*Note this story is in Ilocano

Idi un-una na adda maysa a naimatangan a diyos nga agnagan iti Gamhanan, makuna nga isu ‘ti kapigsaan a parsua, mangted ti biag, seguridad ken pagbiagan. Agnanaed kadwa daguiti naduma pay nga diyos sadi maaw-awagan nga Bantay Deogdog, mangmangted iti biag kasta met iti parikot a kas pannusa kadaguiti managbasol.

Ni Gamhanan ngarod ket maiturong na ti napipigsa nga duto ken kasta met iti kagaw ken panagringat ti daga ‘diay sidong ti siasinuman a mortal nga haan sumurot kenkuana.

Daguita haan nga mangted iti datun sadi kweba nga pagnaedan na, napait a pannusa maipaay kadakuada.

Kasta met sadi un-una na, adda agnagan iti Panigotlo, napateg a taraken ni Gamhanan. Bumallasiw ti karayan a kas lawag ti kinapartak na. Napintas nga animal nga awan mangayat mangdangran, ha’n nga gapo ti unget ken panangibales ni Gamhanan nu di ket kaya na mangipadtoka ti parmata babaen ti panagngaretnget na.

Nadanun iti naudi  nga panagngaretnget ngarud ni Panigotlo, bago dumteng iti kabus, kas mangiwaragawag ti naimbag nga apit ken gasat. Daguiti tattao ket naragsak a nagsagana iti datun a kas panagyaman ken naimatangan a diyos ken tarakenna.

Idi rug-rugi naragsak ken nasiglat. Ni Panigotlo haan nga mabuteg kadaguiti parsua a agnanaed sadiay aglawlaw ti Bantay Deogdog, ta isu ket kaykayat da, ta isu mangipadto gasat ken daksanggasat.

Ket idi maysa nga aldaw napateg a dinguen ket napatay ti maysa a mangnganup nga agnagan iti Dagasanan. Tay puraw nga dutdot na, dara ket agnanayunen nga naimantsa. Ket agnanayon metten nga haanen agngaretnget nga mangiparmata iti rang-ay ken gandat, haanen nga mamakdaar wenno agsenial iti layos ken leddaang.

Idi un-una ket adda naimatangan nga diyos ken taraken na.

Kamaudianan na tattao inya nagbanagan na.

=—————————=

English Version

In the beginning, there was the great god Gamhanan, the most powerful of all the gods, the giver of life, security and livelihood. He dwelt with the other gods of his land in Mount Daeogdog, giving life and punishing errant mortals.

In the end, the god Gamhanan would send the rain and drought to those mortals who would defy his will. Those that would not give the proper offerings to his cave dwelling would know the bitter taste of the god’s punishment.

In the beginning, there was the panigotlo, Gamhanan’s favored pet. It dashed across the river like a ray of pure light. So beautiful was this animal that none would dare harm it, not only for fear of Gamhanan’s retribution but also because it could foretell omens with its bleating.

In the end, the panigotlo would have its last bleating before the full moon, being the harbinger of good harvest and fortune. The people of the village would rejoice and prepare for their thanksgiving to the great god and his pet.

In the beginning, there was joy and light. The panigotlo did not have anything to fear from the mortals surrounding Mount Daegdog, for it was favored, and it would foretell favor or misfortune.

In the end, the majestic beast was killed by a lowly hunter named Dagasanan. Its white fur forever stained by blood. Never again would its bleats tell of abundance and purpose, never again would it warn of flood and despair.

In the beginning, there was the great god and his pet.

In the end, the mortals paid their price.

————————–————————–————————–

*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 Jerraine Ruth
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jerraine Ruth

Inspired by the Panigotlo description in ‘A Legend of Aklan’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.

Panigotlo Illustration by Julius Advincula
IG: https://www.instagram.com/subhelic

*Note this story is in Cebuano

Kahay imong gihunahuna na ang mga isda kanunay na ingon ana, ug sa pipila ka mga kaso ikaw sakto. Apan naay gainusarang isda sa tanan, siya ang Hari sa mga isda ug siya gapuyo sa lawom luyo sa mga bawod, gamit iyahang gahom aron magmando sa lawom nga tugkaran sa lawod.

