The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-06
LAND OF MANY DEVILS.
ISLAND OF PANAY Is RICH IN FILL
PINO FOLKLORE.


keys and Parrots Killed on Mos
of the Human Intruders, But Save'
the Babies-The Dreaded OsswOni
and the Terrifying Cry of the Tx
tik-Why One Miracle Failed t.
Work.
From the Washington Post.
The Philippine Islands are rich IL
folklore, which has hitherto received
little attention from the outside world
Even the more intelligent natives are
superstitious, while the inhabitants oil
the remote parts of the islands people
every jungle and mountain and stream
wit himaginary devils and spirits. The
Spanish conquerors of the islands gave
little heed to the native beliefs and Sc
far as is known never made any col
lection of the remarkable legends and
traditions of the islanders. Panay, be.
ing less under the influence of the
Spanish than some of the other isl
ands of the group, is perhaps richer
in these interesting stories than any
other.
Iloilo is the most important port on
this island. 1t is the Asiatic Venice.
There is water everywhere, but none
to drink. The town is built on two
noses of land that jut out into the bay.
10, in Filipino, means nose, so that
noilo is literally 1.-TWO noses"
The people of Iloilo has a story of
the first coming of man to the Island
of Panay, which is often told, and
firmly believed by the masses. 1t
runs like this:
Once upon a time the only inhabit-
ants of the island were the monkeys
and parrots, who lived together in per
feet harmony subject to laws and gov
eminent. They were all happy and
contented because there was no work
to be done. and the cocoanuts, banalas.
mangoes. and other fruits grew in
abundance the whole year through.
They were governed by the Wise Gid
Monkey" who by the way, figures in
many of the will mountain traditions.
The Wise Old Monkey" knew all that
happened on earth, or air or water,
within the bonds of his island, but
knew of the outside world only what
the parrots told him, when they re-
turned from their short excursions to
neighboring lands. Thus he had never
heard of man.
For thousands of years the monkeys
and parrots lived in peace and quiet,
but one day there came a strange sight
into Iloilo harbor. The Wise Old
Monkey was informed of it, and with
millions of his subjects. went trooping
down to the beach to see and wonder
welcomed the Stranger.
There the monkeys always filed
with curiosity. saw their first proa
(boaD The Wise Old Monkey said
to the Wise Old Parrot" I'VE will
be friends to the strangers. and the
parrot agreed on behalf of his feather
ed kinsmen. So the monkeys went
down to the beach, carrying each in
his arms a stone. These they laid on
the beach in view of the strangers, and
then they went back to their trees and
watched. The Fihpinos say that the
placing of the stones was a sign of
friendship, but the men in the proa did
not understand, and at once landed
and slaughtered a great many of the
monkeys.
Then the Wise Old Parrot" sent his
tribesmen to the uttermost parts of the
island to summon every monkey, and a
great fight took place, in which all the
men were killed. Only the little
brown children were spared because
the monkeys believed them to be of
their own kind. These were taken in
TO the mountains and cared for, and
inhabitants of Panay
The Visayans have the most fright
full devils of all the Filipino people, and
the inhabitants of Panay give theirs an
additional touch of the fearful and
picturesque. When the great rains
come down, and the nights are dark
and full of terror, the islanders gather
in little groups and recount stories of
the Osswong, the most feared of all
the maligant spirits. Ninety nne Fill
ipinos out of every hundred will SOL
EMMY aver that they have, a one time
or another, seen the Osswong. He is
expected only when a little child is
about to die.
SO, when a little brown baby seems
TO be in his last illness great fear falls
upon the household. The sign of the
cross is displayed on every window
and door so that the Osswong NAV
not enter unohserved. A rap at the
door followed by a peculiar cry an
nounces the arrival of the dreaded
visitor.
Who is there?" cries the father.
The Osswong," answers the Great
ure.
please go away and let me keep
my child pleads the father.
The osswong Enters.
But the Osswong is finally admit
ted, since If he is not he will return at
some future time and carry away a
healthy child. He is usually attired
In nothing but a loin cloth, as he is
supposed to come from the mountains
where clothing is of the most primi-
tive style. He takes a seat in the
corner of the room and never removes
his eyes from the dying child unless
forced to do so by a charm.
Srhe charm, if properly worked. will
drive the demon away, and the father
sets about to invoke it by placing the
rice beater in the center of the floor
with cocoanut fiber tied around the
pole. Then he goes under the house
and builds little fire directly beneath
the rice beaten. Into the fire he losses
parings from his toe and finger nails,
and the smoke rising through the floor.
drives the demon away. hould the
family neglect these precautions the
body of the child would be carried
away and eaten by the Osswong. High
ly intelligent Filipinos will affirm in
the name of the Virgin that these
things are true and that they have
seen the Osswong.
In April the water demon must be
propitiated, to prevent floods. Every
few years great damage is done to the
lowlands by the overflow of the rivers.
The middle of May can always be de-
pended upon to bring a flood. so be-
fore this time a great fiesta is observed
at Jaro,, near Iloilo. The object is 10
placate the Demon of the Waters"
and prevent him from sending a flood.
The town is in gala dress, branches
OF the betel, cocoa, sage, and nipa lin
hn ctr 70 ri7s IL Il. a