*Note this story is in Kapampangan

Keng balen na ning Igbahay, makatuknang ya ing metung mausisang nilalang. Anyang banwa na ning Guino, 1539, linusub de reng tau ing bale na nitang marok a tau na awsang dang Talagman. Keng baleng ayta ikit do reng makapangilabut na bage. Metung kareng peka-aliwang dili itang uwak na ating tukang kasing taram na ning kutsilyu, ating yang apat a makakabang bitis, kuku, ampong tusuk.

Ngeni, sabi da reng memalen, ining nilalang ayni atin yapang kayabeng metung mas marok a nilalang. Keng sobrang karok ng Talagman, kinalat ing sabi-sabi na metung ya kanung Sigbin. Anyang panaun ayta, paniwalan da na ing Sigbin metung yang tau na magdalang sobrang karokan at kasakitan manibatan keng kayang pisalikutang lugar.

Atin lapang istorya reng memalen na metung kanung aldo atin masikan a lalaking menakit kang Talagman na kasalungsungang gagawang marok a bage anya itang lalaking ayta pinutut ne balugbug i Talagman. Ngeni, kanitang aldong ayta megi neng tradisyun kareng memalen na ning Igbahay, detang taung awsang dang Ibajaos, deng lalaki sadya dong paputut reng karelang kailing balugbug. Ing panyaptang dang ayni paniwalang dang makalakong bisa ketang kasunduwan na nitang Sigbin ampo nitang Espiritu na awsang dang Oag. Ining Oag ayni metung yang nilalang na mamyeng laru na makapamyeng sikanan keng metung a tau para magi yang Sigbin.

Makanita ya karok i Talagman, na mangaman ngeni, reng tau pane dang istorya da nung makananung ing kayang lawe malyari yang makapamyeng kasakitan kareng menakit. Pane de muring istorya nung makananung deng akakit I Talagmang deng karelang kanunuhan na kukwang basyu at didinan neng laru ing kayang katawan. Sinulapo ya keng angin at melakwan ya ing kapitna na ning kayang katawan keng bale.

Ing karokan at katsurang ugali ng Talagman pante ya ketang awsan ng Uac-Uac, ing kayang kaluguran. Ining uwak ah mamyeng disgrasya ayni panwalan de muring mamateng biktima pauli na ning pamanyaksak keng karelang gulut gamit ing mataram ng tuka kabang kukutkut ne ing kayang kuku keng laman na ning tau. Pauli na ning sobrang tula keng pamamanyeng kasakitan kareng tau, sadya lang susulapo kayabe na ning kayang among Sigbin para manintung laman na ning taung karelang pikutkutang kuku.

Ining istoryang ayni dinalan a banwa ne ing milabas, oneng magpanggang ngeni mapali ya parin keng panimanman da reng tau. Patye ikit me ing uac-uac a apat a bitis, mingat ka uling paniguradung kayabe ne at atyu yamu nung lokarin ing kayang amu.

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English Version

In the town of Igbahay, there exists a curious creature. In the year of the Lord, 1539, the people of the town raided the house of an evil man called Talagman. In his house they found many horrors. One most strange was a black crow with a beak as sharp as a knife, four long feet and claws and spines.

Now, it was said by the townsfolk that this creature was the companion of something more malicious. The evil of Talagman was so great that the people of the town whispered that he was a sigbin. In those days, a sigbin was a man who caused great evil and harm from his hiding place.

The townsfolk even tell a story of one day when a strong man caught Talagman in the middle of an evil act and the strong man cut off Talagman’s ear. Now, in those days there was a tradition in the town of Igbahay, whose people are called the Ibajaos, where certain men would have their left ear cut off. This practice was to break the pact that sigben would have with the spirit called oag, the creature that gives the oil which would make a man become a sigben.

Such was the evil of Talagman that, to this day, people would tell stories of how his glance alone would cause harm. They still say of stories where their great-great-great grandparents would see Talagman take a small flask, anoint his body with oil and fly through the air leaving half of his body in his house.

The cruelty and malice of Talagman had his match in the uac-uac, his companion. The misshapen crow would stab victims with its sharp beak and take great pleasure in raking its claws against the flesh of humans. So great was its love of torture that it would fly with its sigben master to find fresh meat that it could dig its claws in.

This story is of hundreds of years past, but always be warned. If you see the uac-uac and its four legs, know that its master will not be far behind.

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* Kapampangan, Pampango, or the Pampangan language is a major Philippine language. It is primarily spoken in the province of Pampanga, southern Tarlac, and northeastern Bataan. Kapampangan is also spoken in some municipalities of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, by various Aeta groups of Central Luzon, and in scattered communities within the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. The language is known honorifically as Amánung Sísuan (“breastfed, or nurtured, language”)

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by April Christian De Leon
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © April Christian De Leon

Inspired by “The Legend of the Sigbin.” Pavon (1838-1839) in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.

Uac-uac Illustration by NightmareSyrup
Tumblr: http://nightmaresyrup.tumblr.com/

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