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The prayer that invokes Lumbaton to give the chanter peaceful mind, a childlike loss of inhibition and a voice capable of attracting even those who are asleep.
Creation of the Land, seas and
rivers surrounding nalandangan
and the demi-gods that inhabit
them.
In the beginning there was only a great roaring sea.
Then the Land was madeA river was created and it was the first river to ever enter the sea. The place along this river was ruled by Balayanon Makagwas / Pakatan Masalagya, a relative of Agio.
The Sea of Taboo / Enchanted Sea. Nabaldyong (The Revolving Head) / Napatoy (The Rotating Face) was ruler of the place.
Another river that was created was the River-went-a-whirlpool. Chieftain of the place was Imbokagwang Linona (The Hurled One).The Locals also called him Imbulos (The Cursed One).
Not far from the Place was the River
of Everlasting Drought governed by “ Tampuluran “ ( The
Thunder
Near the Rivermouth of Nanga, named after an edible species of rattan, was “The Place of Dagasanan” ruled by Baybayan, the ruler of singers
The rivermouth of Aloyan the Entrance of
Baya, the place of “Gomogunal or
Gumomba” (The keeper of souls and the uncle of the people of Yandang).
The Place of the witches or the Adobe of the Demons. Ruled by “Managoka
Sayudsa” (Follower of the people of Yandang).
The Rivermouth of Hray-aman or Mimisol, the place of “Anyukusa”, the guardian of the Makadingding.
The river full of Pandan/Dansoli was inhabited by “Masagala/Malinda”, (the Mirthful and the datu of folktales, relative of the people of Yandang
Adjacent to Yandang was the rivermouth of Malinaw /Liowanon,
ruled by “Bansala”, the famous brother-in-law of Gulubatnon or
Langonga.
The first heaven made near the earth is the Model
heaven.
Second Up to it, is the Embroidered heaven, where the beautiful women want to copy
whatever model the sky creates.
The third is the Heaven of Loneliness - the town of
Hinolabungan Baguio, God of storm.
Fourth is the Heaven of Friable sky/ “Pulverizing sky”, town of Mangilala.
Next is the “Colorful Heaven”-
the kingdom of Talabusaw who enrages people.
Then the “Circular Heaven”, the town of Lumbaton, the god of the chanters and a half-man. This is considered as place of discontinuity.
Finally, the end of all skies abode of Langongon, the Wrecker,
Mangundila, the rainbow that shines (Messenger of the god of
gods) and Magbabaya, who occupies the topmost heaven.
FAMILY OF AGIO
Langonga(Father of Agio)Undayag(mother of Agio)
ChildrenPamolao(eldest son)Agio(second child)Banlak(Third son)
Ikwang(First Sister)Tabagka(Second sister)
Bagna (Fourth son)Lona (Fifth son)
Youngest child(no name)
Ancient beginning of Agio and his people on earth.
Agio and his clan live in Lambagohan.
BEFORE AGIO BECAME IMMORTAL
• The Spaniards came, caught all the people and baptized by force
• The Spaniards built a big house called simbahan.
• Agio and his brotrher became sacristan.
• The priest sent Agio and Lona to gather beeswax in the forest. They have to gather 2 piculs of wax within seven days only.
• Before sun arose Agio and Lona left their home to gather wax in the forest.
• They climbed mountains crossed swift rivers and jumped ravines to be able to get the required piculs.
• On the 8th day they brought before the priest, the wax they were able to gather.
• The priest weighed the wax, when he found out that the wax weighed only one picul.
• The priest got angry, the priest told Agio and Lona, they must receive 150 whips and lashes.
• Agio asked the priest to spare his young brother from whipping and that whipping was given to him.
• After the ordeal, Agio and Lona went home, upon arrival Agio showed his back and buttocks, swollen and bleeding from whipping.
• Pamolao, his eldest brother cried and pity compassion.
• When they reached Palaopao, above Sumilao and Kisolon, they realized that they had forgotten to get their sisters Ikwang and Tabagka from the iskuila in the kombinto.
• Agio instantly seemed to posses supernatural power jumped from the summit of Palaopao and in a wink of an eye was already in Lambagohan.
• He picked up his sisters as if were picking up things and wrapped them in blankets, he jumped from the windows and defied the guards who were shooting. But Agio was not hit.
• Agio and his clan journeyed and in less than two sunsets they reached Aroman. In Aroman there was famine. So upon arrival they right away, left to look for lab-o, hunt for wild chickens, pigs and to gather honey and fish in the unknown stream of Aroman.
Mongan, (the leprous wife of Banlak) was separated from the house of the members of her husband’s clan. She was just given food in her hut which made her lonely.
So, she was beating the salimbing (tiny gong) day in and day out which made Magbabaya (Ruler of all) bored and sent a child diwata.
• Mongan told diwata that she was so worried about her incurable disease.
