Dangkaw
Legend from the Ilokano People
In the olden times, there was a hunter named Dangkaw. He was widely known for his skills of hunting different animals in the forest. No one could equal the number of animals he brought home from a hunt. One day, he went hunting again in the forest. He saw a deer which he shot and killed. When he was going to pick up the deer he had killed, a beautiful woman appeared. This beauty was a fairy of the forest. She was very angry with Dangkaw for his killing the deer. She said that he must be punished. She ruled that he live in the forest, not with his family. Dangkaw had to go home accompanied by the fairy who turned invisible. He explained to his wife what had happened and bid her good-bye. He returned to the forest and the fairy reappeared. She told him that he would stay there forever and that he was going to take care of the animals in the forest. Dangkaw and the fairy got married and they stayed in the forest taking care of the different animals in the forest. The people say that when the hunters go to the mountain or the forest and they hear a shout, they would not catch anything and all the animals would leave. Even to this day, the hunters say that when they hear a shout while hunting, they cannot catch anything. So they say that Dangkaw is still there guarding the animals. From Philippine Folk Literature Series: Vol. III, The Legends (2002), compiled and edited by Damiana L. Eugenio, published by The University of the Philippines Press (shopee, amazon)
