Note 54 — The Story of Búgan and Kin͠ggáuan, or the Marriage of a Goddess with a Man53

The wife of the god Hinumbían is Dakáue. She has no children except a daughter called Búgan. This Búgan was with her parents in Luktág. Let it be noted that these divinities of the highest region of the Sky World do not see directly that which takes place in the lower spheres, but the first calls the second, and the second the third, etc. According to this order, the first or principal god, known as Bun͠gón͠gol, charges or gives orders to his son Ampúal, who in turn orders his son Balittíon, and the latter orders and charges Líddum of the lowest sky region, or Kabúnian. This Líddum is the one that communicates directly with the Ifugaos. The said Búgan, daughter of Hinumbían, was at that time a maiden, while in Luktág, and her uncle Baiyuhíbi54 told her to go down and amuse herself in the third sky region, Hubulán. So, according to the wishes of her relatives, she went down to Hubulán where Dologdógan, the brother of Balittíon, was. The said Dologdógan had gone to Hubulán to marry another Búgan. The first Búgan, daughter of Hinumbían, had been advised to marry in Luktág, but she did not wish to do so, and so they told her to go off and divert herself in Hubulán. Having settled down in this sky region, her uncles advised her to get married there, but neither did she wish this. In view of her attitude on this question, Dologdógan exhorted her to descend to Kabúnian, and go to take her abode in the house of Líddum her relative and the son of Amgalín͠gan. The said Líddum wished her to marry in Kabúnian, but she also refused to do this. Near the house, or town, of Líddum (whose wife is called Lin͠gan) there was a village called Habiátan, and the lord of the village also bore this name. Such being the case, the said Habiátan went to the house of Líddum, and, upon seeing the young Búgan in the condition of maidenhood, he asked Líddum: “Why does this maid not marry?” The former answered him: “We have counseled her to it, but she does not wish to do so. I, upon seeing that she did not wish to get married, nor to follow my advice, said to her: ‘Why dost thou not get married?’ She began to laugh. I replied: ‘Then, if thou dost not wish to get married in Kabúnian, it were better for thee to return to thy people and thy family of Luktág,’ but she answered: ‘That is not necessary, and I should like to stay with thee in thy house—and I shall take care to get married at my pleasure, when I see or meet someone of my liking, and then I shall tell thee.’” Habiátan, after hearing this story of Líddum, said to him: “According to this, I shall take the young Búgan to my rancheria and house in Habiátan to see if she wishes to marry my son Bagílat.”55 To which Líddum rejoined: “If Búgan so desire, it goes without saying that she can accompany thee at once.” The maiden having been consulted, assented, and went off with Habiátan to his house and village. Having arrived at the said place, and after Búgan had observed somewhat the young Bagílat, as if Habiátan had asked her whether she desired to marry him, she answered: “How am I to wish to marry him (Bagílat), grim and fierce as he is, and making use of such an extraordinary spear! Moreover, he never stops—but is always running around in all parts of the Sky World, through the north and the south, through the east and the west;” and she told Habiátan that she did not wish to marry his son Bagílat, the Lightning, because that through his effects he harmed plants, fruits, and possibly might injure even herself. Then said Habiátan: “Thou art somewhat fastidious, and I see that thou couldst with great difficulty get married in these regions; it would be better that thou return once more to thy land.” She answered that she did not desire to return any more to her people, and that accordingly she would betake herself to some other point more to her liking. This dialogue being completed, she went down from the house of Habiátan, and, casting a glance at the four cardinal points, she saw that the weather was clear and calm, and descried on the Earth a place called Pan͠gagáuan, over (or on) Umbuk, where there was an Ifugao called Kin͠ggáuan—a young man, unmarried, naked, and without a clout (which he had thrown away because of its age), because he was engaged in making pits, or wells, for catching deer with a trap (according to the custom)—and there he had a hut. Upon seeing him Búgan exclaimed: “Oh! the poor man! and how unfortunate!” And, hiding the occurrence from Habiátan, she determined to return to her sky region of Luktág in order to manifest to her father, Hinumbían, that it was her desire to descend to the Earth World in order to get married with that poor Ifugao.