MYTHS AND SYMBOLS PHILIPPINES

Thats a myth!
-an expression commonly heard when people
refer to something that is not true.

The unpopularity of the concept of myth has been

primarily due to the fact that myth has been
equated with lack of truth.
 WHAT IS A MYTH?
-A story that was told in ancient culture to explain a
practice, belief, or natural occurrence (Merriam-Webster)
-A traditional story that serves to explain the world view of
a people. (Eald)
-A story set in the time before the world as we know it
began. (Demetrio)
-It is the spoken portion of ritual or a cult.
-Its dramatis personae are divine or semi-divine beings.
Myth is more ancient than the science of history;
before science and systematic thought which we
call philosophy and theology, there was myth.
Myth is ancient like the folktale, the riddle, the
fable, like magic, and religion. It is as ancient as
man himself.
THE TRUTH OF MYTH
The truth of myth is not the truth of history. It
is the truth of experience, of the real, of life, of
the holy, of the sacred. (Francisco R. Demetrio)
According to William Bascom (1965), myths
are considered to be truthful accounts of what
happened in the remote past. They are taught to
be believed; and can be cited as authority in
answer to ignorance and doubt.
EARLY FILIPINO VIEW OF THE
UNIVERSE AND THE SKY
The sky has always teased the mind of man. For the
sky is high and height, like depth its counterpart, is
symbolic of truth or reality too profound for human
thought to fully comprehend and control. This truth
by the religious man has been called mystery; by
the philosopher, transcendence.
The earth was peopled by sky-dwellers who had grown
weary with life up there and the monotonous diet of
meat. They had seen the green earth and the shining
waters below through the slit in the floor of heaven. It
was brought about by a heavenly hunter pulling up his
arrow which had dropped head first after hitting a huge
bird. The act of pulling it from the ground also pulled up
some soil so that a hole appeared on the sky floor. This
allowed the hunter and his friends to peep through the
hole. Then twisting the huge birds feathers into a rope,
they lowered themselves down through the hole. But the
rope snapped as soon as the last man touched the earth.
Another account tells us of earthlings who had emerged
from their original habitat which was deep beneath the
earths surface. They gradually broke into the light of
day and eventually raised themselves into the skyworld.
They did so by climbing up a high mountain (Mt.
Balatukan for the Bukidnon near Misamis Oriental, or Mt.
Banahaw for the ancient dwellers of the Laguna area) or
a tall tree like the betel nut or the balete, or by being
ferried up there by a vine ( like Aponibolinayen), or
riding a shield (in the epic Darangen), or in a golden
boat called sarimbar by the Manobo, Bagobo and the
Bukidnon of Mindanao.
CREATION MYTHS AMONG THE EARLY FILIPINOS
Early chronicles tell us that the ancient people of the
Philippines had a notion of a powerful being(s) who was
responsible for the creation of the earth and everything
on it. The name of the creator-god(s) varied with the
various tribes.
The supreme being is generally taken to be very good
and kindly, very powerful, and dwelling in the sky. To him
is invariably credited the work of creation.
Laon or Malaon for the Indios or Bisayan
Makapatag again for the Bisayan
Makaubos for the Ibabao Bisayan
Bathala, Maykapal for the Tagalog
Gugurang for the Bikol
Batala for the Moro
Eugpamulak Manobo (Manama and Kalagayan) for the
Bagobo
Kalagayan, Bulalakaw for the Negritos of Panay Island
THE EARLY CREATION MYTHS: COSMOGYNY
Away back in the long ago, there was only a vast
immense sea formed by ocean. It so happened that a
bloody struggle ensued between King Manaul and King
Tubluck Laui. After the struggle, Manaul was imprisoned
but he broke his chains and flew away into space seeking
vengeance on Tubluck Laui. He was wearied with his flying
and he saw no place on which to alight. The earth and the
sky, offended by Manaul, tried to push him away with
waves and and heavy rains; the god of the air, Canuay
and Amihan sent forth gales and winds.
The struggle went on for years that the conflicting parties
got tired and tried to sought each others demand for
reconciliation. Manaul begged for light, and fireflies
attended him; he asked for counselor and the birds were
at his side. But in his gluttony, he devoured some live
