*Note this story is in Ilocano

Payyak a puraw.

Rupa ti babai.

Bagi ti kabalyo.

Nagsilnag ti kinaraniag nga agtaud kenkuana kadagiti diding ti balay a kasla agsalsala nga apoy a nakasango iti tallaong.

Binalakadan idi ti inana a saanna pulos a taliawen daytoy, ngem saan a makaidna ni Rai a mangsirip iti nagbabaetan ti ramayna. Ammona dagiti pakasaritaan dagiti datdatlag a pinarsua, no man pay aminda nga ub-ubbing ket ammoda. Ngem sabali laeng no isuna mismo ti makakita iti sangonsango.

“No man bilang siak ti nainkalintegan nga anak dagiti dadakkelko, dawatek ngarud dagiti sumaganad a sagut manipud kenni Allah, ti Kangatoan: ‘Sapay koma ta ti Kura Sambalani, argaman ti pirak ken balitok a pulserasna, ket agparang ken umay ditoy lubong manipud law-ang iti mamimpito a daras. Sapay koma ta yegna pay kaniak dagiti kawes nga insuot dagiti daddakelko iti aldaw ti panagkallaysada tapno isuotko met.’”

Dayta ti dinamag ni Tuwan Putli iti kata-kata² ni Manik Buwangsi, ti sarsarita nga ammona a sipupuso. No agsakay ni Tuwan Putli iti Kura Sambalani, ti lawag dayta a pinarsua, malaksid ti kinapintas ni Tuwan Putli, ket isu ti makagapu unay no apay a masinga dagiti agparparti ti baka para iti pasken a pakaputdan kadagiti ramayda.

Nasdaaw ni Rai iti nakitana. Insakay ti Kura Sambalani ti natay nga imam iti likodanna ket inruginan ti nagtayab a nangturong ti langit.

Ti imam ket nasantoan unay a tao, saan ngarud a nakaskasdaaw a ti Kangatoan ket mangibaon iti maysa kadagitoy a nailangitan a pinarsua tapno itayabna daytoy idiay langit.

Saan a masinunuo ni Rai no ania ti nanglugan kenkuana nga agsao, ngem manipud iti ngiwatna naisawang dagitoy a balikas, “Nasantoan! Pangngaasim ta sungbatam ti saludsodko!”

Nagsardeng ti panaganges dagiti nakitaripnong bayat ti panagur-urayda iti sungbat. Pinadas ni Rai a miningmingan no adda pagilasinan ti kaririknana iti rupana, ngem mapurar dagiti matana iti lawag daytoy.

Nagsardeng ti Kura Sambalani iti panagtayabna ket nagtapaw iti sango ti ubing.

Saan a nagduadua ni Rai, “Mabalin kadi nga ipannak kenni amak?”

Iti likodanna, nagsennaay ti inana.

Nagwingiwing ti Kura Sambalani ket timmalikod.

Ket nagyaman ni Rai iti maudi a gundaway bayat ti panangitayabna ti imam idiay langit.

Immisem ni Rai kas ti isem ti maysa a makaammo a ti pananggun-od iti gundaway no dadduma ket isu ti bukod a gunggona.

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¹Ti Kura Sambalani ket kadawyan a mailadladawan a kas maysa a puraw wenno karkarna a kabalio a mangitayab kadagiti kararua dagiti mararaem a tao nga agturong idiay langit wenno iti panagbiag kalpasan ti ipapatay. Iti sumagmamano a pakasaritan, ti Kura Sambalani ket nailadawan a kas maysa a pinarsua a puraw ti payakna, kagudua a kabalio ken kagudua a tao nga addaan iti rupa ti maysa a babai (kas nailadawan iti kaunaan a sarsarita ti Tausug a nakaibatayan iti daytoy a sarita. Daytoy a kayulogan ti Kura Sambalani ket naadaw manipud iti Buraq/Burak, ​​maysa a pinarsua iti Islamiko a kannawidan a mangisalakan kadagiti propeta).

²Marchen wenno sarsarita a Tausug.

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English Version

White wings.

A woman’s face.

A horse’s body.

“If I am the legitimate daughter of my parents, I wish for the following gift from Allah, the Most High: ‘May my Kura Sambalani with her silver and gold bracelet, show up and come from outer space to this world seven times. May she bring me the clothes that my parents wore on their wedding day so that I could wear them.’”

