The Gods and the Creation of the World:
Philippine myths show that our ancient peoples believed in one supreme god and in a number of lesser gods and goddesses. Sometimes the name of the god is not given, he is simply referred to as the Supreme God, great Being, or God the Most high. Most of the time, their names were given, and these names varied with the different tribes: Bathala for the Tagalogs, Mangetchay for the Pampangos, Gugurang for the Bicols, Lumawig and Kabunian for the Bontoc and Igorot, Liddum for the Ifugao, Mahal Makakaako for the Mangyan, Laon for the Visayans, Magbabaya for the Bukidnons, Sualla or Tullus for the tiruray, Melu for the Blaan, Makalidug for the Manobo of the Agusan Valley, Diwata for the Bagobo, Manama for the Munuvu, the couple-god Kadaw La Sambad and the Bulon La Mogaw for the Tiboli.
In many myths, the supreme god is the creator of the world. Sometimes people were merely told that the god made the earth and no further details. In some myths, the creation of the world was not the work of a supreme being but rather the outcome of a struggle between hostile forces.
Why
There is High Tide during a Full Moon
Long, long ago only gods lived in this world,
the earth, seas, and sky were ruled by three different powerful gods.The sun god, who ruled the sky, had a very beautiful daughter, Luna, the moon. Luna enjoyed going around the heavens in her golden chariot. One day she found herself taking another path which led her outside her kingdom. She wandered on until she reached the place where the sky met the sea. Beautiful and unusual sights greeted her eyes. As she was admiring the beautiful things around, a voice startled her. It asked, "Where has thou come from, most beautiful one?"
Turning around she saw a young man who looked much like her father though fairer. She wanted to run away, but when she looked at him again, she saw that he was smiling at her. Taking courage she answered, "I am Luna, daughter of the sun god."
The young man smiled at her and answered, "I am Mar, the son of the sea god. Welcome to our kingdom." Soon the two became good friends. They had many interesting stories to tell each other. When it was time for Luna to go, they promised to see each other as often as they could, for they has many more tales to tell. They continued meeting at the same spot until they realized that they were in love with each other.
One day after one of their secret meetings, Luna went back to the heavens full of joy. She was so happy that she told her secret to one of her cousins. The cousin, jealous of her beauty and her happiness, reported the affair to the sun god. The sun god was angered at his daughter's disobedience to the immortal laws. He shut her in their garden and did not allow her to get out. Then he sent a messenger to the sea god informing him that his son Mar disobeyed the immortal law. The sea god, who was also angered by his son's disobedience, imprisoned him in one of his sea caves.
Luna stayed in the garden for sometime. She was very sad at not being able to see Mar. She longed to be with him again. Feeling very restless one day, she escaped from the garden. She took her golden chariot and rushed to their meeting place. Mar, who was imprisoned in the sea cave, saw her reflection on the water. He wanted to get out to meet her. He tried hard to get out of his cave causing unrest in the sea. Luna waited for Mar to appear, but he did not come. Then she went back home very sad. Each time she remembered Mar, she would rush out in the golden chariot to the meeting place in hopes of seeing him again.
The fishermen out in the sea believe that each time Luna, the moon, appears, the sea gets troubled. "It is Mar trying to escape from his cave," they say.
LEGENDS
Legend
of Mag-asawang Tubig
In the olden days, there was a small town in which
a few farmers' families lived. Among them was the couple known as Ba Imo and Ba
Sinta. They were well liked and respected in that place, for although
they were well off, they were humble and generous.One day Bathala put them to the test. A beggar in tattered clothes came to their house and asked for lodgings. The couple very hospitably welcomed their guest and even joined him for a meal at their table. To the great amazement of the couple, although they had been eating for sometime, the food at the table did not decrease. Realizing that their guest was God, the couple knelt before him and prayed. The old man blessed them. In their prayer, the couple asked that they may die at the same time, so that neither of them would experience grief and loneliness which would surely happen if one of them died first.
God
granted the wish of the couple. They died at the same time and were
buried in adjoining graves. Not long afterwards, a brook sprang from
their graves. This later grew and grew until it became a river, which was
named Mag-asawang Tubig in memory of the loving couple.
The
Origin of the Stars
Hundreds of years ago, some people say there
were no stars. The sun was a mighty god, ruler of the day. Buan,
the moon, was a rival god of the sun and desired to rule both day and
night. Lihangin, god of the wind, was a friend of both the sun and the
moon. One day he went to visit Araw, god of the sun, to warm himself. When they were sitting together, Araw told Lihangin that he had bad feelings toward Buan. He said that he noticed him showing during the day. This meant that Baun desired to occupy a part of Araw's kingdom. Lihangin wanted them to be good friends. He told Buan not to occupy any part of Araw's kingdom. He said that Araw was fair and just, so Buan must be, too. The moon did not pay attention to his advice. He continued to shine during the latter part of the day and sometimes during the morning. Araw could not bear it. He told Buan not to do it any more. Buan insisted. They had a quarrel. Buan was badly hit. Parts of his body were scattered around, and these became the stars, leaving the moon without its former light. Such was the origin of the stars.
FOLKTALES
One very hot day, when a carabao
went into the river to bathe, he met a shell and they began talking together.
"You are very slow," said
the carabao to the shell.
"Oh, no," replied the
shell. "I can beat you in a race."
"Then let us try and see,"
said the carabao.
So they went out on the bank and
started to run.
After the carabao had gone a long
distance he stopped and called, "Shell!"
And another shell lying by the river
answered, "Here I am!"
Then the carabao, thinking that it
was the same shell with which he was racing, ran on.
By and by he stopped again and
called, "Shell!"
And another shell answered,
"Here I am!"
The carabao was surprised that the
shell could keep up with him. But he ran on and on, and every time he stopped
to call, another shell answered him. But he was determined that the shell
should not beat him, so he ran until he dropped dead.
One day a little boy named Elonen
sat out in the yard making a bird snare, and as he worked, a little bird called
to him: "Tik-tik-lo-den" (come and catch me).
"I am making a snare for
you," said the boy; but the bird continued to call until the snare was
finished.
Then Elonen ran and threw the snare
over the bird and caught it, and he put it in a jar in his house while he went
with the other boys to swim.
While he was away, his grandmother
grew hungry, so she ate the bird, and when Elonen returned and found that his
bird was gone, he was so sad that he wished he might go away and never come
back. He went out into the forest and walked a long distance, until finally he
came to a big stone and said: "Stone, open your mouth and eat me."
And the stone opened its mouth and swallowed the boy.
When his grandmother missed the boy,
she went out and looked everywhere, hoping to find him. Finally she passed near
the stone and it cried out: "Here he is." Then the old woman tried to
open the stone but she could not, so she called the horses to come and help
her. They came and kicked it, but it would not break. Then she called the
carabao and they hooked it, but they only broke their horns. She called the
chickens, which pecked it, and the thunder, which shook it, but nothing could
open it, and she had to go home without the boy.
