The Ifugao Flood-myth60

The Ifugao Flood-myth60

I

But this Golden Age, like others, was not destined to last.

II

The flood, and the origin of the mountains.—One year when the rainy season should have come it did not. Month after month passed by and no rain fell. The river grew smaller and smaller day by day until at last it disappeared entirely. The people began to die, and at last the old men said: “If we do not soon get water, we shall all die. Let us dig down into the grave of the river, for the river is dead and has sunk into his grave, and perhaps we may find the soul of the river and it will save us from dying.” So they began to dig, and they dug for three days. On the third day the hole was very large, and suddenly they struck a great spring and the water gushed forth. It came so fast that some of them were drowned before they could get out of the pit.

Then the people were happy, for there was plenty of water; and they brought much food and made a great feast. But while they were feasting it grew dark and began to rain. The river also kept rising until at last it overflowed its bank. Then the people became frightened and they tried to stop up the spring in the river, but they could not do so. Then the old men said: “We must flee to the mountains, for the river gods are angry and we shall all be drowned.” So the people fled toward the mountains and all but two of them were overtaken by the water and drowned. The two who escaped were a brother and sister named Wígan and Búgan—Wígan on Mt. Amúyao and Búgan on Kalauítan. And the water continued to rise until all the Earth World was covered excepting only the peaks of these two mountains.

At last the waters receded from the earth and left it covered with the rugged mountains and deep valleys that exist to-day; and the solitary brother and sister, looking down from their respective peaks, were filled with wonder at the sight.

III

The repopulation of the Earth World.—As soon as the earth was dry, Wígan journeyed to Kalauítan where he found his sister Búgan, and their reunion was most joyous. They descended the mountain and wandered about until they came to the beautiful valley that is to-day the dwelling place of the Banáuol clan—and here Wígan built a house. When the house was finished, Búgan dwelt in the upper part and Wígan slept beneath.

IV

The sacrifice of Igon.—One year the crops failed, there was much sickness, and everything went wrong. Then Wígan remembered the advice of Maknón͠gan, and he told his sons to procure an animal for the sacrifice. They caught a rat and sacrificed it, but the evil conditions were not remedied. Then they went out into the forest and captured a large snake and sacrificed it to the gods, but the disease and crop failure still continued. Then Wígan said: “The sacrifice is not great enough, for the gods do not hear! Take your brother Igon, who has no wife, and sacrifice him!” So they bound Igon, and sacrificed him, and called upon the gods. And Maknón͠gan came, and all the other great gods, to the feast. And they took away the sickness, and filled the granaries with rice, and increased the chickens, the pigs, and the children. Then Maknón͠gan said to the people: “It is well, but you have committed an evil in spilling human blood and have thereby brought war and fighting into the world. Now you must separate to the north, south, east, and west, and not live together any more. And when ye have need to sacrifice to the gods, do not offer rats, snakes, or your children, but take pigs and chickens only.”

And one of the sons of Wígan went to the north, and one to the south, and one to the east, and one to the west; and from them are descended the peoples of the Earth World, who fight and kill one another to this day because of the sacrifice of Igon.

One of these myths, explaining the origin of three well-known jars, runs as follows.