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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
February, 1939
LIFE A N D DEATH IN THE IFUG AO V ILLAGE t Pictured at the top of this page is a shelf beneath a dwelling in the village described in this story. The village is inhabited by former head-hunters who are still without Christ. Over twelve human skulls were found on this shelf. # In the central photograph is a round sa cred stone where the villagers sacrifice to the devil, as they themselves acknowledge. Truly, "the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God" (I Cor. 10:20, R.V.). 9 Below is the funeral scene described by the author. The corpse is upright in the cen ter, and the fire of coals appears between the feet. The photographs on this page were taken by the author. both man and beast. The ground about and beneath the huts was damp and foul with unwholesome odors, but gave the ap pearance of being quite packed down by the trampling both of the animals and of the bare feet of the villagers as they passed about. Furthermore, most of the people seemed to be chewing the obnoxious betel nut and spitting thè bright red juice freely about the ground. Surrounded as these unattractive people were by their wonderland of green-car peted rice terraces which are fed by spark ling mountain rivulets—the jade growth interlaced by the ashen terrace walls pro ducing a symphony in green and gray— the striking words of the hymn writer came vividly to mind: "Though every prospect pleases, And only man is vile.” It is hard to realize the depth of depravity to which man can sink where heathenism holds sway. Mourning the Dead We made our way to the front edge of the village where we found a group sitting about a low smouldering lire and keeping vigil before the corpse of the recently de ceased. The body of the dead woman was strapped in a lifelike sitting position upon a "throne" of carabao* horns under a house. Directly before her was the burn ing fire to keep away the evil spirits which are so much feared. At one side sat a tri bal heathen priest chanting a plaintive wail in a further effort to keep dreaded demons away. The whole thing was a ghastly sight, and the mournful sound with the add ed unpleasant odor was enough to make one not care to linger. So unprepared does their pagan faith leave these people that often the death cry is taken up by almost all in the village. There is a continuous calling upon the soul of the dead to return. The mate or parents of the deceased may emerge occasionally from the hut and, approaching the corpse, throw their arms around it, crying for the departed not to leave them, the whole while weeping most passionately. From what we could learn, it is their custom to leave the corpse sitting in this * Water buffalo.
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