The Legend of Mt. Tinmakudo (and Mt. Kalawitan)
A long
time ago, people in this world have only one language. The world where they
lived in was flat; there were no hills nor mountains to be seen around, so when
people go somewhere, they would get lost because the surroundings were almost
the same - there were no landmarks to serve as guide for them. This created a
problem to the inhabitants.
The God
Kabunyan noticed this problem so he flooded the earth and all living creatures
perished. When the flood subsided there were mountains and hills that rose from
the earth. Lumawig who was looking down from the heavens saw what happened. He descended
from heaven and stood on top of the highest mountain. Tired, he then sat down
(Tinmukdo) while viewing the surroundings.
While viewing the earth, he responded to the call of nature. Standing
and facing the valleys of Namatec and Napua he urinated; thus making the area
the source of abundant water that springs from the top of Mt. Tinmakudo – the place
where he sat.
Soon, the day turned to night and the time has
come for Lumawig to build a fire to light his surroundings. Looking far towards Mt.
Kawwitan now Mt. Kalawitan) he saw a
fire burning. He was curious, he rode in his “Solibao” and flew to Mt. Kawwitan
and there, he saw a small nipa hut. He peeped through the hut and inside, he saw
a woman who happened to be her sister Bungan
(later on pronounced as Bangan). Lumawig didn’t know that the woman was
his sister. When Bungan saw Lumawig, she immediately recognized him as that of
his brother and asked him what he wanted. Lumawig answered that he wants to get
fire since he haven’t brought anything with him to start a fire. Bungan asked
him to stay instead, so Lumawig stayed and lived with Bungan.
Kabunyan
who was looking down from the heavens saw Bungan and Lumawig living together
but noticed that they didn’t sleep together. Kabunyan descended at Mt. Kawwitan and asked the two why. They nervously answered
that it cannot be because they were brother and sister. Kabunyan thought for a
while, and offered an agreement to them. He told them that he will do something,
and that if any one among them would laugh upon seeing what he did, they should
get married. So Kabunyan got a chicken, removed its feathers leaving two
feathers in each wing and two in its tail then he let the chicken run wild.
When
Bungan saw what Kabunyan did to the chicken, she can’t hold her laughter and laughed
hard. Kabunyan, with glee, reminded them about the condition that they should then
be married.
This is, how the earth became inhabited and populated.
Bungan and Lumawig were married and
bore many children. They sent their children to other parts of the world to
bear children and to give names to the place where they live and to have
different dialects.
Narration by Alejo
Dolipas (84 yrs. Old)
Mountain Province
Elder
Mt. Kalawitan View from Mt. Tinmakudo
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| Mt. Kalawitan View from Mt. Tinmakudo |
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| Mt. Tinmakudo (with the highest peak on left) |
Photo Above: Mt. Tinmakudo (with the highest peak on left)
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