Note this story is in Ilocano
Kannigid – Kannawan – Agpalikod – Agpasango
Kitaem ti panagsala ken panaggunayna, bayat ti panagburek ken panaglabutab ti tengnged-punget na. Ti awan ulona ket agturong iti talon a kas kapartak ken kas kangayed ti kimat. Makaallukoy ken manglinglingay ti salana, ngem adda nakarkaro ngem kinaranggas kadagiti gungunayna.
Baboy – tumatayab – uleg – aso
Ti awan ulona ket natarus ti panagbaliw ti sukogna, ket agbalin a kagagangayan kadagiti animal. Sursurotenna latta ti salana, ti ritmiko a panaglung-ay dagiti bagbagina ket mangparnuay dagiti ladawan ti mahika ken nakaparsuaan. Dagiti panagbalbaliw ket mangted ti pannakaawat ti kanta iti kabakiran, ken dagiti agbibiag ditoy..
Kannigid – Baboy – Kannawan – Uleg
Awanan ngiwatna ngem marikna ti panagkatawana. Ti awan ulona ket maysa a naayam a parsua, maysa a parsua a namuli iti mahika ken kinadat- datlag. Agsukat daytoy manipud ti pudno a pormana ket agbalin a kas kadagiti animal ken uray kadagiti tattao. Kasla sumurot ti panagburek ti tengnged-pungetna iti ritmo ti panagsalana.
Agsubli – Agpasango – Kannawan – Kannigid
Agsubli daytoy iti pudno a langana, sakbay ti panagpatingga ti sala. Ad-adu pay ti marikna ngem ti pannakakasdaaw kadagiti panaggarawna; padlesna ti dakkel a kapadasan a masapulan: Maysa a pakasaritaan dagiti kanibalistiko a higante ken nakaskasdaaw a gameng, ti di mailadawan a peggad ken naan-anay a gunggona.
Kannigid – Kannawan – Kannigid –Kanawan
Ti panagling-i ti awan ulona ti mangguyugoy kenka a maturog. Mapno ti ulom kadagiti posibilidad ti bannuar a mabalinmo a pagbalinan. Iti bigat, awanton daytoy, agsubli kadagiti kayo nga aw-awaganna a pagtaenganna, ngem iti agdama, agsala. Aglabutab ken agburburek ti tengged-pungetna iti bukodna a ritmo. Agsukatto ti sukogna kadagiti agnanaed iti kabakiran, ket kalpasanna makariingka.
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Left – Right – Back – Forth
See it dance and move, as its neck-stump froths and bubbles. The headless one moves through the field as swift and as graceful as lightning. Its dance captivates and entertains, yet there is more than mere mischief in its movements.
Boar – Bird – Snake – Dog
The headless one seamlessly changes shape, transforming into the most mundane of beasts. It still follows its dance, the rhythmic swaying of its bodies call forth images of magic and nature. The transformations give insight to the song of the forest, and those that live in it.
Left – Boar – Right – Snake
It has no mouth but its laughter can be felt. The headless one is a playful creature, a being made of magic and wonder. It shifts from its true form back into those of animals and even of humans. The bubbling of its neck-stump seems to follow the rhythm of its dance.
Back – Forth – Right – Left
It shifts to its true form, the dance about to come to an end. There is more to feel than just the wonder of its movements, it foretells great adventure to be found: A tale of cannibalistic giants and wondrous treasure, of unimaginable danger and perfect rewards.
Left – Right – Left –Right
The swaying of the headless one leads you to sleep. Your head is filled with the possibilities of the hero you could become. In the morning, it will be gone, back to the trees it calls its home, but for now it will dance. Its neck-stump will bubble and froth to its own rhythm. It will change shape to the denizens of the forest, and then you will awaken.
To seize your destiny.
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*Ilocano is the third most-spoken local language of the Philippines.An Austronesian language, it is related to such languages as Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Tetum, Chamorro, Fijian, Maori, Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Paiwan and Malagasy. It is closely related to some of the other Austronesian languages of Northern Luzon, and has slight mutual intelligibility with the Balangao language and the eastern dialects of the Bontoc language.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Ilocano translation by Maria Jesusa Villaruz
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Maria Jesusa Villaruz
Story inspired by Awan-ulo-na entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Awan-ulo-na Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
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