#philippinemyth

Si Angngalo

1997 Pen and Ink

Among the Visayans there is the story of Angngalo, the local version of Atlas. Angngalo is a giant who holds the skyworld on his shoulders, and from his excrement and urine came the land and water masses.

Every time Angngalo shifted his position or scratched his back, earthquakes were formed. His situation was not a form of punishment, rather it was his job as a god of the earth.

Angngalo wore a giant colorfully flowing loin cloth which later became the rainbow. In the local language, the word for rainbow is bahaghari, and by its root word bahag means loin cloth and hari means king. Thus, bahaghari means the king’s loin cloth.

Katutubong Kwento: Nga Hamiton

2003

Tempera and Colored Pens on Paper

Katutubong Kwento: Malakás at Magandá

2003

Acrylic on Board

The common myth of the first man and woman is that they were born of a plant that was split into two by a hungry bird, the man and woman emerge from the split bamboo trunk.

To the ancient Tagálog people: the first man was named “Malakas” that meant “the Strong One”, and the first woman was named “Maganda” that meant “the Beautiful One”

Syiokoy

1997 Pen and Ink

Ang Pagdarating ni Makadingding

1997 Pen and Ink

In the Bukidnon epic of Baybayan, the arrival of the Makadingding, the giant boar, was one of the signs of the last day of man on earth.

According to the story, on the fateful day, two suns will shine across the sky and the giant boar, Makadingding, will appear. Once the people slay the great beast and feast on its magical meat, will the Salimbal, or giant ark, appear from the sky to take the chosen to the skyworld.

Lalapindow-ai

1997 Pen and Ink

One of the minor stories in the Daragen, the Maranao epic, is the tale of Lalapindow-ai, the wasp.

Once, Lalapindow-ai was a human farmer who asked his wife, Odang, to bring him his lunch to the farm rather than he return home and waste the time traveling.

One day, out of laziness, Odang refused to bring the food to her husband. For her transgression, the gods punished her by turning her into a shrimp a dropped her into the pot of food, where she turned red and got cooked.

Lalapindow-ai, upon returning home looking for his wife and his lunch, discovered what had transpired. In his ire, he started to tighten his belt, knowing he will have to go on with little food now that his wife was dead.

At that, Lalapindow-ai was turned into a wasp, and that is why wasps have thin waists.

Makalindog

1997 Pen and Ink

According to Yligueyen belief, the world is supported by giant pillars under the sea, and here resides the giant serpent, Makalindog. Each time the Makalindog moves, an earthquake is created.

In other countries as well as other cultures in the Philippines, there are similar stories of earthquake serpents. To some it is either the earthquake god or his pet.