Kadaghanan sa mga tawo nakalimot na ang Hari tahuron ug ilimod ang angay kaniya, apan sa kadugayan ilang nakat-unan na wa’y pagbali sa pagpanumpa aron mahimong tahuron.

Adunay usa ka magtiayon na ginganlang Juan ug Juana nga nakat-unan pag-ayo ang pagtulun-an. Nagpuyo sila sa baybayon ug nagpaabot sa paglabay sa panahon nga grasyahan sila og anak.

Sa wa magdugay, mipahiyom ang swerte sulod sa pipila ka mga tuig ug mapun-an usab ang ilahang pamilya.

Atol sa pagmabdos ni Juana nangala kini ug bangus aron kan-on. Si Juan nga maalagaron nga bana muadto og layong lawod aron makapanagat sa isda nga gipangita sa iyang asawa.

Unya miabot ang adlaw na wa’y kuhang bangus sa iyang pukot si Juan. Galingkod sa iyang bangka, gasagmuyo naghunahuna nga wa’y bitbit alang sa iyang asawa.

Gawas sa kahilom usa ka tingog ang mitawag kang Juan. Milingi kini ug sa iyang pagkatingala Nakita ang usa ka bangus nga gasul-ob og korona.

Nagpaila ang bangus sa kaugalingon isip Hari sa mga Isda ug nangutana nganong bangus lamang ang gipangita ni Juan. Natingala kini og nganong nagkaminos ang mga sakop niini sa lawod.

Pagpatim-aw ni Juan nga mabdos ang iyang asawa ug nangala kini og bangus kada adlaw. Iyaha pu’ng giasoy ang kasubo mahitungod niini.

“Ayaw kabalaka,” asoy sa Hari sa mga Isda, “Hatagan tika sa tanang bangus nga imong kinahanglan, apan suklian nimo kini sa paghatag sa imong anak pag-edad niini ug pito ka tuig.”

Makita sa nawong ni Juan ang pagkakugang. Tinuod di niya mahatag ang iyang anak ngadto sa Hari sa mga isda, apan iya pu’ng gihunahuna ang iyang asawa, destrosar na walay bitbit. Tempo pa nga nihit ang bangus ug walay kasayuran si Juan nga makakuha ba kini og bangus nga siya ra ug walay tabang gumikan sa Hari sa mga Isda.

Sa kataposan, misugot si Juan sa uyon sa Hari sa mga Isda ug, tinuod sa iyang mga gipamulong, gihatagan niya si Juan og daghang bangus nga di mayhap. Sa kadaghan niini, padayon gihapon iyang pagbitbit niini pagkahuman og panganak ni Juana.

Ginganlan nila ang bata og “Maria” ug ilaha kining gihigugma pag-ayo. Pagtungtong sa babayeng bata sa enad nga siyete, nagpakiluoy si Juan sa Hari sa mga Isda nga buhian sila sa gipanaad. Ang Hari walay lubaylubay ug miingon kini, “Ang saad, saad.”

Ug ang usa ka hari di angay balibaran.

Miuli si Juan nga nagupok ang kasingkasing. Sugod atong adlawa, gidid-an ni Juan ug Juana ang ilang pinanggang anak na muduol sa dagat.

Kana, hangtod miabot ang usa ka adlaw, samtang nanglaba sina Juan ug Juana sa may suba. Adunay miabot na masilakon nga bangka. Sa pagkahalangdon niini, gitapokan kini sa mga tawo aron masuta ang maanyag na panan-awon. Si Maria nga gitukmod sa iyang pagkamapaniiron, miuban sa panon sa katawhan paingon sa baybayon.

Sa kalit lang, usa ka dakong bawod ang paingon sa baybayon ug gidala si Maria.

Mituratoy ang katawhan paingon kang Juan ug Juana aron sultihan sa panghitabo, apan umawi na ang tanan. Nasayod ang duha nga gikuha sa Hari sa mga Isda si Maria.

Bisan pa, ang ilang paghiguma sa anak nagpabiling lig-on, matag gabie sulod sa daghang panuigon ila kining huwaton sa may baybayon ug naghinaot nga makita ang panagway sa ilang anak nga si Maria.

