REGION XIII- CARAGA
The
Legend of Dinagat Islands
(Legend)
Once upon a time in a faraway land, there
existed two different tribes that lived in fierce rivalry. The chieftain of
each tribe was known to be fearless and proud. The chieftain of the first tribe
had a handsome son named Prinsipe Gat, a pure and strong warrior
while the rival chief had a beautiful daughter named Prinsesa Dina,
an admirable virtuous lady, so unceasingly gorgeous to behold. In spite of
their tribe’s feud, Dina and Gat fell in love with each other. Because of their
father’s rivalry, they chose to keep their affair in secret. But rumors spread
around the two tribes.
Soon, both chieftains learned about their secret affair
and forbid them to see each other. And like other romantic stories, their
enduring love would conquer all obstacles. Dina and Gat chose to fight for
their perpetual love and decided to escape from their own tribes. They fled far
across the miles and sailed the oceans until they reached a secluded Island
Paradise. Here, Dina and Gat lived as husband and wife and together built the
family of their own.
The Island had been a good provider to the couple. It gave
them shelter. It gave them food. In returned, Dina and Gat nurtured and
fostered the Island as their own. They nourished and cultivated the Island they
considered a paradise and vowed to protect it for their children and their
children’s children. One day, a fleet of foreign ships carrying armies of
hundred intruders were seen coming to the Islands. Seeing the multitude of
intruders, Dina and Gat were frightened they cannot fight such huge armies of
enemies. They were scared they cannot protect the Island they considered their
home paradise. But because of their love for their children and the Islands,
they ran to the seas and dove and swam the deep blue waters of the Island. They
dove deeper and deeper until both disappeared.
Few days passed by, a separate
bulge of two Islets sprouted in the middle of the waters where the couple was
last seen. The two islets appeared so mystical it formed like giant humans
laying down to rest. It became incredibly visible that it was believed to be
the remnants of Dina and Gat, the protectors of the Islands and its children. The
first islet was called Lalakeng Bukid and the other
was called Babaeng Bukid. And from then on,
the whole Island was called DINAGAT, named after the Prinsesa
Dina and Prinsipe Gat. Today, people of
Dinagat Islands believed that the couple are still guiding and protecting them
through presence of the Lalakeng Bukid and Babaeng Bukid. That is the reason
why the people of Dinagat Islands manage to survive and endure the tests of
time.
——————————————————————————————————
FOLKTALES
1. FARMING - Offer pinipig sa tuod. Talk / pray to God of farming for
bountiful harvest.
2. YOUNG BAMBOO - Planted in the middle of the farm to drive away pest.
3. BIRTHDAYS Padugo - chicken or pig the blood will be used to mark the
baby’s forehead with a cross in his next birthday if there is no
celebration, the baby will got sick.
4. HEALING Community prayer - The leader along with two prayer leaders will lead the community
healing ritual with skull like stone rolling inside a cup while prayer
leaders plays music using stick and cup.
5. MEDICINAL HERBS - During
Holy Week they gather and collect special kinds of plants to make a (Lana)
medicinal oil. They chop it to small pieces and offer rituals to make it
effective.
6. BARANG - Wata will be placed inside the cup it will form an
image. With hair, pictures and other personal belongings of someone
who you want to suffer; will be tied on the doll and do rituals.
——————————————————————————————————
Tuwaang Attends a
Wedding
(Epic/Folktale)
Tuwaang, after
finishing some work, calls his aunt aside and informs her that the wind has
brought him a message: he is to attend the wedding of the Maiden of Momawon.
The aunt tries to dissuade him from going, for she foresees trouble. Tuwaang,
however, is determined to go. He picks the heart-shaped costume made by
goddesses, arms himself with a long blade and dagger, and takes his shield and
spear. He rides on a flash of lightning and arrives at the
"kawkawangan" grassland. While resting there a while, he hears a
"gungutan" bird crowing. He decides to catch the fowl, but soon sees
the "gungutan" with a daggerlike spur. The "gungutan" tells
Tuwaang he came to know of his coming in a dream and that he wants to go with
him to the wedding celebration. Tuwaang agrees to bring the
"gungutan" along. The two shake their shoulders and are carried into
space.
