to fall in the roots of the tree.  Meanwhile one of the older men calls the attention of the spirits to the offerings and begs that they be accepted in payment for the dwelling which they are about to destroy.  This food is never eaten, as is customary with offerings made to other spirits.  After a lapse of two or three days it is thought that the occupant of the tree has had time to move and the plot is cleared.

In former times it was the custom for a victorious war party to place the corpses of their dead, together with their weapons, at the roots of a baliti tree.  The reason for this custom seems now to be lost.