*Note this story is in Waray

Ginlilikayan ni Aguihao nga makipagtukuran sa mumbaki* samtang kapot-kapot niya an an tela nga nagtatakop sa kanya tuo nga butkon.

“Di ak makatoo sa imo sa pagduok saak para mangaro pasaylo sa mga espiritu” sugad sa mumbaki samtang gintutukod an butkon ni Aguihao.

“Kinahanglan ko himuon ak angay himuon para sa ak pamilya” baton ni Aguihao nga mas ginpili nga manukod sa salog kaysa sa makipagtukuran sa mumbaki.

“Gintitiawan mo an tradisyon sa at mga kaapuyan! Sugad na kit sini nabuhi sa pira ka-henersayon tapos yana ginkekwestyon mo?!”

“Di ka nasabot! Di ka maaram kun nano ka kaswerte nga nakikihampang saim an mga Espiritu samtang an mga pareho saam, kinahanglan maningkamot adlaw adlaw tungod sa iyo mga balaod.”

“Iton nga mga balaod kay balaod sa mga Espiritu, an dire pagsunod sa mga balaod kay dire pagsunod sa kabubuwason nga para saim.”

“Imo siguro kabubuwason, pero dire para saak.”

Tigda nagmingaw an palibot pero ginwakay gihapon sa mumbaki.

“Tangtanga iton,” sugad niya kan Aguihao.

Natatangtang an doble-doble nga tela ngan tinambad an nagtutubig ngan nagnanana nga samad. Dire matago ni Aguihon an sakit ngan sa una nga beses, nakatukod na gihapon siya sa mata sa mumbaki. Maiimdan an pagkalooy ngan tala nga pagbasol.

“Sugara saak im istorya,” sugad sa mumbaki.

“Nagtikang an tanan sa kamatay saak asawa.”

“Nahinumdom ak siton. Adto pa ngani an mombangol**.”

“Oo, ngan nawara saak an tanan. Ginprenda ko an ak mga tutuna para yaon ak panggastos sa lamay.”

“Kinahanglan ta sundon an mga ritwal. Sa sulod sa lima kaadlaw, kinahanglan maghalad mga baktin ngan karabaw sa mga ginoo ngan espiritu.”

“Waray pulos nga kuhaan an mga waray na daan.”

“Imortal an kalag. Kinahanglan ta himuon an tanan para sigurado nga mahingadto sa karadtuan sa sunod nga kinabuhi.”

“Sa sulod sa lima kaadlaw ginhayaan namo siya ngan ginbutang sa hangdel***.”

“Ngan ginhimo mo kun nano an dapat himuon nga basi sa tradisyon.”

“Pero dire patas! Mas nawaraan pa ak kaysa sa una.”

“Dire ini hiunong sa lamay hano?”

“Dire ngani.”

“Hala sige ipadayon im istorya.”

“Ikalima ak sa magburugto. Gindurutuhan saak ak kag-anak para makatirok tutuna para sa kanra mga anak, ngan bisan sa kadamo sa kakurian nga gin-again, nakatirok sira lima nga taranuman ngan mga bukid. San ikarasal ak gurang nga lalaki, ginhatag sa kanya an tunga sa sobra sa tunga sa mga tutuna. An nahibilin kay gintunga-tunga sa am tigurangi nga bugto nga babaye ngan sa ak sayo nga bugto nga lalake. Ginhatag lat nira saam magurang nga babaye an amon balay. Wara nahibilin saam nga iba nga magburugto.”

“Delikado im ginaagihan nga dalan. An pagpinangutana sin-sine kay dire maupay sa pagkasarayo. An sayo nga tsansa sa kinabuhi kay ditoy la nga sakripisyo para masigurado nga nasusunod an tradisyon.”

“Damo ura-ura ak utang nga susundan ak abot sa ak kamatay, ngan maeeredar pa saak mga anak hangtod sa kanra pa mga anak. Ginhimo ko la ak kaya para mahatagan sira tsansa.”

“Mao iton an rason kun nano kinadto ka sa balay saim bugto nga lalake?”

“Damo an kanya kwarta ngan dire niya mapapansin nga may kulang. Nanginahanglan la ak tala nga kantidad.”

“Pero nadakpan ka sa mga Espiritu”

“Dire ak maaram nga gintawag sa ak bugto an mga Espiritu para bantayan an kanya mga butang.”

“Mangangawat ka ba kun nahibaro ka?”

