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Philippine Representative Texts and Authors

The Creation Myth

Compiled by Mabel Cook Cole

Told by The Igorot Tribe (Mountain Province)

In the beginning there were no people on the earth. Lumawig, the Great Spirit, came down from the sky and cut

many reeds. He divided these into pairs which he placed in different parts of the world, and then he said to them,

"You must speak." Immediately the reeds became people, and in each place was a man and a woman who

could talk, but the language of each couple differed from that of the others.

Then Lumawig commanded each man and woman to marry, which they did. By and by there were many

children, all speaking the same language as their parents. These, in turn, married and had many children. In this

way there came to be many people on the earth.

Now Lumawig saw that there were several things which the people on the earth needed to use, so he set to

work to supply them. He created salt, and told the inhabitants of one place to boil it down and sell it to their

neighbors. But these people could not understand the directions of the Great Spirit, and the next time he visited

them, they had not touched the salt.

Then he took it away from them and gave it to the people of a place c alled Mayinit. These did as he directed, and

because of this he told them that they should always be owners of the salt, and that the other people must buy

of them.

Then Lumawig went to the people of Bontoc and told them to get clay and make pots. They got the clay,

but they did not understand the molding, and the jars were not well shaped. Because of their failure, Lumawig

told them that they would always have to buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki. When he told

the people there what to do, they did just as he said, and their jars were well shaped and beautiful. Then the

Great Spirit saw that they were fit owners of the pottery, and he told them that they should always make many

jars to sell.

In this way Lumawig taught the people and brought to them all the things which they now have.

Mansumandig

Compiled by Mabel Cook Cole

Told by The Visayan Tribe (Visayas)

One day a man said to his wife: "My wife, we are getting very poor and I must go into business to earn some

money."

"That is a good idea," replied his wife. "How much capital have you?"

"I have twenty-five centavos," answered the man; "and I am going to buy rice and carry it to the mines, for I have

heard that it brings a good price there.

" So he took his twenty-five centavos and bought a half-cavan of rice which he carried on his shoulder to the

mine. Arriving there he told the people that he had rice for sale, and they asked eagerly how much he wanted for

it. "Why, have you forgotten the regular price of rice?" asked the man. "It is twenty-five centavos.

" They at once bought the rice, and the man was very glad because he would not have to carry it any longer. He

put the money in his belt and asked if they would like to buy any more.

"Yes," said they, "we will buy as many cavans as you will bring." When the man reached home his wife asked if

he had been successful. "Oh, my wife," he answered, "it is a very good business. I could not take the rice off my

shoulder before the people came to buy it.

" "Well, that is good," said the wife; "we shall become very rich." The next morning the man bought a half-cavan

of rice the same as before and carried it to the mine and when they asked how much it would be, he said: "It is

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Philippine Representative Texts and Authors The Creation Myth Compiled by Mabel Cook Cole Told by The Igorot Tribe (Mountain Province) In the beginning there were no people on the earth. Lumawig, the Great Spirit, came down from the sky and cut many reeds. He divided these into pairs which he placed in different parts of the world, and then he said to them, "You must speak." Immediately the reeds became people, and in each place was a man and a woman who could talk, but the language of each couple differed from that of the others. Then Lumawig commanded each man and woman to marry, which they did. By and by there were many children, all speaking the same language as their parents. These, in turn, married and had many children. In this way there came to be many people on the earth. Now Lumawig saw that there were several things which the people on the earth needed to use, so he set to work to supply them. He created salt, and told the inhabitants of one place to boil it down and sell it to their neighbors. But these people could not understand the directions of the Great Spirit, and the next time he visited them, they had not touched the salt. Then he took it away from them and gave it to the people of a place called Mayinit. These did as he directed, and because of this he told them that they should always be owners of the salt, and that the other people must buy of them. Then Lumawig went to the people of Bontoc and told them to get clay and make pots. They got the clay, but they did not understand the molding, and the jars were not well shaped. Because of their failure, Lumawig told them that they would always have to buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki. When he told the people there what to do, they did just as he said, and their jars were well shaped and beautiful. Then the Great Spirit saw that they were fit owners of the pottery, and he told them that they should always make many jars to sell. In this way Lumawig taught the people and brought to them all the things which they now have. Mansumandig Compiled by Mabel Cook Cole Told by The Visayan Tribe (Visayas) One day a man said to his wife: "My wife, we are getting very poor and I must go into business to earn some money." "That is a good idea," replied his wife. "How much capital have you?" "I have twenty-five centavos," answered the man; "and I am going to buy rice and carry it to the mines, for I have heard that it brings a good price there. " So he took his twenty-five centavos and bought a half-cavan of rice which he carried on his shoulder to the mine. Arriving there he told the people that he had rice for sale, and they asked eagerly how much he wanted for it. "Why, have you forgotten the regular price of rice?" asked the man. "It is twenty-five centavos. " They at once bought the rice, and the man was very glad because he would not have to carry it any longer. He put the money in his belt and asked if they would like to buy any more. "Yes," said they, "we will buy as many cavans as you will bring." When the man reached home his wife asked if he had been successful. "Oh, my wife," he answered, "it is a very good business. I could not take the rice off my shoulder before the people came to buy it. " "Well, that is good," said the wife; "we shall become very rich." The next morning the man bought a half-cavan of rice the same as before and carried it to the mine and when they asked how much it would be, he said: "It is

