This is a story from the beginning of the world.
In those times the morals of humans were corrupted and there was much bitterness and contempt.
There lived two brothers in the place called Talubin, one rich and one poor. The poor brother went hunting one day and he and his dogs chased their prey to the river. When he planted his spear in his quarry it dived into the water and the hunter followed.
Suddenly he was transported to a strange world, one where he was badly frightened.
To add to his confusion, he was approached by the goddess of the underworld, Ob-obanan, whose name means white hair.
The goddess confronted the hunter saying that he was the one who had been stealing her pigs and carabaos all these years.
The hunter denied the goddess and said that he was no hunter.
To that, the goddess showed the hunter his spear, and said that the spear should be his.
The hunter, thinking quickly said that he was bathing his boy by the pond. He pleaded with the goddess to let him see his boy again.
Hearing this, the Ob-obanan beckoned the hunter to come near her. She took a pestle and began pounding an unknown thing. As the hunter watched in dread he saw that her rectum reacted in unison with her pounding.
The goddess asked why he did not laugh, for wasn’t her action laughable?
The hunter answered that he was still worried about his boy.
Ob-obanan then said to the hunter to remove the lice from her hair. The hunter saw that the lice she was talking about were ants, centipedes and other vermin that are now man’s enemies. He removed them from her hair, tossing them behind him.
The goddess was impressed and began to smile.
She gave the hunter a rectangular bamboo basket woven from rattan. The goddess instructed him to bring it to his granary and on the next day perform a ritual called the cañao of one cow and five chickens for her. This was to bring prosperity to his family. She warned him never to open the basket and that every time he would perform a cañao of chickens and pigs that he should put the gall bladder and the fatty portions on top.
And in an instant, he was transported to the river bank, greeted by his dogs.
Following the goddess’ instructions, he loaned a cow for the cañao from his rich brother, and on the next sunrise the ritual began. All of his relatives were invited to the feast which lasted the whole day.
When the entrails of the ceremonial fowls were inspected, the omens were agreeable, despite the rich brother’s mockery of the situation.
The hunter never forgot the goddess’ words.
The years passed and the palay (rice) in the hunter’s granary was always full. The rich brother asked the hunter how could this be.
It was then that the hunter told his brother about his adventure in the underworld.
The hunter did not tell the whole story though, as retaliation for the rich brother’s arrogance, the hunter told the opposite of his actions when faced with the goddess.
In a state of anticipation, the next day the rich brother borrowed his brother’s dogs and went hunting. He found a great stag at the same pond from his brother’s story and dived after the prey.
The rich brother found himself on dry land and was faced with the white-haired goddess.
Ob-obanan showed him his spear and the rich brother admitted it was his.
Then, she beckoned him to watch her pound with her pestle. He saw her red rectum reacting to the pounding and laughed so hard his sides ached.
The goddess then asked him to remove her lice, but he told her to do it herself as he was tired from laughing.
Ob-obanan’s countenance became menacing. She bit her lips and gave a basket that was identical to the one she gave his brother.
She told him to take it home and bring all the members of his family to the granary at midnight. She said that when the door is closed he may open the basket to find his reward.
Without even a word of thanks the rich brother followed her instructions.
And unleashed the vermin.
Once the basket was opened, all manner of insects and reptiles were set loose and they devoured all the humans in the granary.
From then on, these pests remained as punishment for man’s vices.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Retold from The Origin of the First Insects and Reptiles, EC Almendral, “Talulbin Folklore” (1972), found in Philippine Folk Lliterature: The Myths edited by Damiana Eugenio
Illustration by Pam Isleta
