*Note this story is in Ilocano
Idi naglabas a panawen, adda maysa a pagarian didiay Negros nga idadauluan ti maysa nga ari nga agnagan ti Laon. Maysa a napigsa a layus ti nangpalipias ti asideg a karayan, ket saan nga ammo dagiti tattao ti aramidenda isu a nagpaarayatda iti arida. Inummong ti ari dagiti tattaona ket imbilinna a mangaramidda iti maysa a nakadakdakkel a bunton ket didiay a makabirokda ti pagkamanganda. Imbaga dagiti tattao nga awan ti ramitda nga agaramid, ket pinagadda ni Laon dagiti pala ken gabion babaen iti salamangkana.
Ngem nariri da latta. Kayatda a batbato ti aramidenda a bunton. Manen, inusar ti ari ti salamangkana ket pinagaddana dagiti batbato. Naaramid ti bunton nga umaboten iti langit. Didiay ti nagyanan dagti tattao agingga a nagebbet ti danum.
Nasyaat ti amin agingga nga iti maysa nga aldaw, maysa a gulo ti nangriing iti ari manipud iti pannaturogna. Maysa a higante nga uleg nga addaaan iti pito nga ulo ti umas-asideg iti purok. Ti nalabaga a matana ken ti umas-asuk nga agongna ket kabutbuteng dagiti pumurok. Iti rabii, iyanges ti uleg ti apoy a nangperdi kadagiti mulmula ken nangpatay kadagiti animales iti aglawlaw ti purok.
Umasidegen ti uleg ket di nga ammo ti ari ti aramidenna. Idi kuan, kasla nasungbatan ti kararagna ta nagparang ti maysa a baro. Kan ti naganna, ket imbagana nga papatayenna ti uleg.
Idi orasnan tapno labananna ti uleg, inaramatna ti espesyal nga kabalinanna. Ammona ti makisao kadagiti ayup ket nagpatulong kaniada. Rinaut dagiti nakapayak nga ayup dagiti mata ti uleg bayat a pinuntirya met dagiti nakauy-uyong nga animal ti bagina. Inikkanda ni Kan iti paglusotanna ket impungsayna dagiti ulo ti uleg. Indatag ni Kan dagiti ulo iti ari ket naikan ti gungguna a balitok ken ti ima ti prinsesa tapno agassawada.
Sakbay a natay ni Ari Laon, imbagana kadagiti tattao nga maited kenni Kan ti pagarian. Ti bunton a nagbalin a kamang dagiti tattao iti layus ket napanaganan a Kanlaon, kas panangipalagip kadagiti tattao ti pakasaritaan ti ari ken ti lalaki a makisarita kadagiti ayup,
“Ket ditoy nga ipalpas tayon daytoy nga istorya. ”
Inserra ni Lola Anding ti libro ket binuybuyana dagiti appona a matmaturog. Paboritona ni Rhai a kanayon nga agsalsaludsod. Mabalin nga iskolar to ngata isuna iti masakbayan. Namnamaen ni Lola Anding nga maimatangan nanto pay a sibibiag dayta a pagteng.
Pinampanunotna ti istorya nga insaritana kadagiti ubbing.Ti pakasaritaan ti Bantay Kanlaon ket maysa a romantiko nga istorya. Maysa a baro a nanglaban kadagiti higante nga uleg, maysa nga ari ti salamangka, dagiti pumurok a nagaramid iti maysa a bantay, ken dagiti billit ken ayup a nangtulong a maparmek ti kinadakes. Amin dagitoy ket mangted ti rimat ti mata dagiti appokona a masmasdaaw
Napanunotna no ania ti maadaw ti kada maysa nga ubing iti estorya. Ni Rhia, sagpaminsanna nga allawaten ken agsaludsod no apay nga dagiti banbanag ket kasdiay latta ti banagda.
Apay nga adda mahika ti ari?
Apay a nabaelan ni Kan ti agsao iti lenggwahe dagiti animales? ”
Kasano ti kabayag dagiti tattao a nagaramid iti bunton?
Ti managsukisok nga espirituna ket makita kadagiti saludsodna isu a mapapanunutna no sungbatanna babaen met la ti imahinasyonna.
Mabuteng ni Faye iti estoria. Nairut a pinetpetanna ti ay-ayamna nga stuffed crocodile idi imuestra ni Lolana ti parte ti pannakaipungsay dagiti ulo ti uleg. Kaasi nga ubing, kayatna laeng nga aggagayyem ti amin. Dinamagna, ” No makasarita ni Kan dagiti animales, apay a dina makasarita ti uleg a pumanaw ken baybay-anna laengen ti amin? ”
Sinungbatan isuna ni Fernando iti nainsiriban a talugadingna. “Ti uleg ket dakes ken amin a kinadakes ket masapul a sanguen!” Inwasiwasna ti ay-ayamna nga espada ket nagsennay ni Lola Anding. Maysa nga aldaw, maitudok nanto latta dayta iti mata. Ti kina maymaysa ti turong ri panunotna ket nalatak a makita. Pinampanunot ni Lola Anding no agingga ti kaano a kitaenna ti lubong kas nangisit ken puraw. Nagngilangil. ” Karbengan ti ubing ti kinainosentena,” inyarasaasna iti bagina.