Upon arriving at
Momawon, Tuwaang is admitted into the hall. He sits on a golden stool, while
the "gungutan" perches on a crossbeam. Meantime, enchanting sounds
from afar and flowering trees signal the arrival of the Young Man of
Panayangan. Other gallants – the Young Man of Liwanon and the Young Man of the
Rising Sun – arrive. Finally, the groom, the Young Man of Sakadna, arrives with
a hundred followers. He haughtily asks the houseowner to clear the house
"of dirt," implying the people in the house who do not count. To this
insult Tuwaang answers there are "red
leaves," i.e. heroes, in the house.
Preliminaries of
the wedding ceremony start. The "savakan" (bride-wealth consisting of
articles and wrapped food to be paid for by the groom's kinsmen) are offered
one by one, until only the two most costly remain. One is given the value of an
ancient gong with ten bosses and nine relief-rings; the other is redeemable
only by a golden guitar and a golden flute. The groom confesses his inability
to redeem these articles. Tuwaang saves the groom from the embarrassing
predicament by taking his place: through his magic breath he produces a more
ancient gong, which is accepted by the bride's party. He also produces the
golden flute and golden guitar.
The bride is now
asked to come out of her room and serve the guests some betel chew.
She commands her betel box to serve everyone. Magically
the betel box obeys, with the betel chew jumping into
the mouths of the guests. After two betel chews leap into the groom's
mouth, the betel box moves on to Tuwaang, before whom it stops
altogether. Tuwaang brushes it away, but the box does not budge. The bride
decides to sit beside Tuwaang.
After the bride
unrolls and combs Tuwaang's hair, Tuwaang goes
down to fight. The "gungutan", meanwhile, has been fighting the groom's
men and has slain a number of them until only six gallants remain. Tuwaang and
the gungutan engage the six gallants.
Finally only
Tuwaang and the Young Man of Sakadna are left moving about. Tuwaang is thrown
against a boulder, which turns into dust. Trees
get bent and topple. Tuwaang gets hold of his foe, throws him down so hard that
he sinks into the earth. The Young Man of Sakadna surfaces quickly and
confronts Tuwaang once more. Tuwaang in turn is thrust into the earth and sinks
into the Underworld. There he talks to Tuhawa', god of the Underworld, who
tells him the secret to overcoming his foe. Tuwaang surfaces and summons the
golden flute in which the Young Man of Sakadna keeps his life. Tuwaang asks his
foe to become his vassal in exchange for his life. The groom prefers death.
Tuwaang therefore destroys the golden flute, ending his protagonist's life.
Accompanied by the
"gungutan", Tuwaang takes his bride home to Kuaman, where he rules
forever.
Soon, both chieftains learned about their secret affair and forbid them to see each other. And like other romantic stories, their enduring love would conquer all obstacles. Dina and Gat chose to fight for their perpetual love and decided to escape from their own tribes. They fled far across the miles and sailed the oceans until they reached a secluded Island Paradise. Here, Dina and Gat lived as husband and wife and together built the family of their own.
1. FARMING - Offer pinipig sa tuod. Talk / pray to God of farming for
bountiful harvest.
2. YOUNG BAMBOO - Planted in the middle of the farm to drive away pest.
3. BIRTHDAYS Padugo - chicken or pig the blood will be used to mark the
baby’s forehead with a cross in his next birthday if there is no
celebration, the baby will got sick.
4. HEALING Community prayer - The leader along with two prayer leaders will lead the community
healing ritual with skull like stone rolling inside a cup while prayer
leaders plays music using stick and cup.
5. MEDICINAL HERBS - During
Holy Week they gather and collect special kinds of plants to make a (Lana)
medicinal oil. They chop it to small pieces and offer rituals to make it
effective.
6. BARANG - Wata will be placed inside the cup it will form an
image. With hair, pictures and other personal belongings of someone
who you want to suffer; will be tied on the doll and do rituals.
Tuwaang Attends a Wedding
(Epic/Folktale)
Tuwaang, after
finishing some work, calls his aunt aside and informs her that the wind has
brought him a message: he is to attend the wedding of the Maiden of Momawon.
The aunt tries to dissuade him from going, for she foresees trouble. Tuwaang,
however, is determined to go. He picks the heart-shaped costume made by
goddesses, arms himself with a long blade and dagger, and takes his shield and
spear. He rides on a flash of lightning and arrives at the
"kawkawangan" grassland. While resting there a while, he hears a
"gungutan" bird crowing. He decides to catch the fowl, but soon sees
the "gungutan" with a daggerlike spur. The "gungutan" tells
Tuwaang he came to know of his coming in a dream and that he wants to go with
him to the wedding celebration. Tuwaang agrees to bring the
"gungutan" along. The two shake their shoulders and are carried into
space.
Upon arriving at
Momawon, Tuwaang is admitted into the hall. He sits on a golden stool, while
the "gungutan" perches on a crossbeam. Meantime, enchanting sounds
from afar and flowering trees signal the arrival of the Young Man of
Panayangan. Other gallants – the Young Man of Liwanon and the Young Man of the
Rising Sun – arrive. Finally, the groom, the Young Man of Sakadna, arrives with
a hundred followers. He haughtily asks the houseowner to clear the house
"of dirt," implying the people in the house who do not count. To this
insult Tuwaang answers there are "red
leaves," i.e. heroes, in the house.
Preliminaries of
the wedding ceremony start. The "savakan" (bride-wealth consisting of
articles and wrapped food to be paid for by the groom's kinsmen) are offered
one by one, until only the two most costly remain. One is given the value of an
ancient gong with ten bosses and nine relief-rings; the other is redeemable
only by a golden guitar and a golden flute. The groom confesses his inability
to redeem these articles. Tuwaang saves the groom from the embarrassing
predicament by taking his place: through his magic breath he produces a more
ancient gong, which is accepted by the bride's party. He also produces the
golden flute and golden guitar.
The bride is now
asked to come out of her room and serve the guests some betel chew.
She commands her betel box to serve everyone. Magically
the betel box obeys, with the betel chew jumping into
the mouths of the guests. After two betel chews leap into the groom's
mouth, the betel box moves on to Tuwaang, before whom it stops
altogether. Tuwaang brushes it away, but the box does not budge. The bride
decides to sit beside Tuwaang.
The groom blushes;
he is shamed. He decides to fight Tuwaang. He goes down the house and
challenges Tuwaang to come down to the yard.
After the bride
unrolls and combs Tuwaang's hair, Tuwaang goes
down to fight. The "gungutan", meanwhile, has been fighting the groom's
men and has slain a number of them until only six gallants remain. Tuwaang and
the gungutan engage the six gallants.
Finally only
Tuwaang and the Young Man of Sakadna are left moving about. Tuwaang is thrown
against a boulder, which turns into dust. Trees
get bent and topple. Tuwaang gets hold of his foe, throws him down so hard that
he sinks into the earth. The Young Man of Sakadna surfaces quickly and
confronts Tuwaang once more. Tuwaang in turn is thrust into the earth and sinks
into the Underworld. There he talks to Tuhawa', god of the Underworld, who
tells him the secret to overcoming his foe. Tuwaang surfaces and summons the
golden flute in which the Young Man of Sakadna keeps his life. Tuwaang asks his
foe to become his vassal in exchange for his life. The groom prefers death.
Tuwaang therefore destroys the golden flute, ending his protagonist's life.
Accompanied by the
"gungutan", Tuwaang takes his bride home to Kuaman, where he rules
forever.
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