THE LEGEND OF MARIA MAKILING

According to legend, there was a time when the gods could live like ordinary mortals do. Although these
gods were enchanted, they could speak, love, and even go to the market like what people do in our time.
This story tells what happened to the daughter of two such deities. This is the story of Mariang Makiling.

Two deities, Dayang Makiling and Gat Panahon, had an only daughter name Maria. Because of her beauty
and charm, she was the delight of her parents. The source of their joy and strength, Maria was, to them, a
jewel, a treasure that made life full of light and laughter.

At that time people could talk with the deities face to face, and even sit with them side by side underneath a
tree. People could also ask for help when they were in need, provided that they asked in a solemn manner.

It was the custom of Maria to go to a small market, sometimes called talipapa, on weekdays. Just like other
women, she would on such occasions wear clothes made of silk and embroidered with flowers and wide
stripes for this was the fashion at that time. Maria had long, black abundant hair which she usually
decorated with pomelo flowers. When she went to the market, her flowing hair would touch her ankles. As
she passed along, gallant men would bow their heads to signify their respect.

When Maria went to the market, she was always accompanied by two Aetas1, who served as her servants.
These two servants stayed close behind Maria, and they both carried a basket each that was full of golden
ginger. These golden ginger Maria would barter for such items needed for the home. There was no money
at that time, and instead of buying, people bartered and exchanged their goods for the things that they
needed.

On a market day, the residents of the area are not the only ones who would go to the talipapa. Merchants
and people from neighboring towns would also go to the market. One day, Gat2 Dula, the ruler of the
kingdom of Bay, came to the talipapa to while away the hours. A piece of animal skin with fine hair caught
Gat Dula's eye and he reached out to touch the fur. At the same moment, Maria was also reaching towards
the same piece of animal skin and their shoulders accidentally touched. Their eyes met and Gat Dula
bowed his head as a sign of respect and apology. And Maria responded with a shy smile as they parted
from each other's company.
Since that first encounter, Gat Dula often visited the talipapa but he was not able to see Maria during these
visits. One day, he saw Maria at the very place where they first met. He approached Maria and greeted her
and Maria responded with a very sweet smile.

That was the beginning of their friendship which blossomed into love as the months passed. As time
passed, the love affair between Gat Dula and Maria came to be known to Gat Panahon, Maria's father.
Gat Panahon was angry. Even Dayang Makiling, Maria's mother, was distresssed that her only daughter
was in love with a mortal. Maria was then forbidden to go down to the earth. Her parents even took away
from Maria the power of enchantment which enabled a deity to look and act like an ordinary mortal. But
even though Maria and Gat Dula could no longer meet physically, their love endured. Maria continued to
watch over Gat Dula. During a battle with the army of Lakan3 Bunto, the ruler of a neighboring kingdom
who invaded the kingdom of Bay, Gat Dula did not suffer a single wound due to the support of Maria's
enchantment.

Unfortunately, Gat Dula's inability to see Maria caused him to fall ill and die. Maria asked the gods to give
her the soul of Gat Dula and her request was granted.

THE GOOD PRINCE BANTUGAN

An old king ruled over the kingdom of Bumbaran. His kingdom was prosperous, his people were good ,and
he should have been very happy .But the king was not contented. His heart was full of envy toward his
younger brother, Prince Bantugan. Every time someone praised Prince Bantugan, the king frowned and
looked angry.

"Prince Bantugan is so handsome." he often heard the women say, and he would look in a mirror and see
with sorrow that he was not good looking.
"Prince Bantugan is so good." other people said, and the king grew more angry because he knew that he
was not as good as his brother either.

"Prince Bantugan is so brave," everybody said. The king grew tired of people saying so many good things
about his brother while they said nothing nice about himself.
The young ladies smiled at Prince Bantugan. They allowed him to hold their hands, and they gave him their
love. But they did not like the older brother, the king.

One day enemies attacked the kingdom of Bumbaran and Prince Bantugan led his men to defend the
country. While he was gone, the evil king plotted against the good prince. He issued a proclamation that no
one should speak to Prince Bantugan. He added that whoever dared to speak to Bantugan would be killed.

