Origin Myths among the Mountain Peoples of the Philippines

Legend Concerning Ban͠ggílît of Hinagán͠gan, and the Jars that He Brought from the Village of Souls68

Reading edition

Legend Concerning Ban͠ggílît of Hinagán͠gan, and the Jars that He Brought from the Village of Souls68

A long time ago, before the coming of the Spaniards, there lived at Hinagán͠gan a man called Ban͠ggílît. He was a wealthy man, possessing four rice granaries and a very large house; but he was not a priest. His constant desire was to hunt in the forest.

One day Ban͠ggílît went hunting in the forest and was overtaken by night. He called his dogs but they did not come. He made fire, cooked, and ate. Then one dog came to him, and he took it in lead and departed. Near by he found a path. The dog with him barked and the second dog answered, and they went on. And the dog with Ban͠ggílît began to whimper and whine, and to pull on the leash; and Ban͠ggílît ran, and they went on. Suddenly it became light all around them, and they came out of the forest into a large group of people. And the people said among themselves: “Surely Ban͠ggílît is dead,” and they examined his body and asked: “Where were you speared?” And Ban͠ggílît spoke and said: “I have not been speared! I went hunting and was overtaken by night, and my dog here ran ahead on our path. I followed, and came here, and lo! it is light here!”

And they took Ban͠ggílît and went to their town—for there are many large towns there in the dwelling-place of souls. They wished to give him food, but he said: “Wait until my own food is exhausted, and then I will eat of your rice here.” And they asked him: “How many days will you remain with us?” and Ban͠ggílît answered that he would remain four days. Then the people began to laugh and one of them said: “Not four days but four years here!” “Ha!” cried Ban͠ggílît, “I shall never do that! Wait until you see!” “Just so!” answered the other, “but one day here is the same as a year on the Earth World,” but Ban͠ggílît thought that he was lying.

The above myth may well have been invented by some man who, unknown to his relatives and friends, wandered across the mountains into Lepanto or Benguet and returned after four years with the jars in question. Hundreds of myths and legends of this type are current among the Ifugaos.

