*Note this story is in Cebuano
Kauban sa mga abo sa Bukid Bita, mibarog si Sulayman nga lig-on. Giagian niya ang walay sulod nga mga balay, ug ang iyang kasingkasing napuno sa kasubo. Adunay mga dulaan apan walay mga bata, adunay mga umahan, apan walay nag-atiman niini; kaniadto, adunay mga pamilya dinhi.
Apan wala na.
Gitunglo ni Sulayman ang langit. Bisan unsa pa’ng klase nga mananap ang nagbuhat niini, kinahangla’ng bayran niya kini. Mingitngit ang langit ug daw mituman sa iyang pangandoy.
Ang ikatulo mao si Pah.
Ang langit natabunan sa daw-higante’ng bayanan sa usa ka dako nga langgam, sama sa wala pa sukad nakita. Abtik si Sulayman, mihulbot siya sa iyang espada ug giigo ang pako niini. Mituyok ang dakong langgam paingon kang Sulayman. Nakalikay si Sulayman sa dako kaayo’ng lawas sa langgam, apan nakalimot sya sa pako niini nga iyang giputol. Kani’ng bahina sa mananap mao’y midugmok kang Sulayman ug motapos sa iyang paglakaw.
Apan naa pa’y lain.
Si Haring Indarapatra nagtan-aw sa kasakit samtang ang gamay’ng tanum sa iyang bintana nalaya ug namatay. Nahinumdoman niya ang adlaw diin ang iyang igsoon, si Sulayman, mibiyahe sa Mindanao. Iyang gibungat ang mga pulong nga iyang gisulti sa dihang mibiya si Sulayman: “Pinaagi niining kahoya mahibaw-an ko ang imong dangatan. Kon ikaw mabuhi, kini mabuhi, ug kon ikaw mamatay, kini mamatay usab.”
Ang kasingkasing ni Haring Indarapatra napuno sa panimalos. Iyang gikuha ang iyang mga butang, lakip ang iyang labing sinaligan nga espada ug milakaw aron nga pangitaon ang iyang igsoon.
Sama kang Sulayman, mipanaw siya sa kahanginan ug nakaplagan niya ang iyang kaugalingon sa bukid kung diin mitubo ang uway. Nakita niya ang ebidensya sa kadaugan sa iyang igsoon batok sa Kurita. Ang mga bukog sa mananap nagkatag sa dapit ug napuno siya sa garbo.
Sunod mao ang Bukid Matutun. Ang nadugta nga patayng lawas sa Tarabusaw miingon kaniya sa tanan nga kinahanglan niya’ng masayran. Ang kasikbit nga mga dapit wala gihapu’y kinabuhi, apan ang mangtas dili na makapasakit pa ug usab ni bisan kinsa. Nagpadayon si Haring Indarapatra sa iyang pagpanaw ug ang hunahuna sa mangtas mao’y nakapasamok sa iyang panumduman.
Ang nagkadaghang mga kamatayon nga gipahinabo niini’ng mga linalang ginabalita sa halayong kayutaan, gani nakaabot pa kini sa iyang gingharian sa yuta sa bulawanong kasadpan. Si Haring Indarapatra ang nangamuyo kang Sulayman nga motabok sa kadagatan aron paslangon sa yuta sa Mindanao kining mga higanti’ng mananap.
Si Sulayman ang nipili nga moadto sa halayong yuta aron manimalos alang sa iyang mga katawhan, kana ang tinuod. Apan gibati ni Haring Indarapatra ang pagmahay nga iyang gidusu ang iyang igsoon sa tinong kamatayon.
Iyang gipalayo ang maong mga hunahuna samtang nagkaduol siya sa Bukid Bita.
Ang lawas sa dakong langgam nga si Pah nagbuy-od sa yuta. Namatikdan niya ang naputol nga pako sa langgam ug giisa niya kini. Nakita niya ang mga bukog sa iyang igsoon. Mihilak si Haring Indarapatra alang sa dugo sa iyang dugo, hilabihan gayud ang iyang kasubo.
Nitubag ang langit sa iyang hilom nga pag-ampo. Sa iyang paghangad, iyang nakita ang usa ka gamay nga banga nga puno sa tubig. Sayud ang iyang angay buhaton, iyang gibubo ang tubig sa mga bukog ni Sulayman ug nabuhi pag-usab ang iyang igsoon.
