Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-31
SUPERSTITIONS
AND CHARMS
Much Oppressed ~ tie More
Sasnseand 4 mI,itiOns Mor0s.
Claim 10 Christianity
UnfDunded
MARRIAGE CEREMONIES
cottahato, Mindanao Island,
Philippines. April 10, I9n4

Philippines, April fV, 1871.
In appearance The Tirrnrays arc
epicanc and initiative. They ar small.
cr Than the Moros, Of whom they arc
cmulous. and are inferior mentally,
morally and physically. The territory
they lnhahit, which extends from Iii
montaca ta suburb III Cottabato) il
The D%ulanganea, Ii q mtcroeosm ii
superstitinn Il IA the very core III
universal darkness, uniit BIZ the stars
Or intellect and progFoss. The simple
Art of weaving n their highest accom-.
plishment, bit only III their fighting
weapons and ornansnts do they
show any originality 81 intelligent
Workmanship. They are listless and
indifferent. devoid Of ambition and In
capable Of showing either great JOY
o. great sorrow. Desire Ii the Aasmist
Installed IN the conscience Of the Tir
ruray, and superstition II his palla.
dunn, His inclination Ii the Proscrus-
team bed by which he guak4s HIS ac-
lions. Hate. Or malice, II the axis
around which his world Of archaic
Ideas reyoives. II Is d pasvion which
makes him happy only III lis possibit
ny for revenge. He has little. II
any. regard for human life, and many
Of the animals that infest the forest
ARE dearer 10 him than his wives or
relatives.
y is seldom that a Tirruray set.
uement will comprise more than two
or three houses. more often there Ii
but one. Their dwellings differ from
those Of The Moros In several re-
spects. While the Moros always build
u Or near the waters edge. leaving
the bamboo stakes on which they
rest projecting from damp sand Or
ripping water. according to The ebb
and flow &c The tide. iii Tirruray
builds his house on good dry land.
That il, BE does not build il Iii Inc
water; but II would he more correct
70 shy that liz builds 1t hi mid air.
~ scEe Of ths Ttrrnray dwellings rest
N the tops 81 trees which hag been
cut ofl inst above where the limbs
branch OUT, making i secure, claw like
foundation for the dried.leaf ami ham.
boo structures. Other houses are
built twenty fiya and thirty feet off
The ground, supported on bamboo
stills which are placed perpendicular.
" IN The ground. The base 81 these
support ii seldom buried nar,i tllan
= foot Iii The ground. leaving the rail /
poorly constructed abode 10 sway
t~hreaieningly In the gentlest monsoon
from off the Snln sea Often 4 hupse
" seer anchored 10 the ground with
strong reeds or vines used Is guy
ropes. TIL floors of the dwellings
are made of bamboo split leng.hN .ac
md flattened. Or Of strong bejues
reeds ingeniously cgethm
The walls are Of dried leaves ami the
roof Is made Of o~yerlapnIngs OF the
nipa palm. The stairs ar,s Of the
crndest. being no more than d notch.
ed bamboo pole o. slender trunk III
lhn fig tree.
The home Of ihe Tirruray contains
no Kind II furniture. exeept i wooden
hor filled Win dirt On which i fire
Y built fol cooking purposes; d few
mats. waish serve rs beds. and some.
Lines 9 red hammock for the babies.
They sit Turk fashion On the floor ID
eat. and their only dishes arc small
btia q fresh banana leaves. they
have Y cooking utensils i rot. call.
Cd m OLA, and i ladle for stirring,
which IL cut from The bsrk oi the Cd.
coanut.
The Tirrutays at but ono meal i
day. of chicken, rice. AMI sweet ID.
tatoes. Fish and Wild Eamc may he
added 70 the meal Il Ii can be procur.
Cd, but their methods IL catching
game are ID crude Tint thpir efforts
are no. often rewarded I'M favor.
ite mode IL catching fish lii I'M inch.
Ing the hand II III water and grasp.
ing The tish II tic FINGERS hut some
~ The Tirrurals ne bows and 4 peeul.
lar kind 81 arrow whose head Il made
of iron, triaent shaped. This head
fits over ths bamboo shaft loosely bnt