That was what Tuwan Putli’ asked in the kata-kata* of Manik Buwangsi’, a tale she knew by heart. Tuwan Putli’ would ride the Kura’ Sambalani and the light from the creature in addition to Tuwan Putli’s beauty were so great that they distracted those that were slaughtering cows for the feast causing them to cut their fingers.

Rai could only stand dumfounded at the sight that she beheld. The Kura’ Sambalani carried the deceased imam on her back and she began to fly towards heaven.

The imam was an especially pious man and it was no surprise that the Most High would send one of these celestial creatures to carry him to heaven.

Rai didn’t know what possessed her to speak, but the words flowed from her mouth. “Holy One! Please answer my question!”

Breaths stopped as those gathered waited for a response. Rai tried to see if there was any trace of emotion on her face, but the light hurt her eyes.

The Kura’ Sambalani stopped her ascent and floated in front of the child.

Rai didn’t hesitate “Can you take me to see my father?”

From behind her mother let out a gasp.

The Kura’ Sambalani shook her head and turned away.

Rai let out one final “Thank you” as she and the imam flew towards heaven.

Rai smiled the smile of someone that knew that taking a chance is sometimes its own reward.

*Tausug folktale

**The Kura Sambalani is usually described as a white/ wondrous horse that brings the spirits of venerated persons to heaven/ the afterlife. In some folktales the Kura Sambalani is described as a white winged being, half horse and half human with a woman’s face (as described in the original Tausug folktale this story is inspired by. This version of the Kura Sambalani is heavily influenced by the Buraq/Burak, a creature in Islamic tradition that transported prophets.

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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 Deo M. Ramos
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Deo M. Ramos

Inspired by the Kura Sambalani description in Manik Buwangsi’. Narrated by Mullung. in Voices from Sulu A Collection of Tausug Oral Traditions. Rixhon. 2010.

Kura’ Sambalani Illustration by Rai Hamid
FB: Wombatrai

*Note this poem is in Ilocano

Maysa a kuko manipud kenni Tara, agay-ay-ayam idiay paraangan,
Dua a kuko manipud kenni Kevin, napukaw iti kasipngetan,
Tallo a kuko manipud kenni Leo, nabati idiay pagtaengan,
Uppat a kuko manipud kenni Audrey, nasinga iti pagtawagan,
Lima a kuko manipud kenni Habi, rimuar a mapan mangan,
Innem a kuko manipud kenni Mike, tumartaray idiay dalan,
Pito a kuko manipud kenni Denise, agsapsapul iti aso,
Walo a kuko manipud kenni Migz, matmaturog a kasla troso,
Siam a kuko manipud kenni Camille, nakasubsob ti rupana iti libro,
Sangapulo a kuko manipud kenni Erik, saan a makaperreng iti adayo,
Adu pay a kuko para iti Kumao, dagiti met koma ubbing ket agridam
Ta masapul a padaraendaka no ramananda ti kinaawan namnamam.

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English Version

One fingernail from Tara, playing in the park

Two fingernails from Kevin, caught after dark

Three fingernails from Leo, left home alone

Four fingernails from Audrey, distracted by her phone

Five fingernails from Habi, going out to eat

Six fingernails from Mike, running down the street

Seven fingernails from Denise, looking for her dog

Eight fingernails from Migs, sleeping like a log

Nine fingernails from Camille, her face buried in a book

Ten fingernails from Erik, who didn’t think to look

More fingernails for the Kumao, and children beware

It takes them to bleed you and taste your despair

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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 Deo M. Ramos
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Deo M. Ramos

Inspired by Kumao entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Kumao Illustration by Leandro Geniston
FB: That Guy With A Pen

Watercolor by Catherine Chiu
FB: Wildling Child
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wildlingchild/

*Note this story is in Ilocano

Ginuyod ni Bella dagiti magatgatang nga immuli iti agdan sa nagsennaay. Sabali manen nga aldaw ti pannakawayawaya.

Saan a daydiay dina kayat ti agbiag nga agmaymaysa, dina la ngamin ninamnama a kastoy ti kaadu ti matrabaho.

Trabaho. Dayta ti maysa a makagapu kenkuana no apay a saan a makawaywayas. Ti yuulina iti agdan, namintallo a daras a nagkiriring ti cellphone-na. Agkarasangpeten dagiti awan patinggana nga email kada text. Imbagana iti bagina a no malpas daytoy a lawas, usarennanto dagiti vacation leave-na a mapan iti adayo a disso a makaited bang-ar. Mabalin a Thailand? Wenno Bali. Napan sadiay ni Rosa idi kallabes a bulan ket awanen sarday a panpanunotennan dayta a lugar.