“Oo. Kun para saak pamilya.”

Nagmingaw na lat an kanra palibot pero yana, si Aguihao na an binuong sa kamingaw.

“Makadto na ak, mumbaki. Naiimdan ko saim mata nga dire la an mga butang saak bugto ak nalabtan kundi pati an tradisyon saat tribo. Dako nga butang an pangaro pasaylo sa duha, ngan mao ini akon angay buhaton.”

Sa titugbos na si Aguihao para lumakaw, gin-igbaw sa mumbaki an kanya kamot.

“Dida ka la” sugad sa mumbaki.

“Hihimuon mo na an ritwal?” pangutana ni Aguihao.

“Maaram ka ba nga sayo ak sa mga nahitutura nga mumbaki sa amo probinsya?”

“Nabatian ko ngani nga tagditoy nala an nasunod sa pagigin mumbaki.”

“Mao na siguro an senyales sa panahon, di ngani, mao an paagi sa mga Espiritu nga dire sira mabatian.  Tikamatay na an daan nga mga paagi, Aguihao. Mas pipilion pa sa mga kabatan-on yana an ditoy nga papel nga nagsusugad nga “edukado” sira kaysa sa mahibaro sa mga ampo ngan kanta saat mga tawo. Nakikihampang sira sa kanra ginoo nga tulo an pagkatawo ngan mag dayaw sa mga bato nga templo.”

“Kanra ba iton sala? Nano pa an nahibilin para saat didi?”

“Sa im pag-abat wara na nahibilin didi, pero makaburungol la gihapon an mga Espiritu sa kamingawan didi.”

Tinugbos an mumbaki kapot-kapot an bukton ni Aguihao.

“Sa yana, kinahanglan ta manok.”

=—————————————=

English Version

Aguihao avoids the gaze of the mumbaki* as he clutches the fabric covering his right arm.

“I am amused by the nerve you have coming to me to ask for the spirit’s forgiveness,” the mumbaki says as he looks at Aguihao’s arm.

“I did what I needed to do for my family,” Aguihao answers, preferring to look at the ground than meet the mumbaki eye to eye.

“You spit on the traditions of our ancestors! This is the way we have lived for generations and you dare question this?!”

“You don’t understand! You don’t know how lucky you are to let the spirits speak through you while those like me have to toil day after day because of your ‘laws’.”

“Those laws are governed by the spirits, to go against them is to go against destiny.”

“Your destiny maybe, but not mine.”

A pang of silence fills the air and is broken by the mumbaki.

“Take it off,” he commands Aguihao.

The layers of fabric give way to a swollen wound leaking pus. Aguihao’s face barely hides the pain and for the first time looks into the mumbaki’s eyes. There is pity there and a small twinge of regret.

“Tell me your story,” said the mumbaki.

“It started with the death of my wife.”

“I remember that. The mombangol** attended.”

“Yes, and I lost everything. I had to mortgage my property to find the funds for the vigil.”

“We all must follow the rituals. For five days pigs and carabaos must be offered to the gods and spirits.”

“It makes no sense to take from those who have nothing.”

“The soul is immortal. We must do all we can to make sure it finds its place in the life after this life.”

“For those five days we mourned her and sat her upon the hangdel***.”

“And you have done as you must do based on our traditions.”

“But it’s not fair! I have even less than what I had before.”

“This is not just about the vigil is it?”

“No, it is not.”

“Tell me the rest of your story.”

“I am the fifth child of my parents. They had worked tirelessly to save property for their children and through their trials they had accumulated five rice fields and forests. When my older brother was to be married, he got one half of three fourths of the property. And the rest was divided among my eldest sister and my other brother. They even gave my eldest sister the family home. The rest of us were left with nothing.”

“You tread on dangerous ground. Questioning this is acting against unity. One’s chance in life is but a small sacrifice to ensure that the traditions are upheld.”

“I am in a debt that will follow me until I die, that my children and their children will inherit. I did what I could to give them a chance.”

“Is that why you went to your brother’s house?”

“He has so much, he wouldn’t notice some money missing. I just needed a small amount.”

“And then the spirit caught you.”

“I did not know that my brother had the spirit invoked to protect his belongings.”

“Would you have tried to steal had you known?”

“Yes. If only for my family.”

Another spate of silence filled the room, but this time it was Aguihao that broke it.