Soon Prince Bantugan returned victorious from battle. To his astonishment no one met him, no one praised
him, and no one even wanted to speak to him. This saddened the good prince. He knew that his brother
hated him, so he decided to leave Bumbaran. He preferred to live in other countries and to travel to far
lands and forget about his unkind brother.

In his travels he heard about the beautiful land of the Kingdom-Between-Two-Seas. It was ruled by a good,
kind king and his sister, the beautiful and kind Princess Datimbang.Prince Bantugan decided to go there.
He traveled through forests and across rivers and mountains and at last reached the Kingdon-Between-
Seas.

Prince Bantugan was very weary from his travels. As he stood outside the gates of the great palace, he
suddenly felt very weak .His legs could not carry his body ,and the prince fell to the ground and died.

When the king of the Kingdom-Between-Two Seas heard of the stranger who had died at his palace gate,
he and his sister, Princess Datimbang, went to see the body. even in death Prince Bantugan was very
handsome.

The heart of Princess Datimbang went out to him in love and sorrow." What a handsome young man, "She
said weeping softly." I wish I could have spoken to him before he died. I am sure he was as good as he was
handsome."
"How unfortunate that he should die here, " the king said." Does anyone know who this young man is and
where he came from? By his clothes and appearance, he must be a king or a prince."

No one knew who the strange young man was. The king ordered his body to be brought into the palace.
The king was afraid that the relatives or subjects of the dead man might wage war upon his kingdom. He
therefore treated the body of the young man as he would a royal person. He had it dressed n magnificent
clothes and placed it in a large hole in the palace. Princess Datimbang placed flowers upon the bed on
which the body lay .She also decorated it with colored jewelry. Around the bed was an abundance of
fragrant flowers in jars and vases.

The king then ordered the great brass gong to be sounded. He made a proclamation that all his people and
the people of the neighboring kingdoms must come to look at the prince or king so that he would know who
he was and where he came from.
People from far and near came to see the body, but no one knew who the man was. The beautiful Princess
Datimbang watched nearby. She had fallen deeply in love with the handsome stranger.

In another part of the kingdom, some parrots were talking about the young man and how he died in the
Kingdom-Between-Two-Seas. Suddenly they noticed that the parrot from the kingdom of Bumbaran was
silent and sad.

"Why are you sad, my brother?" one of the parrots asked. "I lost my master, the Prince Bantugan." The
parrot from Bumbaran answered. " He left Bumbaran never to return. I have looked for him everywhere but
have not found him."

"Ah, your master is lost, indeed," another parrot said. "He is dead. But you can see his body in the palace
where he is lying in royal state."
Without another word, Prince Bantugan's parrot flew to the palace. He saw his master's body and shrieked
in grief.

Princess Datimbang heard him and asked him what the matter was.
"My master is dead! The parrot cried in grief." My master, Prince Bantugan of Bumbaran, is dead-he who
was so good to his people. He defended them in war, he gave them wise advice when they were in trouble,
and cured the people when they were sick."

When the king heard what the parrot had said, he was determined to put the body on a vinta and take it
himself, with all honors, to the kingdom of Bumbaran. Princess Datimbang went with him. Before the royal
party left the Kingdom-Between-Two Seas, the princess asked the parrot to go ahead of them and notify
the King of Bumbaran of their coming.

The parrot flew ahead to the kingdom of Bumbaran. When he told the king about the death of Prince
Bantugan, the ladies shrieked and tore their hair and fainted. Everyone grieved for the Good Prince
Bantugan. Even the king, his brother, was stricken with remorse and pain. He was full of repentance. He
blamed himself for the death of his brother. He did not know what to do.

Prince Madali was a brother of Prince Bantugan and loved him dearly. He volunteered to go to the region of
the dead and bring Bantugan's soul back to his body. The king decided to go with him. It was a very
dangerous journey, but the two were not afraid .They rode on their magic shields and rode up to the sky.

For five days they flew. They reached the place of lightning, thunder, and endless rain. Five more days they
travelled. They reached the land of burning heat. Their magic shields almost melted under them. So great
was the distance that they went on for five more days. At last they reached the highest portals of the sky.

The keeper of the gate asked them," Why are you here? What do you want?"
"We have come to ask the angel of Death when we shall die and when the end of the world will come, the
young men were answered , "Go to the next door" the gatekeeper told them." You will find the angel who
guards the soul of the dead there.

"Why are you here?" asked the guard. "You have no business here." You are not dead."
"We have come to ask the Angel of Death when we shall die." Prince Madali answered .
"Come in but only for a minute," the guardian said opening the door. "Then you must return to earth right
away."

The two entered and found themselves in a beautiful garden full of fragrant flowers and delicious fruits. On
a large table were bottles of different colors which contained the souls of the dead.

The two tricked the Angel of Death to go out for a minute. As soon as the angel was out of the room, Prince
Madali whispered softly, "Bantugan, my brother where are you?"
From a large blue bottle near them, the voice of Prince Bantugan answered, "I am here."
Prince Madali seized the bottle and away the young men flew back to earth.

When they reached the place, the king and the princess of the Kingdom-Between-Two Seas were just
landing with the body of Prince Bantugan. Prince Madali transferred the soul of Prince Bantugan from the
bottle to his body. The body stirred. Then Prince Bantugan sat up and stretched out as if just awakening
from a deep sleep.
The people shouted with joy. For many days they celebrated the return on their beloved prince.

A TALE OF MARINDUQUE

In a small island kingdom there once lived a very beautiful princess. She was nicknamed Maring. Her favorite
haunt was the top of a very tall mountain, Mount Malindig. She was very fond of hunting wild animals, a
diversion which was much against her father’s wish. One day she espied a pretty white deer. It ran so swiftly
that it took her a long time to catch up with it. She had the game already at bay when the owner came along
looking for it. The stranger was a man of princely bearing and fine manners. He introduced himself as Duque
and the deer to her as offered a token of their first meeting. Maring could not resist his gallant gesture. She
could not help admiring the stranger, who fell in love with her at first sight. Since that day they often met in
the forest. The beauty of Maring was known far and wide. Innumerable suitors came to woo her, but she
turned a deaf ear to them all, for she had set her heart on the modest Duque. Not knowing about her secret
love affair, her royal father announced that her hand would be given to the one who would win a ship race.
So the most persistent suitors, three wealthy kings, fitted out vessels for the contest. Duque could not
participate. He was not rich enough to equip a vessel.

Meanwhile, Maring was very unhappy. She prayed to the gods for help. Bathala heard her prayers. On the
appointed day, the sky grew suddenly dark. The sea seethed turbulently and the winds blew furiously, but
the contest could not be put off for another day. The three kings set forth bravely on their ships. Before they
were halfway to the goal, one of them hit a rock and soon vanished from sight with his ship. The second
vessel was able to move on a little farther and then it was also devour by the angry sea. The last ship met
the same fate. The king and the spectators grieved over the fate of the three royal suitors. Only Maring did
not feel grieved at the outcome of the race. When the sea calmed down, everyone was surprised to see three
islands at the places where the ship had sunk. They were named Tres Reyes, or Three Kings, after the
unlucky trio. The father of Maring did not wish to sacrifice more lives after that disaster. He gave his daughter
freedom to choose her husband. So she confessed to him her secret love. The king consisted to the marriage.
Seven days of feasting and merrymaking followed. To mark the happy union of the two young people, the
island kingdom was named Marinduque, after Maring and Duque.

WHY THERE IS HIGH TIDE DURING A FULL MOON

Long, long ago only gods lived in this world, the earth, seas, and sky were ruled by three different powerful
gods.
The sun god, who ruled the sky, had a very beautiful daughter, Luna, the moon. Luna enjoyed going
around the heavens in her golden chariot. One day she found herself taking another path which led her
outside her kingdom. She wandered on until she reached the place where the sky met the sea. Beautiful
and unusual sights greeted her eyes. As she was admiring the beautiful things around, a voice startled
her. It asked, "Where has thou come from, most beautiful one?"