Ug ang ilang pag-ampo gidungog sulod sa kahayag sa bulan diin Nakita nila ang usa ka babaye nga ang lawas Katunga babae ug ang Katunga bangus. Sa usa ka paniplat sa taas nga itom na buhok niini, ilang naamgohan nga mao kini ang nahilayo nilang anak, na karon sa kahangtoran paghisakop sa mga bawod.

=—————————=

English Version

*Note this story is in Ilocano

Nangrugi ti daga nga awan ti aniaman.

Ti pannakalangalang ti nangituray iti daga nga awan sabali no di dagiti danum a nagtakder a pammaneknek iti panaglabas ti panawen.

Iti tengnga ti lubong adda maysa nga abut a nagnaedan ti higante nga alimbubuyog a ni Gaki, a manangaywan iti naindaklan a dios a ni Lumawig.

Adda dagiti tattao idi a nangtuldok iti rabaw ti daga. Dagiti agakar-akar gapu iti nakaparsuaanda, nagdaliasatda iti aglawlaw ti nalukneng a rabaw ti daga, nga aganup kadagiti animal. Gapu ta awan ti tampok ti aglawlawda, mapukawda ti pannakasurotda iti aglawlawda, nga agbalinda a mayaw-awan gapu ta awan dagiti pagilasinan a mangiwanwan kadakuada.

Nagpannurayda iti panagpukkaw, ket dayta ti nangriribuk iti pannaturog ni Lumawig.

Saan koma a makatulong dayta.

Nagpungtot ni Lumawig kadagiti naariwawa a tattao, iti imatangna saanda a maikari iti lubong. Inar-arapaapna dagiti baro a tattao, maysa a kaputotan a mangtawid iti napimpintas a lubong.

Iti dayta a panggep inayabanna ni Gaki. Binilinna ti higante nga alimbubuyog a saksaknapan ti abut babaen ti bagina. Kayat ni Lumawig a dalusan ti daga babaen ti simmaruno a layus.

Ket manipud iti layus, timmaud ti dua a bantay: Polis ken Calawitan.

Napartak ti layus, awan ti tao a nakalasat iti layus. Manipud iti danum ti layus inngato ni Lumawig ti dua a bangkay, maysa a kalakian nga agnagan iti Gatan, nga inkabilna iti tuktok ti bantay Polis ken maysa a kabaian, ti Bangan, nga inkabilna iti tuktok ti Bantay Calawitan.

Ti lamiis iti rabii ti nangriing ken ni Gatan ket nasarakan ti bagina iti di pamiliar nga aglawlaw. Padasenna uray kasano dina malagip ti napasamak kenkuana, amin a lagip ket napunas iti panunotna. Mabalinna laeng nga ipamaysa ti agkir-in a lawag nga agkir-in iti adayo, maysa a sigurado a pagilasinan nga adda sabali a sibibiag a parsua.

Naguray agingga iti parbangon.

Bayat nga agsapsapul ni Gatan iti taraon, nakasarak iti maysa a balsa nga agtaytayab. Iti kannawan a sikigan ti balsa adda aso idinto nga iti kannigid adda manok.

Innala ni Gatan daytoy a kas pagilasinan manipud kadagiti didiosen ket nagturong iti direksion ti lawag a nakitana.

Nakatulong unay dagiti kakaduana nga animal. Tunggal nalabes ti panagturong ti balsa iti kannawan agtaul ti aso ket ilinteg ni Gatan ti kursoda ket no agwalis ti balsa iti kannigid agkarayam ti manok ket i-chart manen ni Gatan ti kursoda.

Dina ammo a dagiti kakaduana ket sagut ti dios a ni Lumawig, ket uray no ammona, saan koma a napateg dayta.

Nagdisso ni Gatan iti igid ti Bantay Calawitan.

Nakitana nga adda abut a napno kadagiti sibibiag nga ember. Kadagiti sarukod iti abay ti abut adda sinturon ken palda ti babai. Sinukimat ni Gatan ti lugar tapno birokenna ti babai ket idi makitana ket naupay. Immay a naglayus dagiti lagip.

Ni Bangan ti kabsatna a babai.

