*Note this story is in Bicol-Albay
Nata mo kakatakutan an kagagdanon?
May iisturya ako saindo.
Kaitong panahon, may mayamanon na babayi na nakaistar harani sa dagat. Dai sya nin maski sarong bisita, ta muya nya sana ang katahimikan na naitatao kan saiyang dakulaon na harong. Nagiistambay sana sya maghapon asin magdamlag sa may dagat, nagbibilang kang mga bituon asin baybay.
May kasaro-sarui sana syang kabarkada na daing kaparehas na tawo sa bilog na kinaban, ta ito bako talagang tawo. Kurukaiba nya pimi an anino kan kagagdanon na nakakaina kan saiyang kamunduan. Inot sindang nagkamidbidan kan kinua kan aninong ini an buhay kang ina kang babayi. Dai sya nakakamati nin maski anong takot ta sa paghiling nya, tigsasabat kang mga tawo ang anino kang kagagdanon na may kapakumbabaan.
“Nata dai ka nagdudulag sa takot?” an anino naghapot. “Ika ay parte kang kagayunan nin buhay”. An babayi suminimbag.
Kaito pa man ay dai pa naaapod na magayon an anino kang kagagdanon kaya ini nag tagal pa hanggang sa matapos kang babayi an larao, ritwal seremonyas ngane maprotektahan an lawas kan saiyang ini sa mga magdulot ki maraot saiya sa lugar pagkatapos kan kagagdanon. An anino luway-luway na namuot sa babayi pagkatapos kaito, ta dai pa maski saro kaito na ruminespeto kang kagagdanon tulad kan pagrespeto kan babayi.
An anino kang kagagdanon ugaring ay maimunon, muya nya na saiya sana an babayi. Tigsundan nya ini hanggang sa may baybayon sa gilid kan dagat asin nagplanong butodon na sana ini ngane makairiba nya na pirmi.
An babayi ugaring ay matali man, naaraman nya ang tigpaplano kan anino kang kagagdanon. Huminali sya sa saiyang harong asin duminuman sa harong kan saiyang lola. Ta ining lola ay may makusog na kakayanan na hinabuan man sana kan saiyang apong babayi. Ngunyan, dai ng mapapaniruan ining babayi ta an anino kan kagagdanon ay harani na.
Kan yaon na su anino ngane kuwaon su babayi, nakigkig sya. An babayi dai na magagadan pa, dai nya na maaaraman an pagmati na nasa kagagdanon.
Pero dai nya babayaan ang anino kang kagagdanon. Naaraman nya na ang pagmati na maraot an saiyang tiwala gibo kan tinuring nyang barkada, kaya sya dai matunong hangga’t dai nakakabalos. Kada dai rerespetuhon an kagagdanon gamit an larao, yaon sya. Rarauton an kung ano man na maray na dapat makua kan anino.
Dai ka dapat matakot sa anino kan kagagdanon.
Matakot ka sa kun ano an kasunod kaini.
=————————————=
English Version
Why should you fear death?
Let me tell you a story.
A long time ago, there was a rich woman who lived by the sea. She would not have any visitors, for she liked the quiet that her large house gave her. She would spend her days and nights by the beach, counting each star and each grain of sand.
She had but one friend, not like any person in the world, for it was not a person at all. The shadow of death would spend time with her to ease her loneliness. They first met when death’s shadow claimed the woman’s mother. She was not afraid as most people would have been and greeted the shadow politely.
“Why are you not running in fear?” The shadow asked. “You are part of what makes life beautiful.” The woman answered.
Death’s shadow had never been called beautiful before and it stayed until the woman finished the larao, the ritual ceremony to protect her mother’s body from those that would harm it after death. The shadow fell in love with the woman then, for it had never met a human who respected death such as she did.
Death’s shadow was a jealous thing and it wanted the woman all to itself. It had followed her to the seaside and had planned to drown the woman, so that she may be in death’s embrace forever.
The woman was no fool, though and knew what the shadow had planned. She left her house and visited her grandmother. For you see, the old woman had great power that was once rejected by her granddaughter. The woman had no choice, death’s shadow was approaching.
When the shadow caught up to the woman it was surprised. She had become deathless, she would never know the shadow’s embrace.
The woman would not leave death’s shadow though. She had known the betrayal of a trusted friend, and she would not rest until she had her revenge. Every time death was not respected through the larao, she would be there. Desecrating what would have been the shadow’s prize.
You should not fear death.
Fear what comes after.
=———————–=
Albay Bikol, or simply Albayanon is a group of languages and one of the three languages that compose Inland Bikol. It is spoken in the southwestern coast of Albay, (Pio Duran, Jovellar) and northwestern Sorsogon. The region is bordered by the Coastal Bikol and Rinconada Bikol speakers.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Danielle Serrano Dayog
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Danielle Serrano Dayog
Inspired by the Aswang (Capiz) description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Aswang (Capiz) Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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