chicks and some of the birds. In their turn, his bird
counsellors devoured the fireflies. When the owls passed
by, he punished them for what they did and made them
stay awake all night, giving them double sized eyes so
they may see better and not eat the fireflies.
The King of the Air, Tubluck Laui, angered by Manauls
eating of his counsellors, vomited lightning, whirlwinds,
and thunderbolts. He appealed to King Captan of the
Higuesines (people of the sea) to punish Manaul. Captan
sent huge rocks and stones from the sky to crush manual,
but he easily escaped unhurt. In this manner, the world
has its beginning: for Manaul, finding support in this big
rocks, made them remain fixed forever. They became his
dwelling and lived happily forever.
The people were living beyond the sky. One day, the
chief daughters fell sick. The medicine men of the
barangay said The cure is in the roots of the wild balete
tree. Dig around it and let her arms touch the roots.
They did so, and placed her in a trench, when suddenly,
she fell through the hole in the sky. Below the sky was
water. The gakits (wild ducks) saw her fall and caught her
on their backs where she rested. The gakits found Big
Turtle, and he called a council of all swimming animals.
They must save the woman and make her a house.
Several animas dived to bring up dirt from the tree
roots. Old Toad was the only one to carry sand in her
mouth, which she spread around Big Turtles shell. Then
an island grew on Big Turtles back; it became Bohol
Island, and the woman lived upon it.
The sky woman, healed of her sickness, gave birth to the
good and bad creatures of the earth.
 TUNGKUNG LANGIT AND ALUNSINA
(PANAY-VISAYAN MYTH, REGION VI)
In the beginning, there was no sky or earthonly a
bottomless deep and a world of mist. Everything was
shapeless and formless---the earth, the sky, and the air were
almost mixed up. There was confusion.
Then from the depth of this formless void, there
appeared two gods, Tungkung Langit (Pillar of the Sky) and
Alunsina (The Unmarried One). Just where these two deities
came from, it was not known. However, it was related that
Tungkung Langit had fallen in loven with Alunsina.
 After so many years of courtship, they got married and
had their abode in the highest realm of the ethereal space,
where the water was constantly warm and the breeze was
forever cool. It was in this place where order and regularity
first took place.
Tungkung Langit was an industrious, loving, and kind god
whose chief concern was how to impose order over the
confused set-up of things. He assumed responsibility for the
whole cosmic movement. On the other hand, Alunisna was a
lazy, jealous, and selfish goddess whose only work was to
sit by the window and amuse herself with pointless thought.
One day Tungkung Langit told his wife that he would be
going away from home to put an end to chaotic
disturbances of time. However, despite this purpose,
Alunsina sent the breeze to spy on him. This made him very
angry upon knowing about it.
In his return, he told her that it was ungodly for her to be
jealous, there being no other creature living except them.
Alunsina detested him and a quarrel followed.
Tungkung Langit lost his temper and in his rage divested
his wife of powers and drove her away. He did not know
where Alunsina went; she merely disappeared.
Several Days after she left, Tungkung Langit felt very lonely
and realized what he had done. Their place was now full of
sadness without Alunsinas voice, and he had no company. For
months he lived in utter desolation. He did not know to do with
his lonely world.
Then as he was sailing across the regions of the clouds, a
thought came to him. He would make the earth and the sea.
However, the barren land irritated him so he came down and
planted trees and flowers. Then he took his wifes jewels and
scattered them in the sky, hoping that Alunsina would see them
and return home. Her necklace became the stars, her comb the
moon, and her crown the sun. Despite all this, she never came
back.
MYTHICAL MOTIFS IN PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
Motif of Conflict
Struggle between hostile forces
Familial conflict

Transformation Motif
Man-Animal, Animal-Man, Man-Plant, Inanimate
Object-Man
Motif of the Center
It could be a hill, an island, a mountain, a palace.
It is where the energy and activity of the gods are
highest.
Motif of Reproduction
Parthenogenesis, gods intermarrying with a human, god
to god