Nagkandado dagiti matada ket dida ammo ti aramidenda. Sigurado a dida mabalin ti makidenna ta agkabsatda.

Ngem inted ti dios a ni Lumawig ti bendisionna. Isuda laeng ti dua a tattao a nabati ditoy daga ken addaan iti responsabilidad a mangparnuay iti baro a kaputotan a rumang-ay kadagiti daga.

Binilin ni Lumawig ni Gaki nga agkarayam a rummuar iti abut ket isaksakna ti saksakan ti abut. Ti bumasbassit a danum ti nangpataud iti lubong dagiti turod ken ginget, bantay ken karayan. Awanen ti nagturay ti pannakalangalang, ta baro a pangrugian daytoy.

Kas sagut kadagiti baro a tattao iti daga innalana ni Lumawig iti rupana ti maysa a galunggong ti barbas ket inwarasna iti intero a daga. Nagbalbaliw daytoy a silo a nagbalin a mula itan, a nangpunno iti daga.

Ket isu ti kasta a timmaud ti lubong kas ammotayo.

=———————————=

English Version

The earth began with nothing.

Desolation ruled the land with only the waters that stood testament to the passing of time.

In the center of the world was a pit where the giant crab Gaki stayed, overseer of the great god Lumawig. The flowing waters raced here, draining towards Gaki.

There were people then that dotted the face of the earth. Nomads by nature, they traveled around the concave surface of the earth, hunting animals. Because their environment was featureless, they would lose track of their surroundings, becoming lost for there were no landmarks to guide them.

They resorted to shouting, and that disturbed Lumawig’s slumber.

That would not do.

Lumawig became angry at the noisy humans, in his eyes they were unfit for the world. He dreamed of new humans, a generation that would inherit a more beautiful world.

To that end he called upon Gaki. He ordered the giant crab to plug the pit with its body. Lumawig wanted to purify the earth with the ensuing flood.

And out of the flood, two mountains rose: Polis and Calawitan.

The flooding was swift, no human had survived the deluge. From the flood waters Lumawig lifted two bodies, a male named Gatan, which he placed on top of mount Polis and a female, Bangan, which he placed on top of Mount Calawitan.

The night chill awakened Gatan and he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. Try as he might he could not remember what had happened to him, all memory wiped from his mind. He could only focus on a flickering light that twinkled in the distance, a sure sign that there was another living being.

He waited until dawn.

While Gatan was searching for food, he found a raft floating. On the right side of the raft was a dog while on the left was a rooster.

Gatan took this as a sign from the gods and headed towards the direction of the light that he saw.

His animal companions were of invaluable help. Whenever the raft went too much to the right the dog barked and Gatan corrected their course and when the raft swept to the left the rooster would crow and Gatan again charted their course.

He did not know that his companions were gifts of the god, Lumawig, and even if he did know, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Gatan landed on the shore of Mount Calawitan.

He saw that there was a pit filled with live embers. On sticks beside the pit were a belt and a woman’s skirt. Gatan searched the area to find the woman and when he saw her he was dismayed. Memories came flooding back.

It was his sister, Bangan.

They locked eyes and did not know what to do. Surely they could not copulate as they were brother and sister.

But the god Lumawig gave his blessing. They were the only two humans left on earth and had the responsibility of creating a new generation to flourish among the lands.

Lumawig ordered Gaki to crawl out of the pit and unplug the hole. The receding waters gave rise to a world of hills and valleys, mountains and rivers. No more did desolation reign, for this was a new beginning.

As a gift to the new peoples of the earth Lumawig took from his face a knot of beard and scattered it throughout the earth. This knot transformed into what are now plants, populating the earth.

And it was thus the world as we know it came into being.

*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 Princess Jaselle
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Princess Jaselle

Adapted from the legend of Gaki and Lumawig from the Bontok Igorot found in The Soul Book. Demetrio & Cordero-Fernando 1991.

Gaki Illustration by Daniel Decena
Instagram: @thepenslinger

Color by Patricia Pria
Instagram: @meowtricia_

“It’s my turn! Gimme the crown!”

“No way! It looks better on me!”

The girls were being a handful again and it was getting on Lola Nena’s nerves. There was no reason for Aina and Alisa to be fighting this much over something as silly as being a princess.