Tinaliawna ti ridaw ti apartment-na. Natinnag ti krus a nakabitin iti welcome mat ket nagsennaay manen. Kayatna nga alaen ti gundaway a mangsimpa inton bigat ngem napanunotna a mabalin a kiddawenna ti kabsatna a lalaki a mangaramid iti dayta. Uray ket kalgaw pay laeng, utangna dayta a pabor kenkuana.

Naidagunson dagiti magatgatang idiay kosina, inlukat ni Bella ti bentilador sa nagdiretso iti sopana. Mangngegna ti panagtaul ni Pogi manipud iti banger a kuarto, ngem dina inkankano. Ammona a pinakanna itayen ket mangrugi pay metten a lumukmeg. Adu pay ti agur-uray a tinultulagdan nga aggagayyem a panagpasiar.

Maysa pay a banag dayta a mainayon iti listaanna.

Nangrugin a dumagsen dagiti akkub ti matana ket inpalubosnan nga agkidem dagitoy. Lima laeng ti kasapulanna – saan, sangapulo a minuto tapno bay-anna ti bagina a makainana ket kalpasanna, aramidennanto manen ti inaldaw-aldaw nga obrana.

Saan pay ketdi a pabus-oyan ti law-ang a maaddaan isuna ti kasta a gundaway.

Idi kellaat nga adda tallo a napipigsa a panagtuktok iti ridawna ket timmangad iti bobeda. Siasino ngata dayta a tao iti kastoy nga oras? Mabalin a maysa manen kadagiti kaarrubana nga umay agreklamo. Itay napalabas, naireklamo ngamin ti panagtaul-taul ni Pogi ken sakbayna dayta, inkeddeng ti ‘asosasion’ dagiti masapul a pagannurotan para kadagiti bisita.

Kagura a kanayon ni Bella dayta a sao. No saan a gapu ti apartment-na, saan koma pulos a nakipulapol kadagitoy a tattao idi damo pay laeng. Nagsennaay ket timmakder manipud iti pagliwliwaanna a puesto ket simmirip iti peephole ti ridawna tapno ammoenna no siasino dayta a tao iti kasta nga oras.

Tallo a pigura ti mamirana, wenno panangipagarupna la a tallo dayta. Napundi ngamin ti silaw iti pasilio, maysa pay dayta a masapul a tamingen ti ‘asosasion.’ Kasla nakaabungotda.

Ammo ni Bella a pagaangawan laeng dayta, idi tinaliawna ti maysa kadakuada ket kinunana, “Diak ammo no siasinokayo, ngem saan a nakakatkatawa dayta. Mangbirokkayo ti sabali a singaenyo.”

Nakatakder laeng dagiti pigura, saanda a naggaraw.

Nalabit dagiti ubbing manipud kadagiti tallo a ridaw dita baba. Nga iti kabubuyada kadagiti tablet-da, isu metten ti tuladenda a panangipakat ti kinapilyoda, ngem ita nga aldaw ket saan nga umiso a pagaangawanda ni Bella. Iti panunotna, nakasaganan nga agunget, linuktanna ti ridaw, idi kuan —

Awan.

Awan ti tao iti pasilio. Linidlid ni Bella dagiti matana sa nagtalatalangkiaw iti aglawlaw. Sigurado a nakitana ti tallo a pigura babaen iti peephole.

Nalabit bannogna laeng dayta. No makakitkita isuna kadagiti bambanag a di rumbeng a makita, sigurado a panawenen nga agaliwaksay.

Inkabil ni Bella ti cellphone-na iti silent mode, inyadayona dagiti magatgatang sa nagtugaw a sisasango iti laptop-na.

Ti Bali ti kangrunaan a lugar iti listaanna, ngem mangrugin a maalukoy ti riknana ti Korea. Saannan a sinango dagiti rumbeng nga obraenna iti dayta nga aldaw. Mabalin nga agpaimpierno ti trabaho, panawenen tapno magun-od ni Bella ti kalkalikagumanna a bakasion. Panangpasingked daytan a nasken a bumirok isuna ti paggatangan ti tiket, no man pay masapul a lumuas inton bigat.

Naimbag laengen ta nagpambar a masakit. Maysa dayta a banag nga ammona a masapul nga aramidenna.