• So diwata gave Mongan betel nut and inapugan and said "When you finish chewing the inapugan, the child said, "apply the saliva which is diluted with inapugan all over your affected body and do this without a word."
• As Mongan did what the diwata said, the blemishes and decayed flesh scars in her body were healed and turned into shiny silver. The child diwata further instructed Mongan to give the rest of the remaining inapugan to all members of the clan
After they had chewed the inapogan, Pamolao ordered them to go to the river Mulita, to catch the biggest fish called Maya-Maya. The Maya-Maya is one of the specific foods that they had to eat before they could ride the salimbal on their way to heaven.
• The next required food was the meat of the biggest wild pig called makadingding This required food is called hangin. It was so big that when it stood in front of them, they could not see the sun.
• Only those who ate the hangin could ride the salimbal.
The next morning, the makadingding arrived in Agyu’s yard.
If the clan succeeded in killing the giant pig and was able to eat of its flesh, only then could the clan be worthy of the rare privilege of going to heaven alive.
Agio was thrown down from the house through the door and was given a needle as his spear in killing the makadingding. Agio pricked one of the sides of the giant pig and it died instantly
He and his kinsmen hurriedly divided it into shares, counting carefully all the members of the clan so that nobody would be missed. When everybody got his share, there was an extra portion. This happened three times. On the third occurrence, Pamolao said, "There must be an intruder somewhere. “ He further said, "If there is an intruder nearby, please make yourself visible and get your share so that we won't be delayed in our journey.”
Instantly, a very young boy appeared in a bark g-string. He was asked who he was, but the boy replied that he didn't know his name. So Pamolao said, “I’ll call you Baybayan for you cannot walk with us to heaven on account of your young age. You have to walk the length and breadth of the seashore and when you are old enough you can eat your share of hangin and follow us to heaven. As of now, your share will come back to life. "
The salimbal came down from heaven and everybody boarded it except Pugak, Agyu's nephew, who was still defecating. His waste is still visible up to this day but it is now known as Musuan Peak (Mt. Kalayo), overlooking the Central Mindanao University.
Agyu’s Escapades in Heaven
• When Agyu's clan was already in heaven, Malagonot saw Agyu's wife and took a liking on her, Malagonot proposed to Agyu that he, Malagonot, would exchange Agyu's wife with a diwata. Agyu didn't like the idea for diwatas have no eyebrows. Agyu's pride was touched.
He wanted to know if his earthly charm talabusao or his amulet for bravery would work in heaven. Hence, the first war in heaven occurred and Magbabaya did not like it. So he sent back all of Agyu's clansmen down to earth. They were declared unfit for heaven because they retained their earthly habits. But even on earth they did not lose their supernatural powers. They could fly, make themselves invulnerable or invisible when there was a need for it. They could do anything they liked except to go back to heaven.
So Magbabaya said to Agyu’s clan, “You cannot stay in heaven for you are human beings. I am going to give you a separate place to live in. You go to NALANDANGAN”.
NALADANGAN IT’S SURROUNDINGS AND ITS PEOPLE
Nalandangan, we are told, is no ordinary place for it is the only place where one can see a silvery leaf and a heavenward-standing tree with shining stripes. Furthermore, Nalandangan is the town of celebrated men, all of them kinsmen. Three important characters are mentioned. Pamolao, the ruling datu of Nalandangan, Banlak, known for being light-hearted and Agio, famous for his daring in war.
YANDANG was situated on a big hill. The way going up to the hill is extremely beautiful for the steps of the ladder was decorated with bronze. Golden bamboos were planted on both sides of the road. These bamboos were strange for they would shout when someone passes by. Those who pay attention to their call will turn immediately to bamboos. These bamboos were owned by cursed people.
The Seas of Yandang
1. Sea of Betel Nut - source of the strength giver as well as the medicine, mamaen.
2. Red Sea - serves to dye the clothes red.
3. Black Sea - dyes the clothes black.
Five Roads of the Kingdom
1.Road for the aged - '"gray hair“2.Road for the Datu - "level road“3. Road for the Women - "smell of
fragrance"4. Road for the Person who
fornicate - "scattered foliage“5. Road for the Weary -
"balustrades'
THE BIG HOUSE(Tulugan)
• The Big House was ten-layered.• Giants logs are made of cogon
grass that never wilts.*Bamboo flooring.• The walls are gilded, on two
opposite walls are carved the images of a man and a woman. On the truss is painted the image of crocodile, where bells are attached.
• The house is so huge that the sound of an agong placed at one side of the room cannot be heard at another.
The Fort• It is made from carefully
chosen bantolinao from Sugbu and banat-i from Irong-irong.
• These trees were taken by strong men only by sinking.
• The principal post of the fort is fastened with the saliva of the python.
• Agyu stipulates that the fort needs not be doubly-walled, that the agility of the men would suffice.
