HOW THE WOLRD BEGAN
his creative talents on the figures. This
A popular Bukidnon Folktale, Retold
A long long time ago, when there was yet no
world, there were three gods wh lived in a
small circular space of great brightness. Called
a banting, and encircled by a rainbow, the
space was just large enough for the two gods,
Magbabaya and Dadanyahan, to sit across
each other. The third god, the winged
Makabughaw, sat precariouslyt between the
two and had to flap his wings continuously to
maintain his balance. Makabughaws flapping
of his wings created the first wind.
Taking pity on Makabughaw, the one-headed
Magbabaya (meaning your will be done
decided to build an extension so the poor
Makabughaw could rest. To do this, he had to
scoop soil from under the ten-headed
Dadanyahan. He asked makabughaw to do
this for him. After studying the situation,
Makabughaw swooped into Dadanyahans
mouths and dived right through him so he
could get soil from that point. He gave the soil
to Magbabaya who created earth from it.
But the earth was dry. How could it be turned
lush and green? As Magbabaya puzzled over
the problem, he happened to glance at
Dadanyanans ten drooling mouths. Suddenly
he realized where he could get enough water
to sprinkle over the earth. Dadanyahan agreed
to the plan. Magbabaya blessed Dadanyahans
saliva and the rain poured. Water washed over
the earth. It shaped the mountains, hills,
valleys, and plains; it made the streams, rivers,
and huge seas and oceans. Soon vegetation
began to sprout and grow.
But this huge garden needed someone to take
care of it. The two gods scooped some earth,
and with the help from Dadanyanans saliva,
turned it into sticky clay to form a figure. They
collected wood for its bones, rattan from its
blood vessels, and water for its blood. They
molded seven figures in Magbabayas image.
After the seventh figure was molded,
Magbabaya had to leave to take care of a few
other things. But before leaving, he told
Dadanyahan not to tamper with the figures.
Left alone with the figures, Dadayahan could
not help touching them the way he thought
they should look.
Magbabaya returned to find Dadanyahan using
triggered a fight between them which
Makabughaw tried to arbitrate in vain. The two
gods dueled with each other until their metal
weapons sank to the ground. These became
the minerals that the human race later forged
into its own weapons and mode of transport.
Finally, the warring God reached an
agreement. Because Dadanyahan had made
the final form of the figures, he kept six figures
while Magbabaya had only one since it was he
who thought up the idea. Dadanyanans six
figures became the various engkanto or
guardians of the soil, water, and marine life,
the plants, forests, and creatures of the forest.
Magbabayas lone figure became the first
human being. The bits of clay cut from the
figures as they were being modeled became
the lower forms of animals.
And thus did the world began.
Questions:
1. When was the terrain of the earth,
according to the legend?
2. What created the first wind?
3. Why was it difficult to get the soil
necessary for building an extension?
4. How did Makabughaw manage to get
the soil?
5. How did Magbabaya make the earth
fertile?
6. How did Magbabaya make the earth
fertile? What was the first human being
made of? Why was it necessary to
create human beings?
7. Why do we have spirits of the woods,
the seas, and the earth?
8. What is your impression about
Magbabaya? Dadanyahan?
Makabughaw? What is incidents give
you this impression?
9. Do you find the story credible? Why or
why not?
10. If you were asked to revise the story,
which events would you change ? Why?
(Taken from Language in Literature, pp.6-8)