The Manóbos of Mindanáo: Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume XXIII, First Memoir - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

uch a way as to form a veritable abatis of timber.

In one place I saw a very unique and effective form of defense. A fence

surrounded the house. To gain access to the latter it was necessary to as-

cend a notched pole about 2 meters high and then to pass along two hori-

zontal bamboo poles about 10 meters long. Numerous deadly bamboo cal-

trops bristled out of the ground underneath the precarious bamboo bridge

that led to a platform whence the house could be reached only by climbing

the usual notched pole. Whosoever ventured to cross this perilous bridge,

would certainly meet death from one source or another, either from the

hurtling shower of arrows from above or from the bristling caltrops below.

THE ORIGIN OF WAR

Fighting arises from one or more of the following causes: Vendettas, sexual

3 JOHN M. GARVAN

infringements, debts, and sometimes from a system of private seizure, by

which the property or life of an innocent third party is taken. The Manóbo

expresses the same thing in a simpler way by saying that war has its origin in

two things, namely "debt (blood debt included) and deceit." It has been said

that glory and the capture of slaves are the springs of war in Manóboland,

but this, in my opinion, is not true. Nor will I concede that war is under-

taken for merely religious reasons. It is my belief, verified by numerous

observations made during several years of intimate dealing with Manóbos

throughout eastern Mindanáo, that fighting or killing takes place in order

to redress a wrong or to collect a debt, whether it be of blood or of anything

else. It is true that many who have no grievance, take part merely for the

sport, the spoil, and the glory of it, but in no case that I know of was there

wanting on the part of those who inaugurated the war a real and reasonable

motive. I have heard of cases of unjust warfare but my informants were ene-

mies of the parties against whom they complained and most probably were

calumniating them.

VENDETTAS

Vendettas, which exist in many more enlightened countries of the world, are

the most common cause of war, or it would be better to say, of the continu-

ance of war.

There is no doubt, in my mind, but that the whole eastern quarter of Min-

danáo would flame out into interclan warfare, were it not for the efficient

form of government now established there. I can bear witness to this fact,

as I was cognizant of various raids that took place from 1905 to 1907 and

of the fact that they were much less frequent from the close of 1907 till my

departure from the Agúsan Valley in 1910.

As in other countries, so in Manóboland, not only is the vendetta regarded

as legitimate but it is considered the duty of every relative of the slain to seek

revenge for his death. Living in a state of absolute independence from the

restraints of outside government, as they had been up to the beginning

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