• As a threat to those entering, the striped Agta are planted at the entrance
The Yard
• The field was first cleared and the hills were leveled.
• The yard was so designed to be confusing to those attackers if there are any.
• As a way of threatening mischievous and bull-headed children, they placed in the yard a tugas statue of bilayong that was modeled after Managoka, the witch.
The Merry Making• A banquet was held at
Tulugan, where the men, women and children had fun together.
• The children are grouped together, so are the women and both were giggling about their great warriors bragging about the exploits they had. Until, Agio spotted some enemy ships at the shore.
• The merry-making ends abruptly with the coming of the enemy. Agio advises his people to put on different kinds of breastplates which guarantee their protection.
a. Breastplate for courtship - used for climbing up the ladies' bedroom, woven from the tresses of the demons.
b. Breastplate that slowly rained (literally mean very cold) - not seen by the heat, so that even if he lies low on the sand he cannot feel the warm as it is padded.
c. Breastplate that visits the dead - the wearer is just to visit death but not to die. This figuratively means whoever wears this charmed breastplate of Agio has an encounter with death but does not die (near-death experiences in the paranormal world).
• d. Breastplate with Retribution - causes death when being looked at.
• e. Breastplate made of Iron - kept in place by a seven arms long and nine yards short tie.
Preparation for War in Nalandangan
After getting dressed for the battle, Pamulao asks the gods for good luck and for premonitions in case misfortune befalls them. Now ready for battle, Agyu dares the enemy to enter.
Agio’s Weapon
1. Shield – “Full of Potholes/ Full of Abyss”; Taken from the root of magtangkal/kolaykolay (mahogany); cannot be cracked nor be carried away.
2. Spear - has ten blades and nine sharp edges. It transfers from victim to victim, can fight on its own, it has only one target but ten are fallen and nine are slain. It was forged by the witches.
3. Ring- serves as Agio’s messenger.
Battle at Nalandangan
Led by the powerful Agyu, the people of Yandang drive away the enemy. Their success in this battle is partly due to the charmed war weapons of Agyu and his expertise in combat. At the end of the battle, the people of Yandang gather their dead among the thousands who fell.
The Marriage of Tabagka
Tabagka was fast asleep and she dreamt of a handsome datu who was riding on the lightning, of whom she fell in love with. When she woke up, Ikwang sensed her mood and had a conversation with her. Ikwang brought the matter to the attention of Agyu. With the help of Tagyakuwa, disguised as a wild cat, Agyu knew what he was supposed to do. Agyu went through some adventures and he as able to bring Nanapnay/Naniraw, the man of Tabagka's dream to Tabagka. With the cutting of the betel nut placed in Tabagka's palm, their marriage was made official.
Tagyakuwa and the Black Datu
Agyu and the rest of the men of the kingdom went to wage a battle. The war lasted for sometime and it is only the women who were left in the kingdom. Thus, one day Black Datu came to pay the Kingdom of Agyu a visit. The datu was served unfortunately, he demanded a lot which irritated Tagyakuwa (Agyu's youngest and prettiest wife). Tagyakuwa did not yield to the request thus the datu was insulted. He turned his taklubo into a python and had it swallow Tagyakuwa that angered Benembe, Tagyakuwa's baby. A battle was set between Benembe and the Datu, Agio came to the rescue; in the end it was revealed that the datu is a relative who came just to test Tagyakuwa’s faithfulness.
Battle of Cloistered BeautyThe brave warriors of Yandang tried freeing the beautiful maiden who were imprisoned but to no avail as they cannot move the huge stone that serves as the gate. Until Lintugunan ta Bagyu or Lintugut Linsaworan or Lintubasan Kayamog came. He freed the maidens that insulted the Datus of Yandang. A battle came, until Banlak came to fight him but no one among them wins that is due to the fact that they are relatives. A great feast followed the battle.
The Capture of Nalandangan
An enemy came secretly to Yandang and when night came turned himself into a python and swallowed all the followers of Agyu. Agyu found out what happened and set to find his followers but of no use until he came to meet Inay Legeng sa Kilay, daughter of his enemy, and gave him without his knowing, a poisoned betel to chew.
His head was cut and he was thrown to the river. On the other hand, Agyu's son Anilaw Mayun Anlaw started asking about him and he would not stop crying unless he is told about his dad. He came to look for Agyu and with the help of his taklubos he was able to save his father and the people of their kingdom who were kidnapped by the people of Inay Legeng's father.
The Soul of Agio’s Father Returns
A battle happened in Yandang and one mysterious warrior who challenged Agyu appeared. Agyu accepted the challenge but no man wins until the sky shakes, so the god intervened. It was later revealed that the great warrior is Langonga. Agyu's father, as accompanied by Gumugunal, Agyu's uncle, who came back from the dead to visit his kingdom and his people as he misses them already. The battle ended with a great feast.
