*Note this story is in Tagalog

Nagsimula ang mundo sa wala.

Naghari ang lumbay sa lupang tubig lamang ang nanatiling matatag sa paglipas ng panahon.

Sa gitna ng mundo ay mayroong hukay na kung saan narito ang higanteng alimango na si Gaki. Siya ang tagapangasiwa ng Dakilang Diyos na si Lumawig. Dito umaagos ang tubig patungo kay Gaki.

Mayroong mga nilalang noon na nag-iiwan ng marka sa mukha ng mundo. Naglakbay sila sa mundo upang maghanap ng mga hayop. Dahil walang katangian ang kanilang kapaligiran, nawala sila sa direksyon ng kanilang paligid sapagkat walang mga marka ang gumagabay sa kanila.

Nagdulot ito ng kanilang pagsigaw at ito’y nakagambala sa tulog ni Lumawig.

Hindi ito maaari.

Nagalit si Lumawig sa ingay ng mga nilalang. Para sa kaniyang mga mata, hindi sila nababagay sa mundo. Nanaginip siya ng panibagong mga nilalang, isang henerasyon na magmamana ng mas magandang mundo.

Dahil dito, tinawag niya si Gaki. Inutusan niya ang higanteng alimango na saksakin ang hukay gamit ang kaniyang katawan. Nais ni Lumawig na linisin ang mundo sa pamamagitan ng baha.

At mula sa baha, dalawang bundok ang lumitaw: Polis at Calawitan.

Mabilis ang pagbaha, walang tao ang nakaligtas sa delubyong ito. Mula sa pagbaha, dalawang katawan ang binuhat ni Lumawig, isang lalaki na nagngangalang Gatan, na kung saan siya’y inilagay sa taas ng Bundok Polis at ang babae na si Bangan, na kung saan inilagay naman siya sa taas ng Bundok Calawitan.

Kinagabihan, nagising si Gatan at nahanap niya ang sarili sa hindi pamilyar na lugar. Sinubukan niyang alalaahanin kung paano siya napunta sa sitwasyong ito, ngunit kahit anong gawin niya, lahat ng kaniyang alaala ay nawala. Nakatuon lamang siya sa kumikislap na ilaw sa daan, isang senyales na mayroon pang nilalang ang narito.

Naghintay siya hanggang madaling araw.

Habang naghahanap ng pagkain si Gatan, nakakita siya ng lumulutang na balsa. Sa kanang bahagi nito’y mayroong aso, samantalang sa kaliwang bahagi naman nito ay mayroong tandang.

Para kay Gatan, ito’y senyales mula sa mga Diyos kaya’t siya’y tumungo sa daan ng ilaw na kaniyang nakita.

Mahalagang tulong ang kaniyang mga kasamang hayop. Kapag masyadong tumagilid ang balsa sa kanang direksyon, tatahol ang aso upang maayos ni Gatan ang kanilang direksyon. Kapag tumagilid naman ang balsa sa kaliwang bahagi, titilaok ang tandang at aaysuin muli ni Gatan ang kanilang direksyon.

Hindi niya alam na ang kaniyang mga kasama ay mga biyaya ng Diyos na si Lumawig at kahit hindi niya alam, hindi na ito mahalaga.

Nakarating si Gatan sa baybayin ng Bundok Calawitan.

Nakita niya na mayroong hukay na nagbabaga. Sa tabi ng hukay na ito ay mayroong sinturon at palda ng isang babae. Hinanap ni Gatan ang babae at noong makita niya siya, nagdulot ito ng kaniyang pagka-dismaya. Muling bumalik ang kaniyang mga alaala.

Siya ang kaniyang babaeng kapatid, si Bangan.

Tumingin sila sa isa’t isa at hindi nila alam ang gagawin. Siguradong hindi sila maaaring magtalik dahil sila’y magkapatid.

Ngunit binigay ng Diyos na si Lumawig ang biyaya. Silang dalawa lamang ang natitirang mga nilalang sa mundo at responsibilidad nilang lumikha ng panibagong henerasyon upang patuloy na umunlad ang mundo.

Inutusan ni Lumawig si Gaki na lumabas mula sa hukay at tanggaling ang butas nito. Sa pag-urong ng mga tubig ay lumitaw ang mundo ng mga burol, lambak, bundok, at mga ilog. Hindi na namayani ang lumbay ‘pagkat ito’y bagong simula.

Bilang biyaya sa mga bagong nilalang ng mundo, kumuha ng buhol na balbas si Lumawig mula sa kaniyang mukha at ikinalat ito sa buong mundo. Mula rito, lumikha ito ng mga halaman na laganap sa ating mundo.

At ito na ang mundong kilala natin sa kasalukuyan.

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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.

*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Christine Autor
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Christine Autor

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_