“Give it back,” Alisa screamed, “the crown belongs to me!”
“No, fair is fair, now it’s my turn to be the princess, and I’m going to be the best princess ever!” Aina stuck her tongue out at Alisa and that just made her angrier.

“You can’t be the best princess, you don’t even know how to rule! You’re just gonna make your kingdom suck.” Alisa tried to tackle her sister, but she was too fast and Alisa stumbled through empty air.

“Now girls watch your language! We don’t say ‘sucks’ to each other,” said Lola Nena, trying to inject a measure of civility into the fight.

“It’s mine!” Aina deftly dodged her sister sending Alisa right into the path of a very expensive vase.

The crash could be heard throughout the house. The sisters didn’t even notice the chaos that they caused, continuing to play their game of catch the crown.
Lola Nena had enough.

“That’s it! Both of you to your room!” Lola Nena may have been old but she was fast. She snatched the crown from Aina’s head and grasped it tight. “If you two won’t behave then no one gets to be the princess.” And with that Lola Nena broke the crown in two.

There isn’t a word to describe the sound of two girl’s hearts breaking, but ‘crestfallen’ comes pretty close. The girls were disconsolate and Lola Nena would not budge. They cried all the way to their room, burying themselves in their sheets, trying to forget what had happened.

“This is all your fault stupid!” Alisa muffled scream forced its way through her blankets. “If it wasn’t for you one of us would still be the princess.”

“Ha shows what you know! You don’t need a crown to be a princess,” Aina said, haughtily.

“Stupid! How else will people know you’re royalty? The crown is a symbol of your power!” Alisa replied.

“A crown is just a crown; real royalty doesn’t need fancy jewelry. You just know what you are.”

Silence followed. Aina took this as a sign that she had won the argument and readied herself for sleep. It was so childish the way Alisa kept trying to get the crown. Even though they were twins Aina always thought that she was the more mature one, it paid to have been born five minutes earlier.

Aina switched off the lamp and put her blanket over her head, trying to get some sleep.

And outside the window a golden figure hovered.

He was half a man, with wings of gold, peering through the windows the human homes.

The hour was late and he was getting hungry. He had decided on a particularly mousey girl to be his dinner, but a noise in the distance interrupted his plans.

Curious, he flew towards the sound.

And he listened.

It had been decades since he had last taken a princess to be his prisoner. Not since…

Not since her.

He closed his eyes and thought to the past.

The storm gods were angry that day and rain battered an unnamed village by the coast. The people of the village tried to hide from the rain in their huts, but it was of no use. Waves, tripling in size, threatened to drown the villagers.
It seemed like there was nothing they could do, nothing until she walked out towards the rain.

She shouted to the heavens in a voice that not even gods could ignore.

“Spare this village and take me instead! I will be your servant!”

The winds carried her prayer and what else could he do but answer?

“Are you a god?” she asked.

“To some,” he answered.

“Will you spare my people from this storm?”

“In exchange for you? I will.”

He took her hand and with his power the storm ceased to be. They did not fly towards the heavens as she expected, instead diving to the bottom of the ocean. His home.

Their days were spent in story and song. She had a voice that would make angels flush with envy and her beauty was matched by her quick wit.

She told tales of far off lands, magical beasts and those that sought to tame them.

In time he felt comfortable enough that he took his true form, his human shape.

But all things come to an end. No matter how hard he tried to keep her alive, humans were fragile beings. The sands of time fell not in her favor and she was lost to dust.

He shook off the past and remembered that his prey was waiting.

He would have his princess.

“Wha—?” Aina rubbed her eyes and saw a large, golden bird knocking at her window.

She thought she was still dreaming and opened the window.

“Are you the princess?” the bird asked.

“I—-”

“No she’s not!” Alisa screamed. “I’m the only princess here!”

“Well, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, your majesty,” said the bird.

“Alisa, stay back.” Something wasn’t right, this didn’t feel like a dream. A spark traveled through Aina’s spine and lingered.

“See? Here’s someone that knows how to treat royalty!” Alisa sprang up from her bed and stood in front of the golden bird.

