← Table of contents
Traditions of the Tinguian

19

Reading edition

“I am going to hunt deer with the dogs, mother,” said Kanag. “No, do not go, you will be lost,” said Aponībolinayen. “No, I will not be lost. Give me provisions to take,” he said, and he fretted so his mother let him go, and she gave provisions, for she could not prevent him from going. So he went.

Three years passed. “The best thing is for us to take our house to Kadalayapan, and go there; perhaps my father and mother are searching for me.” “No, we must not go, because I am ashamed, for they did not engage me to you,” said Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen. “No, we go; we must not stay always in the jungle,” he said. So in the middle of the night Dumanau used his power. “I use my magic so that this house we are in goes to Kadalayapan. You stand there by our house,” he said; so the little house went there while they were asleep. The next morning Wanwanyen was surprised because many chickens were crowing and many people were talking, and when she went to look out of the window there were many houses. “Why, Dumanau, it is not the jungle Page 130where we are now; where are we?” she said. “It is the town of Kadalayapan.”

Not long after their three children went to look out of the window and they saw the sugar cane, and they were anxious to chew it. “Father, go and get the sugar cane for us to chew,” they said. Dumanau went, and he advised Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen to fasten the door while he was gone. “If anyone comes do not open the door.” He went, and Dumanau's father and mother were frightened, because the little house was by their dwelling, for there was no little house there before. As soon as Dumanau arrived in the house of his father and mother they were surprised, for they had searched for him three years. They asked where he had been, and he said he had found a wife in the wood when he had staid for three years. He told his mother that she must not go to his house and say bad words to his wife. So Dumanau went to the place of the sugar cane, and his mother went to the house and said bad words to his wife. “Open the door, you bad woman, who has no shame. You are the cause of my son being lost, and we spent much time to find him. What did you come here for, worthless woman?” said Aponībolinayen. Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen did not answer her. Not long after Dumanau arrived at their house and Wanwanyen said to him, “It is true what I told you. I told you not to go and you did truly, and your mother came and said many bad words. I said it was best for us to stay always in Matawatawen, but you paid no heed. Now my stomach is sick, for your mother came here to say many bad things to us.” Not long after she died. Dumanau sharpened his headaxe and spear, for he wanted to kill his mother, because she said bad things to his wife Wanwanyen, but he did not kill her, because she fastened the door.

While they were walking they arrived in Nagbotobotán and Dumanau saw the tabalang in the yard by the house of Alokotán and they Page 132exchanged greetings. “Good afternoon,” they said, and Alokotán took them upstairs; so they went up. Not long after while they were talking, “This was my tabalang, my grandmother old woman Alokotán; bring out of hiding Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen, so that I may take her home,” said Dumanau, and the old woman Alokotán did not bring her out because she did not believe that he was the husband of Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen; so she used magic, and when she found that he was the husband of Wanwanyen she said, “She is over there. I hid her.” So she went to get her and Dumanau, was joyful, for he saw Wanwanyen alive again. “Ala, now grandmother old woman Alokotán, how much must I pay, because you saved my wife Wanwanyen?” “That is all right, no pay at all. That is why I stay in this place so as to watch and see if any of my dead relatives pass by my house and I make them alive again. If you were not my relative I would have let her go.” So Dumanau thanked her many times and they went back home.

When they had told their names the quid of Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen went to the quid of Aponībalagen and Aponīgawanī and Dumanau laid down his quid. The quid of Dumanau went to those of Aponībolinayen and Aponītolau. “Now, Aponītolau, we know Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen is our daughter; it is best for you now to pay the marriage price, nine times full the balaua,” said Aponīgawanī and Aponībalagen. Aponībolinayen, the mother of Dumanau, begged the pardon of Dumanau and his wife, for she did not know that his wife was the daughter of Aponīgawanī and Aponībalagen, who was her brother. Not long after they gave the marriage price. “I use my power so that the balaua of Wanwanyen and Dumanau is nine times filled,” said Aponībolinayen, and it was nine times filled with different kinds of jars. Then Aponīgawanī raised her eyebrows and half disappeared, and Aponībolinayen used magic again and the balaua was full again. When they gave all the marriage price they danced. As soon as the dance was over they went to eat, all the people whom they invited. Page 134

When they finished eating Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen talked. “You, father and mother, you were not careful of your daughter. I would not have heard any bad words if you had been careful.” “Ala, Wanwanyen-Aponībolinayen, that is our custom, because we are related to the Kaboniyan and the alan always picks up some of us,” said her father and mother. “It is good that Dumanau found you, who is your husband. Aponībolinayen, who talked bad before, is our relative. She is my sister,” said Aponībalagen. “It is true that I said bad words to her, because I did not know that we were related, though I am your relative; forgive me, daughter, your father is my brother,” said Aponībolinayen to Wanwanyen. Not long after they drank basi, for they knew each other and made friends. As soon as they drank they danced during one month. When the balaua was finished all of the people went home and took some of the jars. As soon as they went home the father and mother-in-law of Dumanau took all the other jars to Kaodanan. It is said.

(Told by Madomar of Riang barrio Patok.)

Notes in this chapter

Explore with AITake your curiosity a little further.

Reading settings