ions, and are accepted as true by
the mass of people; while the possibility of increasing the fertility
of the husband and wife by magical acts, performed in connection with
the marriage ceremony, is unquestioned. Likewise, the wife may be
affected if she eats peculiar articles of food, [40] and unappeased
desires for fruits and the like may result disastrously both for the
expectant mother and the child. [41] The close relationship which
exists between the father and the unborn babe is clearly brought out
by various facts; for instance, the husband of a pregnant woman is
never whipped at a funeral, as are the other guests, lest it result
in injury to the child.

The fact that these mythical happenings and magical practices do not
agree with his actual knowledge in no way disturbs the Tinguian. It is
doubtful if he is conscious of a conflict; and should it be brought to
his attention, he would explain it by reference to the tales of former
times, or to the activities of superior beings. Like man in civilized
society, he seldom rationalizes about the well-known facts--religious
or otherwise--generally held by his group to be true.

It is thought that, when a mortal woman conceives, an _anito_
woman likewise becomes pregnant, and the two give birth at the same
time. Otherwise, the lives of the two children do not seem to be
closely related, though, as we shall see later, the mothers follow
the same procedure for a time after delivery (cf. p. 268).

According to common belief, supernatural beings have become possessed
at times, with menstrual blood or the afterbirth which under their
care developed into human offspring, some of whom occupy a prominent
place in the tribal mythology. [42] In the tales we are told that a
frog became pregnant, and gave birth to a child after having lapped up
the spittle of Aponitolau, [43] a maid conceived when the head-band
of her lover rested on her skirt, [44] while the customary delivery
of children during the mythical period seems to have been from between
the fingers of the expectant mother. [45] _Anitos_ and, in a few cases,
the shades of the dead have had intercourse with Tinguian women, [46]
but children of such unions are always born prematurely. As a rule, a
miscarriage is thought to be the result of union with the inhabitants
of the spirit realm, though an expectant woman is often warned not to
become angry or sorrowful lest her "blood become strong and the child
be born." Abort