*Note this story is in Tagalog
Noong 1539, sa bayan ng Igbahay, mayroong namataang isang kakaibang nilalang kaya’t nilusob ng mga tao ang pinanggalingang bahay nito. Mula sa pinagtataguang bahay na ito ay may nakita silang maraming kakilakilabot. Napag-alaman nilang tirahan ito ng isang masamang tao na kilala sa tawag na Talagman. Ang kakaibang nilalang na kasama nito sa bahay ay isang uwak na may tuka na kasingtulis ng kutsilyo, may apat na mahahabang mga paa at mga matutulis na kuko na puno ng mga tinik.
Bulung bulungan ng mga taong-bayan na si Talagman ay isang di pangkaraniwang nilalang at may taglay na kasamaan. Diumano siya ay isang sigbin o isang aswang na noong mga panahong iyon ay sanhi ng malaking kasamaan at pinsala sa kanilang bayan.
Ilang kwento pa ng mga taga-bayan noon ay nahuli ng isang malakas na lalaki si Talagman sa gitna ng isang masamang gawain at pinutol ng malakas na lalaki ang tenga nito. Isang nakaugalian ng mga Ibajao sa bayan ng Igbahay ang pagpuputol ng kaliwang tainga ng ilang piling tao. Ang tradisyon na ito ay upang sirain ang kasunduan na magkakaroon sa espiritung tinatawag na oag. Ang Oag ang nilalang na nagbibigay ng langis para maging sigbin o aswang ang isang tao.
Ayon din sa maga taong bayan, Ang mga mata ni Talagman ay may kakaibang kapangyarihan na nakapagdudulot ng kapahamakan sa taong tititigan nito. Nagpasalin salin din ang kwento mula pa sa mga ninuno na itong si Talagman raw ay nakitang kumuha ng maliit na prasko, pinahiran ng langis ang kanyang katawan at lumipad habang ang kalahati ng kanyang katawan ay naiwan sa kanyang bahay
At hindi nga nag-iisa sa kalupitan at kasamaan si Talagman. Palagi nitong kasama sa kanyang paglipad at paghahanap ng sariwang karne ang walang kasing itim na Uac-uac. Sinasaksak ng Uac-uac ang kanyang mabibiktima gamit ng kanyang matalas na tuka at ganun din ang matataliim na kuko sa pagdagit ng laman ng mga ito. Labis ang pagkalugod nito sa ginagawang kasamaan kasama ang amo nitong sigbin.
Ang kwentong ito ay daan-daang taon na ang nakalilipas na laging nagpapaalala o nagbibigay babala. Kung makikita mo ang Uac-uac at ang apat na paa nito, hindi malayong nasa paligid din lamang ang amo nitong si Talagman.
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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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*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 Rhodora Garcia-Medina
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Rhodora Garcia-Medina
Inspired by “The Legend of the Sigbin.” Pavon (1838-1839) in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Uac-uac Illustration by NightmareSyrup
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