Turning around she saw a young man who looked much like her father though fairer. She wanted to run
away, but when she looked at him again, she saw that he was smiling at her. Taking courage she
answered, "I am Luna, daughter of the sun god."
The young man smiled at her and answered, "I am Mar, the son of the sea god. Welcome to our
kingdom." Soon the two became good friends. They had many interesting stories to tell each other. When
it was time for Luna to go, they promised to see each other as often as they could, for they has many more
tales to tell. They continued meeting at the same spot until they realized that they were in love with each
other.

One day after one of their secret meetings, Luna went back to the heavens full of joy. She was so happy
that she told her secret to one of her cousins. The cousin, jealous of her beauty and her happiness,
reported the affair to the sun god. The sun god was angered at his daughter's disobedience to the
immortal laws. He shut her in their garden and did not allow her to get out. Then he sent a messenger to
the sea god informing him that his son Mar disobeyed the immortal law. The sea god, who was also
angered by his son's disobedience, imprisoned him in one of his sea caves.

Luna stayed in the garden for sometime. She was very sad at not being able to see Mar. She longed to be
with him again. Feeling very restless one day, she escaped from the garden. She took her golden chariot
and rushed to their meeting place. Mar, who was imprisoned in the sea cave, saw her reflection on the
water. He wanted to get out to meet her. He tried hard to get out of his cave causing unrest in the
sea. Luna waited for Mar to appear, but he did not come. Then she went back home very sad. Each time
she remembered Mar, she would rush out in the golden chariot to the meeting place in hopes of seeing him
again.

The fishermen out in the sea believe that each time Luna, the moon, appears, the sea gets troubled. "It is
Mar trying to escape from his cave," they say.

INDARAPATRA AND SULAYMAN

This is the story of King Indarapatra and his brother Sulayman.

A long, long time ago, the large island of Mindanao was completely covered with water, and the sea
extended over all the lowlands so that nothing could be seen but mountains. Then there were many people
living in the country, and all the highlands were dotted with villages and settlements. For many years the
people prospered, living in peace and contentment.

Suddenly there appeared in the land four horrible monsters which, in a short time, had devoured every
human being they could find.

Kurita, a terrible creature with many limbs, lived partly on land and partly in the sea, but its favorite haunt
was the mountain where the rattan grew; and here it brought utter destruction on every living thing. The
second monster, Tarabusaw, an ugly creature in the form of a man, lived on Mt. Matutun, and far and wide
from that place he devoured the people, laying waste the land. The third, an enormous bird called Pah, was
so large that when on the wing it covered the sun and brought darkness to the earth. Its egg was as large
as a house. Mt. Bita was its haunt, and there the only people who escaped its voracity were those who hid
in caves in the mountains. The fourth monster was a dreadful birdalso, having seven heads and the
power to see in all directions at the same time. Mt. Gurayn was its home and like the others it wrought
havoc in its region.

So great was the death and destruction caused by these terrible animals that at length the news spread
even to the most distant lands, and all nations were grieved to hear of the sad fate of Mindanao.

Now far across the sea in the land of the golden sunset was a city so great that to look at its many people
would injure the eyes of man. When tidings of these great disasters reached this distant city, the heart of
the king Indarapatra was filled with compassion, and he called his brother, Sulayman, begging him to
save the land of Mindanao from the monsters.

Sulayman listened to the story, and as he heard he was moved with pity.

“I will go,” said he, zeal and enthusiasm adding to his strength, “and the land shall be avenged.”

King Indarapatra, proud of his brother’s courage, gave him a ring and a sword as he wished him success
and safety. Then he placed a young sapling by his window and said to Sulayman:

“By this tree I shall know your fate from the time you depart from here, for if you live, it will live; but if you
die, it will die also.”

So Sulayman departed for Mindanao, and he neither walked nor used a boat, but he went through the air
and landed on the mountain where the rattan grew. There he stood on the summit and gazed about on all
sides. He looked on the land and the villages, but he could see no living thing. And he was very sorrowful
and cried out:

“Alas, how pitiful and dreadful is this devastation!”