Impaiddana amin ida iiti kama ket inikanna ida ti saggaysada a goodnight kiss. Iti tagtagainep da, adda da iti dalan a makilaban kadagiti uleg iti panunotda, wenno, kas keni Faye, makipagayam kaniada.
Immisem ni Lola Anding. Nalagipna idi umuna a nangngegna daytoy nga istorya kenni apongna a lakay. Dagidi nga aldaw, narigat ti makapan kadagiti paglinglingayan isu a kanayonna a seggaan dagiti estoria a nakalukat ti panunotna. Ket ania ti naganab na ditoy?
” Iti biag, makilaban kanto kadagiti uleg, ken maabakmonto ida babaen kadagiti talugadingmo. Usarem ti naited kenka tapno sanguem dagiti pannubok ket magunggunaan kanto.
Impapusona dagitoy a sao ket dina pulos a nalipatan no ania ti ilablaban na. Kasta kadi ti kaimudinganna?? Kinitana dagiti matmaturog nga appona ket apagapaman a nagtung-ed.
” Wen isu, ” naiyarasaasna iti bagina.
Ti estoria ket naadaw manipud iti ” The Legend of Mount Kanlaon.” iti Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends, Beliefs and Folkways ni Caridad Aldecoa-Rodriguez.
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English Version
In a time long past, there was a kingdom in Negros ruled by a wise king named Laon. During a great deluge that caused the nearby river to overflow, The people, not knowing what
to do, pleaded with their king for aid. The regent brought together the people and told them to build a mound so big that the townsfolk would find a sanctuary there. The people said they had no tools to do this and Laon, with his magic, made spades and hoes appear.
Still, there was discontent. They wanted stones to build the mound. Once again, the king used his magic and he conjured up stones. The mound was built, reaching the pinnacle of the sky. There, the people waited until the water went away.
All was well until one day, a great commotion woke the king from his sleep. A giant serpent with seven heads was approaching the village. Its red eyes and smoking nose frightened the villagers. At night, the snake breathed fire, damaging crops and killing the animals around the village.
The snake was fast approaching and the king did not know what to do. Then, as if his prayers were answered, a young man appeared. His name was Kan and he declared that he would slay the snake.
When it was time to fight the serpent, Kan used his special skills. He knew how to speak to the animals and asked them for help. The winged beasts attacked the serpent’s eyes while the other brutes targeted its body. They gave Kan an opening and the young man sliced off the serpent’s heads. The heads were brought to the king and Kan was rewarded with gold and the princess’s hand in marriage.
Before King Laon passed, he told his people to give the kingdom to Kan. The mound that was the people’s sanctuary from the flood was called Kanlaon, reminding people of the story of the King and the man who could talk to beasts. *
“And there we end our story.”
Lola Anding closed the book and watched her grandchildren fall asleep. Rhai was her favorite, always asking questions. He would probably be a scholar in the future. Lola Anding hoped that she would live to see that.
She reflected on the tale she told the children. The legend of Mount Kanlaon was such a romantic story. A brave young man fighting off giant serpents, a magical king, the villagers building a
mountain, and birds and beasts helping to fight evil. All these things made her grandchildren’s eyes light up in wonder.
She wondered what each child would take from the story. Rhai, of course, interrupted her a few times and asked her why things were the way they were.
“Why did the king have magic?”
“Why was Kan able to speak the languages of the animals?”
“How long did it take for the people to build the mound?”
His inquisitive spirit was so evident in his questions that she wondered if he would answer himself with his imagination.
Faye was afraid of the story. She clutched her stuffed crocodile tight when Lola acted out the part of cutting up the serpent’s heads. Poor girl; she just wanted everyone to be friends. She asked, “If Kan could speak to animals, why couldn’t he speak to the serpent to go and leave everyone alone?”
Fernando had shot back at her with his usual wit. “The serpent was evil and evil things must be dealt with!” He swung his toy sword around and Lola Anding sighed. One day he would poke an eye out with that thing. His single-mindedness was a sight to see. Lola Anding wondered how long he would view the world in black and white. She shook her head. “The child deserves his innocence,” she whispered to herself.
She tucked them all in and gave them each a kiss goodnight. They were off to fight their serpents in their dreams or, in Faye’s case, make friends with them.
Lola Anding smiled. She remembered the first time she heard this story from her grandfather. In those days it was hard to come by entertainment, so she looked forward to these stories with an open mind. And what did she get from it?
“In life, you will fight serpents, and you will have to overcme them with your gifts. Use what you were given to face your challenges and then you will be rewarded.”
She took those words to heart and never forgot what she fought for. Was it worth it? She looked at her sleeping grandchildren and gave a slight nod.
“Of course it was,” she whispered to herself.
**Story retold from ‘The Legend of Mount Canlaon’ in Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends Beliefs and Folkways by Caridad Aldecoa-Rodriguez
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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
Adapted from The Legend of Mt. Canlaon in Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends, Beliefs and Folkways. Aldecoa-Rodriguez. 2000.
Kan’s Serpent Illustration by Paul Medalla
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