No representative collection of Philippine myths has yet been made, and the present paper can only be considered a beginning. I hope to be able to continue the work.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · A complete bibliography cannot be given within the limits of this paper, but a number of the most important printed titles and manuscripts h Note 2 · Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands. Cleveland (1906), 37; (1907), 48. ↑Note 3 · This Journal (1906), 1, 812–818. Many plates illustrating Ilongot types and culture are given. ↑Note 4 · The Philippine Islands and Their People. New York (1898), 362–434. ↑Note 5 · A typewritten manuscript of 60 pages, entitled “The Hampán͠gan Man͠gyans of Mindoro” by Dr. Fletcher Gardner. U. S. A. (1905). In the record Note 6 · This Journal, Sec. D (1912), 7, 135–156. ↑Note 7 · Loc. cit., 76–122. ↑Note 8 · Smithsonian Misc. Colls. (Paper No. 1700), 48, 514–558. ↑Note 9 · Loc. cit., 109–111. ↑Note 10 · I am informed by Dr. N. M. Saleeby that this myth is also known among the Malays of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. ↑Note 11 · Kágbubátan͠g is a point within sight of the town of Placer, eastern Mindanao. ↑Note 12 · The offering may be very small, even a little piece of wood, and is thrown overboard while passing the point. ↑Note 13 · There is said to be a similar locality near Taganíto, eastern Mindanao. ↑Note 14 · Bináoi is the name of an oddly shaped peak at the source of the River An͠gdánan, tributary of the River Wáwa, Agúsan Valley. ↑Note 15 · Limes and lemons are said to be objects of fear to the búsao. ↑Note 16 · Garvan suggests these stories as illustrations of punishment following the imitating or making fun of animals, acts which are strictly tabú Note 17 · Some say that the spots upon the moon are a cluster of bamboos, others, that they are a baléte tree. ↑Note 18 · Our information concerning these peoples is limited, but of much interest. Besides the work of Garvan, the chief sources are the Letters of Note 19 · The Tin͠ggiáns, or Itnegs, should be excepted, as there are important and accurate accounts of these people by Gironière, Reyes, Worcester, Note 20 · According to the translation by James A. Robertson in Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands (1906), 33, 167–171. ↑Note 21 · Note the similarity of this place-name to the Kágbubátan͠g of the Manóbo legend, p. 89. ↑Note 22 · Translated by Roberto Laperal from “Igorrotes,” by Angel Perez. Manila (1902), 319–320. ↑Note 23 · Jenks, Albert Ernest, The Bontoc Igorot, Pub. P. I. Ethnol. Surv. (1905), 1. ↑Note 24 · Seidenadel, Carl Wilhelm, The First Grammar of the Language Spoken by the Bontoc Igorot, with a Vocabulary and Texts. The Open Court Publish Note 25 · Opus. cit., 485–510. Seidenadel gives an interlinear literal translation, which is, in some places, slightly inaccurate. I have made a new f Note 26 · Place of anger. ↑Note 27 · There are about 127,000 Ifugaos, nearly all living in the subprovince of Ifugao. They are divided into a large number of hereditary clans, e Note 28 · 1.—“The Religious Beliefs of the Kián͠gan Ifugaos,” a manuscript of some 300 pages, by Juan Fernandez Villaverde, translated and annotated b Note 29 · The subprovince of Ifugao may be divided into five general culture areas which can be also considered as religious districts. These are: Kiá Note 30 · Or búlin͠g (?). ↑Note 31 · Dáwi (?). ↑Note 32 · It can only be seen at this point for the reason that the earth beneath and the blue-stone underfacing of Kabúnian immediately above cut off Note 33 · The Ifugaos have no belief, that I have ever been able to discover, as to the origin of the universe. To their minds it has always existed a Note 34 · In the three previously mentioned manuscripts on the Ifugao religion, between two and three thousand deities are spoken of by name, and this Note 35 · This statement is significant, as it shows an understanding of the true cause of the echo. Ifugao cosmographical and astronomical knowledge Note 36 · God of the rain. ↑Note 37 · Ifugao knowledge of the part played by erosion in the formation of the topographical features of the earth is clearly shown. ↑Note 38 · Shellfish, greens, fruits, meats, or fish that constitute the savory part of the meal, as contrasted with kánon which refers only to staple Note 39 · Mumbónan͠g has a head covered with bristles, just like a porcupine, but radiating and sharp pointed like nails facing outward to penetrate a Note 40 · The goddess of weaving. ↑Note 41 · Or N͠gílîn an Maknón͠gan (?). ↑Note 42 · Deities which the Ifugaos believe to be their ancestors. ↑Note 43 · The people of Alímît Ifugao. (Plate I.) ↑Note 44 · Tad-óna and Inúke are recognized as common ancestors by all the Kián͠gan Ifugaos, and the myths about them are legion. ↑Note 45 · Ceremonies to the búni, accompanied by prayers and sacrifices. ↑Note 46 · A version of the same type, but very different in detail, is contained in the unpublished notes of Mr. Roy Franklin Barton. I have also seve Note 47 · Manaháut is the greatest and most hated evil deity of the Ifugaos. ↑Note 48 · The memory of cannibalism so common in Ifugao mythology possibly dates back to a period of contact with human cannibals. ↑Note 49 · The Ifugao version of the story states that the sky was so low that it interfered with the plying of the spear, while the Manóbo story relat Note 50 · God of the rain. ↑Note 51 · God of the lightning. ↑Note 52 · It is a common belief, widespread in the Philippines, that the appearance of a woman at a place where men are hunting will render the search Note 53 · It will be noted that most of the things created by Búgan from the corrupted half of Balitúk were pests and things of evil omen to torment t Note 54 · Ído, or ídu, is the Ifugao name for the omen spirits. A certain small black and white bird called pîtpît is believed to be an omen spirit, a Note 55 · I am informed by Dr. Dean S. Fansler that he obtained from an Igorot of Túblai, Benguet, in May, 1910, a myth very similar to this story of Note 56 · Or Alauítan in Sub-Ifugao. See Plates I and II. ↑Note 57 · The Ifugao rice drink, usually known as búbûd. ↑Note 58 · About six months. The duration of the flood varies greatly in the different versions of this myth. ↑Note 59 · Incest is looked upon by the Ifugaos with horror, and is held to be one of the gravest of crimes. ↑Note 60 · The number and names of the children of Wígan and Búgan are variable in the different Ifugao clans. ↑Note 61 · The frequent repetition of Búgan as the name of a female deity is worthy of further explanation. Búgan is the Ifugao ideal of feminine beaut Note 62 · A Chinese author, Chao Ju-kua, writing in the year 1280, mentions that porcelain jars and bronze gongs were two of the most important export Note 63 · Free translation of an Ifugao text obtained by myself in January, 1909, from Tugínai Páit (Plate III, fig. 3), an Ifugao of Amgodé clan, Cen Note 64 · The three unbroken jars brought by Ban͠ggílît from the village of souls in the Sky World are still in existence and their location is as fol Note 65 · Ban͠ggílît visited all of the towns there. He worked in the rice fields and they gave him four jars as his wages. Then his host said to him: