The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-02

wife has occasion to believe that wit
ches are actually at work, "A charge
Of gunpowder is blown off In the room
to frighten them away.
"When the child thus bewitched Is
born 1t is placed in draught of air
In an open door or window so that the
witches may have chance to escape,
and the exorcism begins. Three witch
candles are placed upon the little face,
one on each cheek end another on the
chin. These are lighted and allowed
to burn until they are almost con-
suned. Though the child sometimes
gets badly burned i'm the process. such
an accident is considered of small ac-
count so long as the witch is expelled
"The Filipinos have some curious
customs In regard to courtship and
marriage. They believe that the odor
impaired to- the clothing by the body
has power to excite love. Those who
wish to attract some one of the oppo-
site sex will scheme to bring that per-
son in contact with some article Of
clothing which has been worn by them
selves. When plighted lovers are
obliged to separate for a time ,hry
exchange garments with each other.
fulness is assured. So keen is the
sense of smell among the Filipinos that
they say they can tell to whom any
article belongs by merely smelling of
it. There is peculiar manner of kiss
ing in vogue among many of these
tribes. Instead of touching lips they
press the nose against the cheek Of
the person they wish to caress and
draw long, deep breath.
There are many modern Jacobs and
Rachels among the Filipinos, for it is
a custom for the prospective bride
groom to serve for a tine in the house
hold of the brides father. if he has
not money enough to make q cash pay
ment for the bride.
"One Of their most interesting su-
Derstitions is the belief that the soul
of a man leaves his body during sleep
and goes forth on some mysterious er-
rand of its own. This belief was doubt
less borrowed from the Buddhists. and
one can offer no greater insult to q
Filipino than to step over him while
he lies asleep, which, according to his
idea, is getting between his body and
his absent soul
The islanders have many supersti-
reptiles. The huge caymans which
abound in the Philippine rivers fill
them with a peculiar horror. They
believe that the caymans are always
on the lookout for those who have
sworn falsely or broken their prom
ises, and almost any native can tell
wonderful stories about the terrible
fate which has overtaken liars who
n nj l1a 10 nf
man.
The old belief, so common in Asia
and elsewhere, that certain sounds
have power over non-human presences
is cherished by the natives of the
Philippines, and certain Of their most
powerful incantations are said to he
preserved in secret manuscripts but,
though the Spanish clergy have tried
every means to procure these books
of the devil, as they call them, their
efforts have been unrewarded, and the
dreaded formulae still remain the Sc
crets of the native priests
One of their customs is the devil
dance, for the eXorcism of evil spirits.
If an epidemic of smallpox. cholera or
other disease occurs in the village, the
mischief is at once attributed to some
W II Sl'IlIL WHICH has ltthtn llS dDONlp
in a neighbOrlng banyan tree The
particular tree inhabited by the devil
is determined upon by the native
priest, and on the night appointed for
the eXOrciSm the entire population
of the village marches to the spot.
bearing scariiicial meats and spices.
Presently a strange looking figure ap-
pears, clad in a long, flowing gown,
and with high, peaked red hat upon
his head. Then the din begins and
the tomtoms and other barbaric in
struments make night hideous. The
priest takes his place in the center of
the circle, occasionally brandishing his
great. curved sacrhcial knife and now
and then striking the strings of his
bow, which adds its deep, booming
sound to the noise of the tomtoms and
drums. SWayinG slowly to and fro,
he gradually works himself into a state
of frenzy all the time grooming to
himself strange melodies. AS his
movements become faster and more
frenzied the noise Of the tomtoms in
creases. Suddenly the priest leaps in
to the air and prOclaims himself to
be a god, and the wild devil dance
begins. The assembled natives offer
their sacrifices and pray aloud to be
delivered from the evil spirit. The
dancing priest becomes more and more