No sooner had Sulayman uttered these words than the whole mountain began to move, and then shook.
Suddenly out of the ground came the horrible creature, Kurita. It sprang at the man and sank its claws into
his flesh. But Sulayman, knowing at once that this was the scourge of the land, drew his sword and cut the
Kurita to pieces.

Encouraged by his first success, Sulayman went on to Mt. Matutun where conditions were even worse. As
he stood on the heights viewing the great devastation there was a noise in the forest and a movement in
the trees. With a loud yell, forth leaped Tarabusaw. For a moment they looked at each other, neither
showing any fear. Then Tarabusaw threatened to devour the man, and Sulayman declared that he would
kill the monster. At that the animal broke large branches off the trees and began striking at Sulayman who,
in turn, fought back. For a long time the battle continued until at last the monster fell exhausted to the
ground and then Sulayman killed him with his sword.
The next place visited by Sulayman was Mt. Bita. Here havoc was present everywhere, and though he
passed by many homes, not a single soul was left. As he walked along, growing sadder at each moment, a
sudden darkness which startled him fell over the land. As he looked toward the sky he beheld a great bird
descending upon him. Immediately he struck at it, cutting off its wing with his sword, and the bird fell dead
at his feet; but the wing fell on Sulayman, and he was crushed.

Now at this very time King Indarapatra was sitting at his window, and looking out he saw the little tree
wither and dry up.

“Alas!” he cried, “my brother is dead”; and he wept bitterly.

Then although he was very sad, he was filled with a desire for revenge, and putting on his sword and belt
he started for Mindanao in search of his brother.

He, too, traveled through the air with great speed until he came to the mountain where the rattan grew.
There he looked about, awed at the great destruction, and when he saw the bones of Kurita he knew that
his brother had been there and gone. He went on till he came to Matutun, and when he saw the bones of
Tarabusaw he knew that this, too, was the work of Sulayman.

Still searching for his brother, he arrived at Mt. Bita where the dead bird lay on the ground, and as he lifted
the severed wing he beheld the bones of Sulayman with his sword by his side. His grief now so
overwhelmed Indarapatra that he wept for some time. Upon looking up he beheld a small jar of water by his
side. This he knew had been sent from heaven, and he poured the water over the bones, and Sulayman
came to life again. They greeted each other and talked long together. Sulayman declared that he had not
been dead but asleep, and their hearts were full of joy.

After some time Sulayman returned to his distant home, but Indarapatra continued his journey to Mt.
Gurayn where he killed the dreadful bird with the seven heads. After these monsters had all been
destroyed and peace and safety had been restored to the land, Indarapatra began searching everywhere to
see if some of the people might not be hidden in the earth still alive.

One day during his search he caught sight of a beautiful woman at a distance. When he hastened toward
her she disappeared through a hole in the ground where she was standing. Disappointed and tired, he sat
down on a rock to rest, when, looking about, he saw near him a pot of uncooked rice with a big fire on the
ground in front of it. This revived him and he proceeded to cook the rice. As he did so, however, he heard
someone laugh near by, and turning he beheld an old woman watching him. As he greeted her, she drew
near and talked with him while he ate the rice.

Of all the people in the land, the old woman told him, only a very few were still alive, and they hid in a cave
in the ground from whence they never ventured. As for herself and her old husband, she went on, they had
hidden in a hollow tree, and this they had never dared leave until after Sulayman killed the voracious bird,
Pah.
At Indarapatra’s earnest request, the old woman led him to the cave where he found the headman with his
family and some of his people. They all gathered about the stranger, asking many questions, for this was
the first they had heard about the death of the monsters. When they found what Indarapatra had done for
them, they were filled with gratitude, and to show their appreciation the headman gave his daughter to him
in marriage, and she proved to be the beautiful girl whom Indarapatra had seen at the mouth of the cave.

Then the people all came out of their hiding-place and returned to their homes where they lived in peace
and happiness. And the sea withdrew from the land and gave the lowlands to the people.