Napuno sa kalipay ang kabukiran sa dihang nagkita pag-usab ang managsoon. Gipasabot ni Sulayman nga dili siya hingpit nga patay, apan natulog lamang. Si Haring Indarapatra wala manumbaling, ang iyang kasingkasing napuno sa dakong kalipay nga ang iyang igsoon buhi ug libsog.
Mipauli si Sulayman sa ilang balay sa yuta sa bulawanong kasadpan, apan nagpabilin si Haring Indarapatra. Buut niyang tapuson ang nasugdan sa iyang igsuon. Anaa pa gihapun ang ikaupat nga dakong mananap sa Bukid Gurayn.
Nanamilit si Haring Indarapatra sa iyang igsoon ug gibaid ang iyang espada. Nanumpa siya sa samang panumpa nga gihimo ni Sulayman ug alang sa iyang gingharian, iya kining tumanon.
=——————————–=
English Version
Among the ashes of Mount Bita, Sulayman stood resolute. He passed the empty homes and his heart was filled with sadness. There were toys but no children, there were farms, but no one to tend them, there were families here once.
But no more.
Sulayman cursed at the sky. Whatever beast did this would pay. The sky darkened and seemed to grant his wish.
The third was Pah.
The sky was blotted out by the enormous frame of a great bird, like nothing that was ever seen before. Sulayman was quick, he drew his sword and managed to hit its wing. The great bird spiraled towards Sulayman, and he was able to dodge its massive body, but forgot about the wing he had cut off. That part of the beast crushed Sulayman and would have ended his journey.
But there was another.
King Indarapatra watched in agony as the sapling by his window withered and died. He recalled the day his brother, Sulayman, set forth on his journey to Mindanao. He mouthed the words that he said when Sulayman left: “By this tree I will know of your fate. If you will live, it will live, and if you die, it will die also.”
King Indarapatra’s heart was filled with revenge. He gathered his belongings, including his most trusted sword and went on a quest to find his brother.
Like Sulayman, he traveled through the air and found himself on the mountain where the rattan grew. He saw evidence of his brother’s victory against the Kurita. The bones of the monster littered the area and he was filled with pride.
Next was Mount Matutun. The rotting corpse of the Tarabusaw told him all he needed to know. The surrounding areas were still barren of life, but the monster would never be able to hurt anyone again. King Indarapatra continued on his journey and thoughts of the monsters plagued his mind.
The great deaths caused by these creatures were told of in faraway lands, even reaching his court in the land of the golden sunset. It was King Indarapatra that pleaded with Sulayman to cross the seas and rid the land of Mindanao of these great beasts.
It was Sulayman’s choice to go to the distant land and avenge her people, that much was true. But King Indarapatra felt a pang of guilt that he had lead his brother to certain death.
He shook those thoughts away as he approached mount Bita.
The body of the great bird Pah lay on the ground. He noticed the severed wing of the bird and lifted it up, revealing the bones of his brother. King Indarapatra wept for the blood of his blood, so consumed with grief was he.
The heavens replied with an answer to his silent prayer. As he looked up, he saw a small jar filled with water. Knowing what he must do, he poured the water over Sulayman’s bones and his brother lived again.
Joy filled the mountain as the brothers reunited. Sulayman explained that he was not completely dead, but sleeping. King Indarapatra didn’t care, he heart was filled with great happiness that his brother was alive and well.
Sulayman returned to their home in the land of the golden sunset, but King Indarapatra stayed. He wanted to finish what his brother started. There was still the matter of the fourth great beast on Mount Gurayn.
King Indarapatra bade his brother farewell and sharpened his sword. He swore the same oath that Sulayman did and upon his kingdom, he would see it fulfilled.
=———————————————=
*The Cebuano language, alternatively called Cebuan and also often colloquially albeit informally referred to by most of its speakers simply as Bisaya (“Visayan”, not to be confused with other Visayan languages nor Brunei Bisaya language), is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 21 million people, mostly in Central Visayas, western parts of Eastern Visayas and most parts of Mindanao, most of whom belong to various Visayan ethnolingusitic groups, mainly the Cebuanos. It is the by far the most widely spoken of the Visayan languages, which are in turn part of wider the Philippine languages. The reference to the language as Bisaya is not encouraged anymore by linguists due to the many languages within the Visayan language group that may be confused with the term.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Cebuano Translation by Christine Rom
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Christine Rom
Adapted from “Mythology of Mindanao” in Philippine Folklore Stories. Cole. 1916. (Full text can be accessed at http://