“Will you come with me to my palace, your majesty?”
“No Alisa! Don’t—-this isn’t——”

“Quiet! All my life all you do is stop me from doing things, I don’t care if you’re five minutes older, we’re still the same age and you can’t tell me how to live my life!”

“Alisa listen to me, this is dangerous—-”

“I don’t care, for once in my life I’m finally going to be treated the way I deserve.”

“And what is a princess without her crown?” From his wings the bird produced a tiara of glistening gold, enveloping the room in a soft glow.

“Yes, now we’re talking! Give it to me!”

“Alisa! Stop!”

But it was too late. The young girl greedily snatched the crown from the claws of the bird and before she knew it she was being carried away.

Aina tried to call for help. She told Lola Nena what had happened, but would you believe that a golden bird came out of nowhere and offered your granddaughter a crown?
Alisa’s picture was spread through social media and the newspapers. A sizable reward was put forward for information on her whereabouts, but they would never find her. They were looking in the wrong places.

And Aina?

She knew what monster took her sister and she prepared herself. Nothing was going to stop her from rescuing her twin. The years were hard for her, putting herself through the most physically demanding training and diving through books until she found what she was looking for.

Garuda.

She swore that she would find her sister.

But that’s a story for another time.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Garuda description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Garuda Illustration by Paul Medalla
FB: Apolonio Draws
IG: instagram.com/apolonio.draws/
artstation: artstation.com/zerobreed

Kaisa was left in a strange bed alone. He didn’t even bother to say goodbye, but that’s just the way it was. Boys will be boys.

She picked her clothes off the floor and took a shower. Her skin was raw from the soap rubbing against it. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t wash off last night.

Maybe she didn’t want to. This was how her weekends went. She would meet a strange man somewhere out in the world, then she would be left alone. Like always.

It was the way the world worked. At least her world.

She dressed herself and went outside. The noontime sun was bright and felt painful against her skin.

There was a gathering of people near the town hall and her curiosity was piqued. There was nothing else to do today so why not go?

She asked an old woman what the commotion was about and was met with disbelief.

“You mean you don’t know?! She has come from the mountain!” the old woman shouted.

“Who is ‘she’? And which mountain did she come from?” Kaisa was confused. It seemed like the whole town was here for this occasion.

“She has come! From the heights of the Skyworld she has come!” no matter how hard she tried Kaisa couldn’t get a meaningful sentence from the old woman, so she gave up and pushed through the crowd to see what the fuss was about.
And as she pushed away a young couple she saw her.

Kaisa had never seen such a beautiful woman. The sunlight glistened against her skin which seemed to be made from precious marble. Her hair was black as a moonless night and her smile; it was almost as if you could fit the whole world into her smile.

All around the crowd cheered at her arrival. It was a miracle made real, nothing like they had ever seen before. None of them would have ever guessed that they would see one such as her in their lifetime.

And Kaisa just stared.

“Where have you been?” she whispered to herself.

There was a force building inside her, one she could not deny. It swelled in her chest until it could not be held back.

“How dare you come here?!” Kaisa burst out.

“Don’ talk to her like that!” a bystander was horrified that she could raise her voice to the Diwata.

The Diwata was confused at the outburst, she didn’t understand why a human would react to her presence that way. She walked towards Kaisa and gently put her hand to the girl’s face.

“I’m here now,” the Diwata looked at Kaisa with pity.

Kaisa laughed, “Where were you ten years ago? Where were you when I was new?” tears streamed down her face “When I was one of those maidens that your kind would come to?!”

There are certain kinds of sadness that build up through your lifetime. Some stay with you, nestling until they shadow your soul. Kaisa’s sadness was that and more. It latched onto her spirit like honey and would not be shaken off.

“How dare you come to me now, when I am this!?” Kaisa crumpled into the arms of the Diwata, her tears flowing into a seemingly endless river.

Silence reigned through the crowd. The scene had an almost sacred quality about it.

“I’m here now,” the Diwata repeated.

The Diwata began to hum a soft tune. It echoed the bending of the bamboo forest, the silent dignity of the running stream and the gentle sound of nature’s creatures.