“Goodbye, mumbaki. I can see it in your eyes that I have trespassed not only on my brother’s property but also on the traditions of our tribe. It is much too much to ask forgiveness for both, and this would be my penance.”

As Aguihao stood to walk away the mumbaki raised his hand.

“Stay,” the mumbaki intoned.
“Will you do the ritual then?” Aguihao asked.

“Do you know I am one of the last mumbaki among our provinces?”

“I have heard that less and less people were taking up the mantle of the mumbaki.”

“It may be the sign of the times, or maybe the spirits aren’t letting themselves be heard. The old ways are dying Aguihao. The young would rather have a piece of paper that says they are ‘educated’ than committing to learning the prayers and chants of our people. They speak to their god with three natures in one and worship in stone temples.”

“Is it their fault? What is there that is left for us here?”

“You may feel that there is nothing here, but the spirits echo loudest in the silence.”

The mumbaki stands up and clutches Aguihao’s arm.

“For now, we will need a chicken.”

=——————————————————–=

*Mumbaki/Mombaki an tawag sa paragbulong sa barang sa Ifugao. (Mumbaki/Mombaki are shamans in Ifugao culture.)

**The chief mumbaki.

***An improvised chair constructed under the house.

*Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Waray translation by Jmee Juanerio
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jmee Juanerio

Inspired by the Pili description in Gibson’s Sacrifice and Sharing in the Philippine Highlands (London School of Economics Monographs on Social Anthropology,n.57); The Athlone Press: London, UK, 1986.

Pili Illustration by Alvin Gasga

FB: The Art of Alvin Gasga

*Note this story is in Waray

Ak urom kada gab-e kay pareho la pirme.

Magtitikang pirme sa ak higdaan. Dire maaram an mga paragbulong kun nano an nahitabo sa ak. Pirme sira nagsusugad nga yaon na lat sira sasarihan nga paagi mao nga pirme ko sira ginpapatawa. Maaram ak nga magigin masuol tanan para sa ak, pero dire ko mabasol an mga doctor kay ginhihimo manla nira an kanra trabaho.

Inabot na an dagom. Gintusok tusok ak ngan ginsarihan sa pira ka oras. Ginsisiguro man ak sa mga nars. Sige an kanra sugad nga magigin maupay ngan mahuhuman gihapon an tanan. Di sira naghihimo mga butang nga maaram sira makakadugang sa kakuri mao nga wara ak iba nga mahimo kundi an humangos nala abot sa mahuman.

An pinakamakuri sa tanan kay an kahuman sa ngatanan. Kahuman sa ngatanan nga pagsari ngan pagbulong, ako nala magsasayuan sa ak higdaan sa hospital. Mao gihapon kun diin nagtikang an tanan. Masugad sira nga ira ak oobserbahan ngan yaon mga doctor nga mag iimod saak kada pira ka oras.

Didto ko iton maiimdan, baga ngan halaba nga tikang sa atop. Dire ak maaram kun nano iton siya ngan kun nakadugtong iton siya sa sayo nga butang, pero nakilwag siya nga mali may kinabuhi. Dire ak makakilwag. Sa kadamo sa ginhimo saak, maluya ak ura-ura para dire ak labtan sa kun nano man iton.

Didto ko iton nakaptan. Sa oras nga ginlabtan ak siton nga baga nga butang, grabe ak dalagan nga mali nakirumbaanay. Tanan nga ak kusog kay ginawas hangtod sap agal na ak ura-ura para magin hadok. An pagtukod nala siton nga baga nga butang an ak nahimo. Mapinit siya kun kaptan ngan sige an kilwag abot sa naabat na niya an tanan nga parte sa ak lawas.

Ginsarihan ko nga gumasod pero pagal na ak ura-ura. An malain nga pamati kay naabat ko na saak bug-os nga kalawasan pero dire ak maaram kun gaanano na kaiha. Karuyag ko la makabalik saak pag katurog.

Tigda may sinulod nga nars. Tigda liwat nawara an baga nga butang sa ak pangimod. Ginapangutan-an ak niya kun okay la ak pero wara ak kusog para makasugad manla nga dire.

“Ay kabahala kay ine nga bulong pamamatahon ka la dali tapos makaka-katurog ka na gihapon,” mao an kanya bagaw.

Naruyag ak gumasod pero wara nagawas.

=———————————————————=

English Version

Every nightmare I have is the same.

It all starts in my bed. I’m in the hospital, as always. The doctors still don’t know what’s wrong with me. They say that they’re going to try another test and I humor them. I know it’s going to be painful for me, but I don’t blame the doctors, they’re just trying to do their jobs.

