Bianca Nicole C.

Capilitan

EDISON

In the Beginning

Bilaan (Mindanao)

In the beginning there were four beings (Melu, Fiuweigh, Diwata, and Saweigh),
and they lived on an island no larger than a hat. On this island there were no
trees or grass or any other living thing besides these four people and one bird
(Buswit). One day they sent this bird out across the waters to see what he could
find, and when he returned he brought some earth, a piece of rattan, and some
fruit.

Melu, the greatest of the four, took the soil and shaped it and beat it with a
paddle in the same manner in which a woman shapes pots of clay, and when
he finished he had made the earth. Then he planted the seeds from the fruit,
and they grew until there was much rattan and many trees bearing fruit.

The four beings watched the growth for a long time and were well pleased with
the work, but finally Melu said, "Of what use is this earth and all the rattan and
fruit if there are no people?"

And the others replied, "Let us make some people out of wax."

So they took some wax and worked long, fashioning it into forms, but when they
brought them to the fire the wax melted, and they saw that men could not be
made in that way.

Next they decided to try to use dirt in making people, and Melu and one of his
companions began working on that. All went well till they were ready to make
the noses. The companion, who was working on that part, put them on upside
down. Melu told him that the people would drown if he left them that way, but
he refused to change them.

When his back was turned, however, Melu seized the noses, one by one, and
turned them as they now are. But he was in such a hurry that he pressed his
finger at the root, and it left a mark in the soft clay which you can still see on the
faces of people.

Geographic Dimension Linguistic Dimension Ethnic Dimension

On an island no larger Four people and one They decided to make out of
wax, but they failed when
than a hat. bird.
they put it on fire.

Melu, the greatest of the In the next day they

four, took the soil, decided to used dirt on

shaped it, and beat it making people or human in

the world that they created.
with a paddle in the
same way a woman
Melu and his buddies
shapes pots of clay, and continue to make humans,
when he finished, he but Melu seized the noses

had made the earth. one by one and converted

them into what
they are now. But Melu's
Making the people and
haste resulted in an
the earth out of rattan, accident. He placed his
fruit, wax, and dirt finger against the root,
leaving a trace in the soft
clay that can still be seen
on people's faces