Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-31
Tirrurays Of
MindanaO

- uNN "a Ntiptno NhNA
grasring procliyities to the extent o
going from house 10 house and diyid
Ing each garden plot in two, them
selves taking halt, and compelling I'll,
Tirrnrays to harvest the crops ant
carry them through deep. swiftsflow
ing streams and dense iungles to ths
Moros' mountain homes farther III
land. Fearing that they bad been tot
magnanimous In leaving half OF tht
crop for the Tirrnrays. they devised
many schemes whereby they could oh
tain the rest of II. Chief among then
was the levying OF taxes for alleged
offences committed by their victims
For instance, the greatest fine paid
by the Ttrrnray was for the direct
insult he flung into the Moro's face
every time he ate a piece OK pork
The Tirrurays are not Mohammedans
like the Moros, and abstinence from
pork Ii not d part of their religion
but The Moros claimed that these
people only ate the flesh Of the wild
boar In order TO displease their op.
pressors, and accordingly they were
compelled TO pay dearly for the deli.
cacy.
~ n
The Tirrurays bore all this injustice
will admirable patience, but they
never allowed a Moro 10 come singly
afnong them and yet away with his
lhe Many times, being warned that
their enemies were descending upon
them, the weaker people would collect
IN q forest jungle near the ROAD
through which they knew he Moros
must pass, and pounce upon them
with their well-sharpened iances.
crises. and campilans. and succeed Id
killing them every one. They would
show not q ray Of mercy, and Ii d
single Moro remained painting With i
breath Of life. he was dispatched In
the cruellest manner.
The Tirrurays profess To I'D Chris.
tians, which has been the principal
reason that syncrctism between them
and the Moro was Impossible. They
claim TO believe In a God, a devil
many devils, In fact--and in patron
saints. They believe In itsser divlnf.
Ties. too, among whom they place
their belianes. or priests. Before en-
folding themselves In The straw mats.
which serve both for-hcd AMI cover.
ing, the women Join IA chanting q
strange. wierd threnody, which. tells
4 man, called I.aQucy Lenqcuos.
who was once q wise, verw wise, be.
lain, among the people Of the earth,
but now apotheosixcd into q heaven
y conception. Another song tells that
his son, whom they call Matelcgu
ssrrendam. really sprang from 4
Jewel. fully endowed with deyeloped
senses, like Minerva from the brain
Jupiter. Matelegu Is, Of course,
Christ OF the Tirrurays, and upou
lAeir belief In HIM as d divinity IL
Iounded their claim 10 Christianity.
they are far from being Christ.
ans 10 any sense 81 the word. They
no mode OF prayer. They have
70 confidence in the power of their
iod; 70 them he Is neither omnipo.
ent nor omnipresent, and they never
mink OF confiding their sorrows 10
Inn through the medium OF their
'riests or asking forgiveness for any
committed. Their religion Il but
OF their many Legends, and what
hey really believe In Is a series az
nominations, witcheries and charms,
Their priests are so.caIled because
hey profess 70 have dreamed of Ia.
Lenqcuos and 70 have had com. !
nunication with that divinity. These 8
live in peculiarly constructed
'oilses. called tenlnes, in which are !
hall. wits and idiots. and they y
lain that the words OF these m. 4
ated creatures are the words OF God. 1
ear the entrances OF these tenines Q
placed curlously shaped recep. q
'cics, resembling large tunnels, which
repositories for buyo tthe' bctcI. D
chewed by all Malays) which Is |
Fousht aa offerings to God, and which Y
= priests themselves masticate with \
Inch eusto. These receptaclcs are q
50 found near almost every dwell n
Y OF the Tirrurays. In these are il
laced the offerings, bit by bit, and v
hen a sufficient quantity is accum. O
u Ii carried TO the priests Q
'ceptacie. The Tirruray' s idea Of God 81
mat ne Is tall and shapely. with b
'onxed features. Ike their own, and u
~ filed and blackened teeth. They Ii
ink ~ spends his time beating d u
m'tom When they wish 10 attract n
= attention 70 their dances (which d,
2 their prayers they beat their 81