be large enough, also
the parents of the pair, go up and squat down in the rear. The bride
and bridegroom also squat down facing each other, and the old man
comes forward and knocks their heads together. I was told at Subig
that only the bride and groom mount the platform and seat themselves
for a talk, the relatives remaining below facing each other with
drawn weapons. If by any chance the pair can not agree, it means a
fight. But if they do agree, they descend from the platform and the
head bumping completes the ceremony. This is an extremely unlikely
story, probably the product of Malayan imagination.

"Leput," or Home Coming

After the ceremony has been performed the newly wedded pair return
to the home of the girl's parents where they remain a few days. When
the husband possesses enough gifts for his bride to fulfill the
requirements of the leput that important event takes place.

Although the writer heard repeated accounts of this ceremony in
southern Zambales he never had an opportunity to witness it. However,
the leput is described as follows by Mr. C. J. Cooke, who saw it in
Bataan: [21]

The bride had already left the home of her mother and formed the
center of a group passing through a grove of heavy timber with
very little underbrush. The evening sun cast strange shadows on
the weird procession as it moved snakelike along the narrow path.

Occasionally there would be short stops, when the bride would squat
to receive some bribes or tokens from her husband, his relatives,
or friends. Nor would she move until she received something each
time she elected to stop.

Clad in a bright-red breechcloth and extra-high silk hat was the
capitan who headed the procession. He carried a silver-headed
cane. Next in order came some of the elders of both sexes. Then
came the bride attended by four women and closely followed by
her husband, who also had a like number of attendants. Last
came the main body, all walking in single file. Two musicians
were continually executing a running dance from one end of the
procession to the other and always keeping time with their crude
drums or copper gongs, the noise of which could be heard for
miles around. Whenever they passed the bride they would hold
the instruments high in the air, leaping and gyrating at their
best. When the bride would squat the dancers would even increase
their effort