Story abridged from MAMALU AND TAMBUNAWAY in Tiruray Tales by Fernando Trecero (1977)
Summarized by Karl Gaverza
Long before the coming of the Spaniards there live two brothers by the Tamontaka river in North Cotabato. Their names were Mamalu and Tambunaway. When their parents died Mamalu was left to take charge of his younger brother, teaching him fishing, trapping, farming and other arts of living.
Once in a while the brothers would trade with their neighbors downstream, bringing with them wild chicken, dried fish, bananas for cloth, earthen pots and salt.
One day, an old man from the village downstream came to the brothers’ house. He brought with him the news that a man had come from another land to trade with them. He brought with him pieces of cloth that had the colors of the rainbow.
The man’s name was Sharif Kabunsuan, a tall white man with a thick beard and moustache. He came from across the sea from a land he fondly calls Arabia, bringing the cloth as a sample of the beautiful things found in his country.
Sharif Kabunsuan wanted their people to believe in his God called Allah. Mamalu asked if Sharif Kabunsuan believed in their gods and the old man replied that according to Sharif, their gods were minor gods who looked up to Allah. That their gods bow down to the great God of his.
Mamalu asked what would happen if they didn’t believe in Allah, and the old man said that they were at liberty to believe or not, and he also asked what would happen if they accept the God and the old man told them that it would be their choice and that they had to undergo a certain ceremony.
The old man explained to them how one in converted to the Islam faith. The old man ended with several things they cannot eat suck as pork as well as telling them that during a certain part of the Islam year one must fast for thirty days, that earthly things must be forgotten.
The old man said that when Sharif Kabunsuan comes he will tell them everything about Islam.
Mamalu said that they would not join in Sharif Kabunsuan’s folly. He said what sort of spirit prohibits these things? Why did he make pigs if we can’t eat their meat? Mamalu also said he could worship Tulus (Supreme god of the Tiruray) in a way he thought was good/ No one needs to tell him how. Tulus gave him thought to use the best for his own good and for that of his neighbor. To the old man he said that he will not accept the foreign god.
Tambunaway told his brother that he didn’t ask for his opinion. He wanted to hear more of this God and how to worship him and that he wanted to wait for the man.
Mamalu said no to this. He said to not allow anyone to change the mode of their life. If it was Tulus Himself then he would not object, but it wasn’t the case and he told his brother to go with him to another part of the land.
Tambunaway apologized to his brother because he wanted to wait for Sharif Kabunsuan. He said the more he thought of what the old man said the more he was convinced that the stranger’s belief was better than theirs.
Mamalu said that because he was the elder Tambunaway should follow his words. Tambunaway said that they were brothers in blood only and that their opinions were so different. If Mamalu would go, he would stay.
Mamalu reminded his brother that it was he who taught him the ways of life and Tambunaway said that he did not mean to disregard what his brother had done for him. Mamalu then asked why did Tambunaway choose this decision and his brother said he would stay by the river and wait for the man, but asked his brother to not go away very far so that they could see each other anytime they wanted.
Mamalu was adamant that he would not recivee the foreigner and would not convert to Islam. But he did not want this belef to destroy his relationship with his brother. Mamalu accepted his brother’s proposition. He would live in the hills not too far from Tambunaway and would share the crops that he would produce.
Tambunaway told him that he was a great brother. With deep sorrow he said that there will never be a time when he will forget his brother and whatever little article that he would find in the lowlands, Then he started to sob.
Mamalu bade his brother to not cry. There was one thing he wanted Tambunaway to remember, to make this brotherhood not end with their lives. The agreement will be passed down to their children and great grandchildren, then their blood relationship would never end.
Tambunaway agreed and with the solemn agreement the two brothers parted. Mamalu to the hills while Tambunaway remained in their hut by the Rio Grande.
From that day on the brothers shared their produce and problems. Sometimes Tambunaway would go to the hills with fish, salt, coconuts and others that could be found by the river then he would go home with rice and corn and other things that Mamalu gave him. Other times, it was Mamalu that would go to visit his younger brother by the river.
True to their agreement they passed it to their children who passed it down to their children.
From Mamalu came the Tirurays and from Tambunaway came the Maguindanaos.