Gugurang chief deity of Bicol pantheon

god of fire, light and thunder

In the beginning, there was fire. It crackled and burned and blazed. It was no ordinary fire that could be extinguished by a mere breeze. Such was the original Flame, which burned bright and eternal.

Two gods were born from the abyss. The stronger one represented order: his name was Gugurang. The weaker one represented chaos: his name was Asuang. Gugurang, seeking power, tamed the original Flame; Asuang, as his lover, supported him in this endeavor.

The two eventually settled in two adjacent mountains in the land we now know as Bikol. Gugurang, proud and mighty, dwelled in Mount Mayon, which he fashioned into a cone as a monument to his perfection. Meanwhile, the humble Asuang again acquiesced and dwelled in the less extravagant Mount Malinao. The two mountains faced each other, and every morning the two lovers greeted each other, one often visiting the other.

There was eventually a great quarrel. Asuang requested that Gugurang share some of his fire with him, but Gugurang, prideful as ever, refused. Asuang threatened to end their relationship, and Gugurang eventually declared war on him. As revenge, Asuang stole the original Flame and tried to share it with the humans living below the two mountains, but the Flame quickly spread and burned the forest.

Gugurang design by Brian Valeza