21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

GROUP ATI
 TUWAANG ATTENDS A WEDDING
(the second song of the Manuvu Ethnoepic
Tuwaang cycle)
BY: E. ARSENIO MANUEL
 Tuwaang, after finishing some work, calls his aunt aside and
informs her that the wind has brought him a message: he is to
attend the wedding of the Maiden of Momawon. The aunt tries to
dissuade him from going, for she foresees trouble. Tuwaang,
however, is determined to go. He picks the heart -shaped costume
made by goddesses, arms himself with a long blade and dagger,
and takes his shield and spear. He rides on a flash of lightning
and arrives at the "kawkawangan" grassland. While resting there a
while, he hears a "gungutan" bird crowing. He decides to catch the
fowl, but soon sees the "gungutan" with a daggerlike spur. The
"gungutan" tells Tuwaang he came to know of his coming in a
dream and that he wants to go with him to the wedding
celebration. Tuwaang agrees to bring the "gungutan" along. The
two shake their shoulders and are carried into space.
 Upon arriving at Momawon, Tuwaang is admitted into the
hall. He sits on a golden stool, while the "gungutan" perches
on a crossbeam. Meantime, enchanting sounds from afar
and flowering trees signal the arrival of the Young Man of
Panayangan. Other gallants – the Young Man of Liwanon and
the Young Man of the Rising Sun – arrive. Finally, the groom,
the Young Man of Sakadna, arrives with a hundred followers.
He haughtily asks the houseowner to clear the house "of
dirt," implying the people in the house who do not count. To
this insult Tuwaang answers there are "red leaves," i.e.
heroes, in the house.
 Pr e l i mi na r i e s o f t he w e d d i ng ce r e mo ny s t a r t . T he " s a v a k a n" ( b r i d e - w e a l t h
co ns i s t i ng o f a r t i cl e s a nd w r a p p e d f o o d t o b e p a i d f o r b y t he g r o o m's k i ns me n)
a r e o f f e r e d o ne b y o ne , unt i l o nl y t he t w o mo s t co s t l y r e ma i n. One i s g i v e n t he
v a l ue o f a n a nci e nt g o ng w i t h t e n b o s s e s a nd ni ne r e l i e f - r i ng s ; t he o t he r i s
r e d e e ma b l e o nl y b y a g o l d e n g ui t a r a nd a g o l d e n f l ut e . T he g r o o m co nf e s s e s hi s
i na b i l i t y t o r e d e e m t he s e a r t i cl e s . T uw a a ng s a v e s t he g r o o m f r o m t he
e mb a r r a s s i n g p r e d i ca me n t b y t a k i ng hi s p l a ce : t hr o ug h hi s ma g i c b r e a t h he
p r o d uce s a mo r e a nci e nt g o ng , w hi ch i s a cce p t e d b y t he b r i d e 's p a r t y . He a l s o
p r o d uce s t he g o l d e n f l ut e a nd g o l d e n g ui t a r .

T he b r i d e i s no w a s k e d t o co me o ut o f he r r o o m a nd s e r v e t he g ue s t s s o me b e t e l
che w . S he co mma nd s he r b e t e l b o x t o s e r v e e v e r y o ne . Ma g i ca l l y t he b e t e l b o x
o b e y s , w i t h t he b e t e l che w j ump i ng i nt o t he mo ut hs o f t he g ue s t s . A f t e r t w o b e t e l
che w s l e a p i nt o t he g r o o m's mo ut h, t he b e t e l b o x mo v e s o n t o T uw a a ng , b e f o r e
w ho m i t s t o p s a l t o g e t he r . T uw a a ng b r us he s i t a w a y , b ut t he b o x d o e s no t b ud g e .
T he b r i d e d e ci d e s t o s i t b e s i d e T uw a a ng .
 The groom blushes; he is shamed. He decides to fight Tuwaang. He goes down the house and
challenges Tuwaang to come down to the yard.

After the bride unrolls and combs Tuwaang's hair, Tuwaang goes down to fight. The "gungutan",
meanwhile, has been fighting the groom's men and has slain a number of them until only six
gallants remain. Tuwaang and the gungutan engage the six gallants.

Finally only Tuwaang and the Young Man of Sakadna are left moving about. Tuwaang is thrown
against a boulder, which turns into dust. Trees get bent and topple. Tuwaang gets hold of his foe,
throws him down so hard that he sinks into the earth. The Young Man of Sakadna surfaces quickly
and confronts Tuwaang once more. Tuwaang in turn is thrust into the earth and sinks into the
Underworld. There he talks to Tuhawa', god of the Underworld, who tells him the secret to
overcoming his foe. Tuwaang surfaces and summons the golden flute in which the Young Man of
Sakadna keeps his life. Tuwaang asks his foe to become his vassal in exchange for his life. The
groom prefers death. Tuwaang therefore destroys the golden flute, ending his protagonist's life.

Accompanied by the "gungutan", Tuwaang takes his bride home to Kuaman, where he rules forever.
 Linguistic Ethnic
Geographic (What are the new (What are the cultures and
(Where did the story terms in the passage traditions of an ethnic group
happen?) you encountered that that were being portrayed in
represent the the story?)
community?)

1. The savakan (bride-wealth

1. The names of the
characte rs comes from a
1. Monawon differe nt language which is
2.Kawkawangan bisaya.
2. Gungguta n - bird with a
3. Underworld daggerlike spur
3. Of dirt- the people in the
4. Kuaman house who not count
4. Red leaves- heroes
consisting of articles and
wrapped food to be paid for by
the groom’s kinsmen) are
offered one by one until two
most costly remain. One is
given the value of an ancient
gong with ten bosses and nine
relief-rings; the other is
redeemable only by a golden
guitar and a golden flute.
2. The wind sending a message
3. The heart shape costume
made by the goddesses
 Linguistic Ethnic
Geographic (What are the new (What are the cultures and
(Where did the story terms in the passage traditions of an ethnic group
happen?) you encountered that that were being portrayed in
represent the the story?)
community?)

4. Tuwaang riding in the

flash of lightning
5. The gunggutan or the
bird can speak and fight
6. The groom or the young
man of sakadna
accompanied with 100
people in a wedding
7. Sinking in the underworld
or the land of death
 Linguistic Ethnic
Geographic (What are the new (What are the cultures and
(Where did the story terms in the passage traditions of an ethnic group
happen?) you encountered that that were being portrayed in
represent the the story?)
community?)

8. Young man of sakadna

keeps his life on the
golden flute
9. The betel box of the
maiden of momawon
chooses who she will
marry with the betel chew
jumping into the mouth of
the guests and stopped at
tuwaang.
THANK YOU