the same as before—twenty-five centavos." He received the money and went home. "How is the business today?" asked his wife. "Oh, it is the same as before," he said. "I could not take the rice off my shoulder before they came for it." And so he went on with his business for a year, each day buying a half-cavan of rice and selling it for the price he had paid for it. Then one day his wife said that they would balance accounts, and she spread a mat on the floor and sat down on one side of it, telling her husband to sit on the opposite side. When she asked him for the money he had made during the year, he asked: "What money?" "Why, give me the money you have received," answered his wife; "and then we can see how much you have made." "Oh, here it is," said the man, and he took the twenty-five centavos out of his belt and handed it to her. "Is that all you have received this year?" cried his wife angrily. "Haven't you said that rice brought a good price at the mines?" "That is all," he replied. "How much did you pay for the rice?" "Twenty-five centavos." "How much did you receive for it?" "Twenty-five centavos." "Oh, my husband," cried his wife, "how can you make any gain if you sell it for just what you paid for it." The man leaned his head against the wall and thought. Ever since then he has been called "Mansumandig," a man who leans back and thinks. Then the wife said, "Give me the twenty-five centavos, and I will try to make some money." So, he handed it to her, and she said, "Now you go to the field where the people are gathering hemp and buy twenty-five centavos worth for me, and I will weave it into cloth. " When Mansumandig returned with the hemp she spread it in the sun, and as soon as it was dry, she tied it into a long thread and put it on the loom to weave. Night and day she worked on her cloth, and when it was finished, she had eight varas (one yard). This she sold for twelve and a half centavos a vara, and with this money she bought more hemp. She continued weaving and selling her cloth, and her work was so good that people were glad to buy from her. At the end of a year, she again spread the mat on the floor and took her place on one side of it, while her husband sat on the opposite side. Then she poured the money out of the blanket in which she kept it upon the mat. She held aside her capital, which was twenty-five centavos, and when she counted the remainder, she found that she had three hundred pesos. Mansumandig was greatly ashamed when he remembered that he had not made cent, and he leaned his head against the wall and thought. After a while the woman pitied him, so she gave him the money and told him to buy carabao. He was able to buy ten carabao and with these he plowed his fields. By raising good crops, they were able to live comfortably all the rest of their lives.

"Now I ask where you are going, all armed ready for war." "We are warriors," replied the man in red. "And we go up and down the world killing whatever we see that has life. Now that we have met you, we must kill you also." The boy, startled by this strange speech, was about to answer when he heard a voice near him say: "Fight, for they will try to kill you," and upon looking up he saw his spear, shield, and sword which he had left at home. Then he knew that the command came from a spirit, so he took his weapons and began to fight. For three days and nights they contended, and never before had the seven seen one man so brave. On the fourth day the leader was wounded and fell dead, and then, one by one, the other six fell. When they were all killed, the widow's son was so crazed with fighting that he thought no longer of returning home, but started out to find more to slay. In his wanderings he came to the home of a great giant whose house was already full of the men he had conquered in battle, and he called up from outside: "Is the master of the house at home? If he is, let him come out and fight." This threw the giant into a rage, and seizing his shield and his spear, the shaft of^ which^ was^ the^ trunk^ of^ a^ tree,^ he^ sprang^ to^ the^ door^ and^ leaped^ to the ground, not (^) waiting to go down the notched pole which served for steps. He looked around for his antagonist, and seeing only the widow's son he roared: "Where is the man that wants to fight? That thing? It is only a fly!" The boy did not stop to answer, but rushed at the giant with his knife; and for three days and nights they struggled, till the giant fell, wounded at the waist. After that the widow's son stopped only long enough to burn the giant's house, and then rushed on looking for someone else to slay. Suddenly he again heard the voice which had bade him fight with the seven men, and this time it said: "Go home now, for your mother is grieved at your absence." In a rage he sprang forward with his sword, though he could see no enemy. Then the spirit which had spoken to him made him sleep for a short time. When he awoke the rage was spent. Again, the spirit appeared, and it said: "The seven men whom you killed were sent to kill you by the spirit of the great stone, for he looked in your hand and saw that you were to marry the orphan girl whom he himself wished to wed. But you have conquered. Your enemies are dead. Go home now and prepare a great quantity of wine, for I shall bring your enemies to life again, and you will all live in peace." So, the widow's son went home, and his mother, who had believed him dead, was filled with joy at his coming, and all the people in the town came out to welcome him. When he had told them his story, they hastened to get wine, and all day they bore jarful to the widow's house. That night there was a great feast, and the spirit of the great stone, his seven warriors, the friendly spirit, and the giant all came. The widow's son married the orphan girl, while another beautiful woman became the wife of the spirit of the stone.

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