2 myth, 2 legend and 2 folktales

2 Myth in Davao Region

Manananggal

       

                      A manananggal (self-segmenter) is most often a woman, who at night goes to some dark part of the woods or forest, and after uttering a mysterious incantation, allows her upper  torso to be split from her lower body. She grows huge bat like wings, her nails growing abnormally long and sharp and then her eyes and face metamorphose into a devil like feature. She flies at night usually on the full moons to hunt. One particular night, while we were out hunting, i was particularly drawn certain shrub that was peculiar to a certain breed of spider. As I was looking, i was surprised to find a white form, actually a dress ( from the waist down to the feet), standing near the bush. My surprise turned into shock as i found out that it was a woman's body, served waist. Her legs, ankle and feet were quite visible in the moonlight that i immediately realized it was a manananggal. This was a type of fear some aswang with a huge bat's wing that hunts out in the forests at night. 

Aswang

                At night, the aswang is said to look like a huge bird, sitting on rooftops and allowing their long, slender like proboscis to slip inside the small roof openings and into their unsuspecting sleeping victims below. Its tongue is alleged to prick the jugular veins of its intended victims and at times, enter orifices of pregnant women to sip out their unborn, fresh fetuses. Aswang is reputedly known throughout, at it is feared in the Philippines islands. As early as 1564 when the legazpi expedition made a landfall at leyte,samar and davao, the officers and men were warned by the Samareno natives from venturing far out after sunset. It is said that supernatural creatures called "aswang" hunt by night and will make no remorse killing even armed strangers. There was a  report made by the commander of the expedition to Queen Isabella as to this particular "Phenomena"  

2 Folktales

Subanon Folktales

                             Many years ago in the village of Gayan,Liloy, Zamboanga Del Norte, there live a widow. She was a weaver named Logoloqan. She had only one son. 

One day, Logoloqan took a bath in the river. After her bath, she was surprised to see a fish scale on her feet. She continued taking a bath everyday since she always felt very warm. She was surprised to note that every time she took a bath, another fish scale grew on her body. 

Finally, when she had so many scales all over, she told her son that she could no longer stay in their house. She requested her son to build a fence by the bank of the river where she could live. With tears in his eyes and sadness in his heart, the poor boy obeyed his mother. So by the river bank Logoloqan live by herself. There she again requested her son to tell the Timuway and his followers not to throw any dead animal into the river. At this, the Timuway got angry and asked one of his slaves to throw a dead fowl over here fence. She bade good bye to her son and swam away into the river. There she wandered and became the first crocodile

Monobo Folktales

(Serpents/Ka Uled)

There was an old couple who had no children. They possessed the power of foretelling the future, so their followers believed them. That time there was a famine. All of them experienced starvation and many of them died. The famine became so severe with the burning of forests. All people and animals suffered from hunger. Many also suffered from different kinds of illness.

While the famine intensified, the spirit entered into the old woman

The spirit through this woman said that something fearful was about to come. It would look frightening but his would help them in many ways. That time really came as told by the old woman, and the people were shaken when they heard a sound.

The old woman saw them, and so she warned them to stop and not to go away. Then that frightful thing approached them

The old man also looked at it and he saw a big animal with horns and ears. It looked as though it was panting and wet

The old man touched the old woman, and he pointed to that frightful thing. The old woman also looked at it, and she said that they would just wait for it.

Then she told the people that they should just watch if for god was with them

When that big frightful thing finally arrived, it was seen as a big serpent

That was what the old folks called before as "Tendayag" It looked fearful but it could help the people

When it got near them, they saw the different types of fist jumping alive around the scales of the serpent's body

The old woman said, "You get near it, and you pick up some fish." They picked up plenty because their baskets were filled. The serpent continued crawling until it reached the place of Kituved

Some people followed the serpent. When it reached Kituved, it raised its head to find out if somebody would answer if it would shout.

The people projected that the answer might come somewhere from the Merepangi waterfall, and the serpent went there. It lowered its body, and it really showed how bit it was because the earth eroded. That is why that mountain is called "Kimenembag" or eroded

It left the area and moved towards Merepengi

When it arrived, it crawled under the waterfall. The foaming bubbles made it obvious that the two had finally met Blood and rotten leaves of trees floated in the water

Not long after, one came out and then the other followed. They came out and talked to each other as serpents

"We will take off our serpent's cloak becauase we are both humans." "Yes," said tje other one

And they turned into human beings. Now, they faced each other and each held a weapon. AS they faced each other, they stared at each.

One said, " Are you Menelism?"

"Why, are you Bete-ey?"

They both answered, "Yes!"

" Since you are Menelism, you go back to heaven; while I will stay here on earth," said Bete-ey who was his brother. " for I will help and teach righteousness to the people."

2 legends

The Durian Legends

The Durian legent setting theme plot resolution group indebtedness perseverance madayaw-bayho didn't love the ugly king, so she run away. Barom-mai seek help from the wise hermit.
The wide hermit told him to find three things. The egg of the black tabon: twelve ladles of white carabao's milk; and the nectar from the flower of the tree of make believe. Barom- mai got those things easily with the help of some friends. He gave it ti the hermit and the hermit mixed the three things and planted it. It grew into a durian tree. Barom-mai brought the fruit his wife who ate it. She fell in love with the king after eating it. They successfully returned to their kingdom and feasted. But they forgot to invite the hermit. The hermit angrily said that the delicious fruit with offensive odor should be covered with thorns. Since then, the DURIAN fruit is thorny but delicious.
  

Mt. Apo Legend

A long time ago there lived a brave warrior by the name of Apong. He was well liked and revered in the kingdom of Tumanggong.

He had a lovely daughter, popular and loved by many warriors in the nearby kingdoms. Her name was Sari. She had long dark tresses and a soft sweet voice.

Of her many suitors, two were very persistent. These were Maisug and Maranao. Of the two, the beautiful princess had already given heart to Maisug, who was brave and good at heart. Maranao, however, was not to be pushed aside. He went to the palace, planted his feet apart, thrust his spear in the ground, and demanded the hand of the princess.

Sari ran to her father and pleaded with him, saying that Maisug was the only man for her.Maranao, however, was insistent in his demand. He proposed that a duel be fought between him and Maisug. The outcome of the fight was to determine who of the two was more fitted to marry the princess. Sari insisted to her father she would wed only Maisug, and that there was no need for a duel. Besides, she told her father, Maranao was a treacherous man.

Apong, however, could not go against tradition and the law of the land, and so he ordered the holding of a duel between the two suitors.

Both warriors were good, and so the battle continued into the middle of the night. Suddenly, the traitorous Maranao scooped up a handful of sand and threw this in the face of Maisug. Blinded by the sand, Maisug could not see to defend himself.

Maranao was about to thrust his spear into his opponent’s heart, when Apong stepped in to stop him. He was trying to parry the thrust of Maranao’s pear and shield Maisug from the blow.

Maranao would not stop, and instead thrust his spear into Apong’s heart. The old man fell, bleeding, to the ground. But, before breathing his last, he uttered a curse on Maranao.

Sari, Maisug nd Apong’s faithful followers dug a grave and laid his remains right on the spot where Apong had fallen and died.

The mound was called Mount Apo, to commemorate the death of Apong. Later, “Apong” was shortened to “Apo.”