Origin Myths among the Mountain Peoples of the Philippines

by H. Otley Beyer

The bringing of fire to the Earth World.—On the third day, Kabigát requested leave to return, but Muntálog answered: “Wait one day more, until I in my turn go to my father Mumbónan͠g.” Muntálog found his father and mother seated facing each other; and, upon his arrival, his mother, Mumboniag, came forward and asked him: “What news do you bring from those lower regions, and why do you come?” The father also became aware of the presence of his son, through the questioning of the mother, and inquired likewise as to the reason of his coming. Muntálog answered: “I have come, father, to ask thee for fire for some Ifugaos who remain in the house of Ambúmabbákal.” “My son,” the father replied, “those Ifugaos of yours could not arrive at (or, come to) Mumbónan͠g without danger of being burned to cinders.” Then he continued: “It is well! Approach me!”[41] Muntálog accordingly approached Mumbónan͠g, who said to him: “Seize hold of one of those bristles that stand out from my hair,” and so Muntálog did, noticing that the said point faced the north, and he placed it in his hand. Then Mumbónan͠g said to him again: “Come nigh! Take this white part, or extremity, of the eye that looks toward the northeast, toward the place called Gonhádan.” And he took it and placed it in his hand. And Mumbónan͠g said to him once more: “Come near again, and take the part black as coal, the dirt of my ear which is as the foulness of my ear.” And so he did. Then Mumbónan͠g said to Muntálog: “Take these things and bring them to thy son Ambúmabbákal and to N͠gílîn, in order that the latter may give them to the Ifugaos.” And he said again to Muntálog: “Take this white of my eye (flint), this wax from my ear (tinder), and this bristle or point like steel for striking fire, in order that thou mayst have the wherewith to attain what thou seekest (that is, fire), and to give gradually from hand to hand to the Ifugao; and tell him not to return to live in Kai-án͠g, but to live in Otbóbon, and cut down the trees and make a clearing there, and then to get together dry grass; and that they make use of the steel for striking fire, holding it together in this manner, and burying it in the grass. And on making the clearing if they see that snakes, owls, or other things of evil omen approach, it is a sign that they are going to die or to have misfortunes. But if they do not approach them, it is a sign that it will go well with them in that place; that the soil will be productive, and that they will be happy.”

IV

The journey to Ifugao land from the East.—Upon the return of Muntálog, at the termination of the fourth day, he said to Búgan and Kabigát: “Now ye can go but let N͠gílîn and Ambúmabbákal accompany you as far as the house of Lin͠gan,[42] in order that there they may make the cloth or clothes necessary for wrapping the child according to the usage of the Earth World.”

Lin͠gan actually furnished to them the cloth and the seamstress to make the swaddling clothes for the child—and then they continued their journey unto the house of Ambúmabbákal. The latter said to them: “Take this cloth and this pair of fowls, male and female, and do not return to live at Kai-áhan͠g but go to Otbóbon.” And Ambúmabbákal accompanied them to the house of N͠gílîn á Man͠gón͠gan[43] and said to the latter: “It will be well if we beseech the búni[44] to take pity on these poor people, considering the great distance that still remains to them unto Otbóbon, and keeping in mind also the great heat that prevails.” So they did, saying: “Ye búni, take pity upon these unhappy ones and shorten for them the distance.” The prayer was heard, and after two or three days they found themselves at the end of their journey.

V

The peopling of Ifugao land.—Having arrived at Otbóbon, they built a temporary hut on fertile land. Later they constructed a good house, and it was just after it was finished that Búgan gave birth to a healthy boy; and the fowls also procreated.

The child grew a little, but there came to him an unlooked-for sickness. Then Kabigát remembered that Ambúmabbákal had advised them to offer fowls to their ancestors in case any sickness should come upon them. So they killed a rooster and a hen, and offered them to Ampúal, Wigan, and their other ancestors. The child recovered and began to grow very robust and plump. They named him Balitúk. Búgan conceived again, and she gave birth to a strong girl, to whom she gave the name of Lin͠gan. These children grew up, and, having attained a marriageable age, were married like their parents, and gave origin to the Silipanes.[45]

Their parents, Kabigát and Búgan, had a second son, on whom they placed the name Tad-óna, and then another daughter, whom they called Inúke. She and Tad-óna did what their parents and brother and sister had done, and gave birth to Kabigát, the second, and Búgan, the second. These latter two, imitating the preceding ones, were united in wedlock and begot sons and daughters who peopled the remainder of the Ifugao region.[46]

VI

Establishment of religious ceremonies.—Upon their marriage Tad-óna and Inúke did not offer pigs or fowls to the búni as was customary. This being observed by Líddum from Kabúnian, he descended and asked them: “Why have ye not offered sacrifices?” They answered him that they were ignorant of such a custom or ceremony. Then Líddum returned to Kabúnian and brought them the yeast with which to make búbûd, or wine from fermented rice; and he taught Tad-óna the method of making it, saying: “Place it in jars on the third day,” and he returned to the Sky World. On the fifth day he came down again to teach them the manner of making the mum-búni.[47]