“I forgive you.” Kaisa’s words lingered through the music.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Diwata myths

Diwata Illustration by Kristienne Amante
FB: Creatorivm

The serpents whose voice did enthrall
Like the siren’s tempting call,
In Hantic’s wide cavernous hall
Forever they were buried all.
ORYOL

The words left Federico’s lips unwillingly. He thought back to how this all started, the quiet nights bent in front of in the glaring light, his fingers dancing on the keyboard. He didn’t know why she wanted to meet here of all places, but it was the only way she would see him.

The light reflected on the broken glass beside him, the rusted barbed wire and the empty windows were silent witnesses to his waiting.

Frederico was the type of person that people didn’t remember. He spent the last few years avoiding the raucous frenzy that characterized the lives of his other twenty-something peers. A good night for him was watching a re-run of his favorite teleserye.

Most people would scoff at the overacted drama and the predictable plotlines, but he held onto those like he would an old friend. Part of him thought it was his way of experiencing things that would never happen to him in the real world.

“A secondhand life,” he thought.

More learned and wiser than Handyong
Whose fascinating eye, lovelier to see
As if it were a sweet gesture
Beckoning him seductively.

His voice broke the stillness. Every word felt like destiny, as if something compelled him to orate in front of an invisible audience.

Federico knew where the words were coming from, of course. He had learned each one for her. He didn’t know why she asked to have him memorize the English translation, there was so much lost in the changing of languages, but he wanted to do it, his heart would never forgive him if he didn’t.

“It’s my favorite piece of literature.” That was her first message. She answered his question about her username and they started talking about epic stories and humble poets. Like him she was fascinated by larger than life tales of love and loss. She said it was an escape from the monotony of her everyday life.

He didn’t think anyone that interesting could have a boring life. She dampened his attempts to woo her by always changing the subject, but they both knew it pointless.

It was only a few strings of text sent through a chatbox that changed Federico’s whole world. Suddenly, he wasn’t alone and he could live life the way it was meant to be lived. The secondhand life gave way to morning greetings and late-night messages.

He finally felt whole.

Handyong bound it a thousand ways
It only scoffed and mocked around
With its crowned sagacity
It always untied the knots.

The words washed over him like a soothing river. Federico imagined the story had come to life before him, the brave warrior facing the seductive snake, Oryol managing to escape every trick Handyong could think of.

He wondered if that could have been him in a different life. Would he have been brave enough to fight the monsters plaguing Bicol? Or would he have ran away like the chicken he believed himself to be?

Federico checked the time on his phone. Five minutes to midnight. Five minutes until he would meet the girl destiny thought opportune to have them cross paths.

His mind raced. What if she didn’t show up? She said to meet in an abandoned building, what were you thinking? There’s no way a girl like that would ever want to meet with a guy like you. She probably isn’t even real, you’ve been catfished. You fell for her game, no one could ever love you for you.

The voices were echoing in his mind through the caverns of his confidence, and past the valleys of his self-esteem.

He breathed in deep.

How many times without a rest,
He searched her in to the woods,
He thought that what had lured him on
Believing the voice of a siren there!

Then he heard music.

“Those were beautiful words.”

He wished she would never stop.

“At that point in the story she was watching him. Trying to make sure he was worthy. She was intrigued by a man foolish enough to fight her kin.”

But inconsistent in its act
Oryol itself did help Handyong
To all the monsters must conquer
That have infested the Bicol land.

“That part of the story made me wonder. Why do you think she fought with him? She was certainly going against her father’s wishes helping the hero. Was she so foolish to think that she could become one?”

She looked at him, the moonlight almost bending in her deep set eyes. He struggled to find more words, something, anything that wasn’t what he memorized. He failed.

Together they fought victoriously
Against the giant crocodiles they won
After the battles and onslaught
No scratchy wounds to him was wrought.

She embraced him; he could feel her warm breath on his ear.

“Do you think she loved him?”

Federico could feel the air escape his lungs as they were crushed by something he could not see. As the last vestiges of consciousness left him his mind thought of only one thing.

She was beautiful.

————————–————————–——————

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Ibalong epic – full text can be seen at https://www.aswangproject.com/ibalong-epic/

Oryol Illustration by Sofia Marie Cuarto
FB: Lavieja
IG: Instagram.com/laviejart