Nagpa-book ni Bella iti flight ket insagananan dagiti masapsapulna. Kasla rimanniag ti masakbayanna.

No laeng dimngeg idi, impangpangagna koma ti pannakatuktok ti ridawna, ngem nalabit saanna koma manen nga inkankano.

Bareng nasaysayaatton no bigat.

Masiguradona dayta.

Nagtultuloy ti panagtuktok agingga iti agsapa ket magagaran unay ni Bella a dina payen nadnadlaw. Nakariing a napnek iti turog, innalana ti pasaportena ket tinurongnan ti eropuerto.

Dina ammo a nalipatan ti inheniero nga aramiden ti nasken a panangsukimat ti makina ti eroplano sakbay a mapalubosan daytoy a mapatayab.

Nailibayna bayat ti panagtayab ti eroplano. Ngem kagiddan ti uni ti eroplano, apagapaman a nangegna dagiti babassit a pannakatuktok ti tawa ti batog ti nagtugawanna.

Ket isu daytan ti naudi a nangegna.

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English Version

Bella dragged the groceries up the stairs and sighed. Another day of independence.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like living alone, she just didn’t expect it to be this much work.

Work. Another thing that wouldn’t leave her alone. Since she went up the stairs her phone rang 3 times. The endless emails and texts were starting to get to her. She told herself that after this week she was going to use her leaves and go somewhere nice. Maybe Thailand? Or Bali. Rosa went there last month and wouldn’t stop raving about it.

She looked at her apartment door. The cross that hung there fell on the welcome mat and she sighed again. She’d find time to fix it tomorrow or maybe she could ask her brother to do it. It was summer anyway and he owed her a favor.

The groceries were unceremoniously dumped on the kitchen counter and Bella turned on the fan and went straight for her couch. She could hear Pogi’s barks coming from the other room, but she ignored them. She knew she had already fed him today and he was gaining too much weight. More walks were in order for her spoiled friend.

Another thing to add to the list.

Her eyelids started to feel heavy and she let them close. She just needed five—no, ten minutes to let the day wash over her and then she could get back to her routine.

The universe wouldn’t even let her have that.

Three loud raps came from her door and she looked at the ceiling. Who was it this time? Probably one of her neighbors complaining again. Last time it was about Pogi barking and the time before that the ‘association’ needed to decide on rules for visitors.

Bella always hated that word. If it wasn’t for her apartment she’d never associate with these people in the first place. She sighed and left her palace of comfort and looked through the peephole to see who it was this time.

She could see three figures, or at least she thought it was three. The hallway light was out, another thing that the ‘association’ would have to deal with. They all seemed to be wearing hoods.

Bella knew a prank when she saw one and said, “I don’t know who you are, but it’s not funny. Bother someone else.”
The figures just stood there, unwavering.

It was probably the kids from three doors down. They finally looked up from their tablets to cause mischief, but today was the wrong day to mess with Bella. She mentally prepared a sermon and opened the door and then—

Nothing.

There was no one in the hallway. Bella rubbed her eyes and looked around. She was sure she saw three figures in the peephole.

Maybe the stress was really getting to her. If she was seeing things then it was definitely time for a vacation.

Bella set her phone on silent, put the groceries away and sat in front of her laptop.

Bali was definitely at the top of her list, but Korea was starting to speak to her. She brushed off the day’s events. Work could go to hell, it was time for Bella to have what she needed. It was definitely a sign when she found a sale for tickets, even though the catch was she had to leave tomorrow.

It was fine, she’d call in sick. This was something she knew she had to do.

Bella booked the flight and packed her bags. The future was looking bright.

If she listened, she would have heard the knocking coming from her front door, but she’d probably brush it off as hearing things again.

Tomorrow would be better.

She’d make sure of it.

The knocking continued until morning and Bella was too excited to notice it. She woke up fully refreshed, got her passport and made her way to the airport.

Unknown to her, and engineer forgot to do his due diligence and let the plane fly without checking its engine.

She fell asleep as the plane took off. Over the sound of the airplane she could make out small raps by her window seat.

It was the last thing she would ever hear.

*The Kumakatok warn of misfortune and death. They knock on your door signaling that someone will die the next day.

*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 Deo M. Ramos
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Deo M. Ramos

Inspired by the Kumakatok legends from Luzon and Visayas.

Kumakatok Illustration by Aiyan Von Einzbern