Then the needles arrive. I get poked and prodded for hours. The nurses try to reassure me. They tell me that everything’s going to be fine and it will all be over soon. They wouldn’t do anything that would make things worse so all I have to do is breathe, just until it’s over.

The worst part comes when it’s all over. After the tests and the treatments, I’m alone in my hospital bed. Back where I started. They tell me I’ll be put on observation and there will be a doctor checking on me every few hours.

That’s when I see it, something long and red coming from the roof. I don’t know what it is and I don’t know if it’s attached to anything, but it moves like it was alive. I can’t move. I’m too weak from all the tests to stop it from touching me.

Then I feel it. The moment the red thing touches me, it’s like I ran a marathon. The energy flows out of me until I’m too tired to even be afraid. All I do is stare at the red thing. It feels cold to the touch and it moves around until it touches every part of my body.

I try to scream but I’m too tired. The strange sensation is all over my body now and I don’t know how long it’s been. I just want to go back to sleep.

Then suddenly, a nurse walks in. The red thing disappears from my sight. She asks me if I’m okay and I can’t muster the strength to say no.

“Don’t worry the medicine will only keep you awake for a little while longer then you can sleep,” she says.

I try to scream again but nothing comes out.

=——————————————————-=

*Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Waray translation by Jmee Juanerio
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jmee Juanerio

Inspired by the Mansusopsop legends

Mansusopsop Illustration by NightmareSyrup
Tumblr: http://nightmaresyrup.tumblr.com/

*Note this story is in Waray

Kun diin kit tinuok

Didi liwat kit magtitikang

An Muya

An Bayi-Bayi

An kanya ngaran, Amburukay

An kanya tinago nga kadaragan-an

Gintatago niya sa tor-re

An Muya

An Bayi-bayi

Kun sin-o man an makakuha sa kanya tuos

Sa kanya bulawan nga dutdot

Aasawahon niya

Taghoy, an duwende

An Espiritu nga taga tugway

Ni Labaw Donggon

Ginsugaran siya nga upayon

An kanya wakay nga bidya

An tuos la

San Muya

San Bayi-bayi

Kanya ginkuha

Di siya maaram sa tuos

San Muwa

San Bayi-bayi

Dapat niya asawahon

Amburukay

An adlaw sa kasal

Sa kanya balay

Sa balay san lalaki

Gindara ngadto sa Muwa

Ngadto sa Bayi-bayi

Grabe nga haya ni Labaw Donggon

Dire an Muwa

Dire an Bayi-bayi

Dire ko siya kaya nga pakaslan

Amburukay

Wara siya didto

Kanya la binukot

Kanya la mga tinago nga mga kadaragan-an

Kanya mga anak nga babaye

Naglipay si Labaw Donggon

Kun diin kit tanan tinuok

Didi lat kit mahuhuman

=—————————————————————=

English Version

Where we all pause
Here shall we begin

The Muwa
The Bayi-bayi
Her name, Amburukay
She hides her kept maidens
Hides them in her tower

The Muwa
The Bayi-bayi
Whoever gets her tuos*
Her golden pubic hair
Will marry her

Taghoy, the duwende
The spirit guide
Of Labaw Donggon
Tells him to fix
His broken bidya

With only the tuos
Of the Muwa
Of the Bayi-bayi
He takes it

He knows not of the tuos
Of the Muwa
Of the Bayi-bayi
He must marry
Amburukay

The wedding day
His house
The house of the groom
Is brought to the Muwa
To the Bayi-bayi

Labaw Donggon cries in despair
Not the Muwa
Not the Bayi-bayi
I cannot marry her

Amburukay
Is not there
It is her binukot
Her kept maidens
Her adopted daughters
Labaw Donggon rejoices

Where we all pause
Here shall we end

=———————————————————=

*A tuos is a sacred vow or pledge. (This is in reference to the story wherein anyone that gets Amburukay’s golden pubic hair must marry her, as was the sacred magical binding contract of her parents)

*Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano.

Written by Karl Gaverza (In the style of a Sugidanon [Epic] of Panay)
Waray translation by Jmee Juanerio
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jmee Juanerio

Story adapted from Amburukay: Sugidanon (Epics) of Panay. Caballero & Caballero-Castor translation by Magos. 2015.

Amburukay Illustration by Patmai De Vera
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