How the Town of Marikina Got Its Name

A long time ago, there were few houses in the town of Marikina. They were all made of bamboo and cogon grass. The people were a nomadic folk, looking for places where they could plant camote, rice, corn and vegetables, and where they could raise livestock. There were few who stayed permanently.

One of the families gave birth to a lovely daughter. She was admired by everybody who knew her, and her kindness attracted all.

Early in the morning one day, she decided to take a stroll around the place. She saw a pool with very clear water with a small waterfall. She dove in and swam to sit underneath the waterfall. The stream of water massaged her shoulders, and where it met her neck. She lowered her head in enjoyment, listening to the burble of the waterfall above her. She moved away from the falls and sat listening to the sweet songs of birds. She watched them hop and drink from the pool. A breeze cooled her skin and she watched the leaves dance above her. What a wonderful place! When she rose, she hoisted herself up on a wide, smooth stone and saw her reflection in the pool. She admired parts of herself that were beautiful, but noticed bits of herself she did not love. She had a white head under her lovely, bright eyes. And she wished for her chin to be a little bit more shapely. And how she longed for her long, slender legs to be smaller.

But she heard a voice call, “Marikit na!” which means “you are already beautiful!”

Unbeknownst to her, a man had watched her playing in the pool, admiring her beauty. The echo of his affirmation filled the mountains and the trees of the place. Other men heard the echo and repeated after it. Marikina became the name of this place.

Hinilawod - Part 3 - Saragnayan and Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata

Back home, Labaw Donggon’s two wives both delivered sons, Aso Manga and Buyung Baranugon. Only days after their birth, the two sons went to look for their father. They sailed through the realm of eternal darkness, through the region of clouds, and passed through the land of stones to Saragnayan’s home.

Upon the shores, a wave of dark shadows overwhelmed the youths. Aso Manga and Buyung Baranugon shot poisoned arrows that dealt seven wounds with a single shot. They peppered the minions until Saragnayan was the only one left standing. Buyung Baranugon wrestled Saragnayan. Buyung Baranugon won every match, but Saragnayan could not die.

 The brothers retreated and asked for Alunsina’s help. Using her divine powers, she learnt that Saragnayan’s life was housed in the body of a boar in a place called Paling Bukid. The two brothers hunted the pig. Once they captured and slaughtered it, they ate its heart, which made Saragnayan mortal.

Saragnayan knew he had become mortal. He spent one last night with his wife, “Goodbye my love,” he said to her one last time. She embraced him with her long, thin arms and lifted her downcast eyes to admire him. He was grotesque and ugly, while she was beautiful, but she knew he loved her with every beat of his ancient heart. As he let her go, her eyes went back down and she did not look the way of the battle and hid herself in their home. She hated Labaw Donggon with all her being, and she would flee from him and his sons if her husband fell in battle.

Saragnayan called upon the powers of night one last time. A cloud of bats hid him from Baranugon, but the child ran through the swarm, locking arms with the once-god. They wrestled once more. Saragnayan pinned Baranugon down, and while they wrestled, Baranugon jabbed poisoned arrows into both of Saragnayan's eyes. This was the lethal blow to Saragnayan.

During this battle, their father hid under a fishnet out of fear. The two brothers could not find him after and assumed he had gone home before them. However, when they arrived home, they realized their father was still missing. After the sons left, Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata cursed Labaw Donggon with madness and lovesickness. She turned her grief against the man who tore her whole life away from her. She then left to go into exile, and to live in peace and contentment in the forest, tending different animals and helping the lost. (Which is frickin’ awesome, because Labaw Donggon WAS getting greedy with the wives there.)

Labaw Dunggon’s two brothers, Humadapnon and Dumalapdap went to search for him instead. They found Labaw Donggon under the fishnet, who had succumbed to madness. Labaw Donggon's brothers returned him home to his wives. Nagmalitong Yawa's curse that curing his madness was no simple feat for Abyang Ginbitinan and Abyang Diriinin. Everytime he heard Malitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata's name, Labaw Donggon would break out into an episode. For a time, he would see her face in the middle of night, muttering her name but only feel the cold touch his flesh. His wives and their healing magic eventually grounded him back into the present, and his former strength was returned.

Where the Makopa Came From

Ilocos Region

In the Ilocos provinces, there was a beautiful bell in a small village’s church. It was believed that the bell’s ringing brought good harvest and they believed it was the bell that gave them good luck. Their lives improved greatly since they acquired the bell.

However, a group of bandits coveted this lucky bell. They made plans to loot the church and take the bell for themselves.

Talk spread easily in these parts, so the villagers heard from sources that the bandits were coming. They buried the bell outside the church.

When the bandits arrived, they could not find it. The bandits demanded that the townsfolk to reveal where they hid the bell, but they townsfolk kept their mouths sealed. In their anger, the bandits killed many villagers. Despite this violence, no one spoke of where the bell was.

Years later, a tree emerged from where the bell was buried. It bore fruits shaped like a bell with reddish-yellow color. When inverted the fruit looked like the cup used in mass. For this reason, they called the tree “makopa”, meaning maraming kopa, or plenty of cups.

 Since then the tree and its fruits came to be known as makopa.

The Legend of Mt. Banahaw

Near a great mountain on Luzon, there once lived a couple named Lukban and Bayabas, and their only son, Limbas. Limbas was a talented and skilled hunter: he met each mark with his bow and arrow.

One night Limbas did not return home. His parents were very worried and prayed each night to the gods. For seven days, his parents did not eat nor could they sleep.

After those seven days, Limbas came home carrying a big bundle in his arms. He opened the bundle he was carrying and inside were clothing.

The clothes were luxurious – made of materials they did not know, adorned with gold weaving. Limbas also had a great deal of food, which he set and prepared on the table.

At dinner, he explained his story: “I met an old man with a long beard,” explained limbas. “He enticed me to go to his home atop the great mountain.” Limbas explained the home to be surrounded by fruit trees, deer, chickens, birds that all white feathers, and that the man had a carriage drawn by two white horses. “Before he allowed me to leave for home, he gave me food and clothes. He told me before I gave these to you to kiss your hands, and not to forget to do that. I thanked him for all the things he had given me.”

Limbas would return to the mountain for seven days and his parents did not worry, for he always came home with food and clothing. One day when he came back home, Limbas excitedly said, “My friend has given us many golden balls, look! Look!”

He forgot to kiss his parents in his enthusiasm and happiness, so when they opened the bundle, the saw anahaw fruits instead of the golden balls.

“Ba! Anahaw! BA! ANAHAW!” cried Limbas.

From that time on, the big mountain in Luzon was known as Banahaw. The towns nearby were named Tayabas and Lukban after the names of his parents, Bayabas and Lukban.

The Legend of the Lanzones Fruit

Lanzones is a delicious fruit, that kind of is like eating a grapefruit. It is as known as langsat, duku or dokong. Lansium parasiticum is a species of tree in the Mahogany family. The species is native to Southeast Asia.

A long time ago, the fruit was known as poisonous. The story goes that there was an old beggar who was wandering a town. He was tired, weary from his hungry and exertion. He went into the shade of a tree and slept for a moment. He saw the lanzones above and ate some, and not long after, he threw up and died. That is why people avoided the fruit.

Years later, an otherworldly woman came to the village and danced around joyfully. She was beautiful, but her face was a little too long, her eyes too wide, her canine teeth a little too sharp. The villagers thought she was a nymph from the streams, or a fairy from their sun god.

She picked some of the fruit and the villagers expected her to die as soon as she ate them. She pinched the fruit with her fingers and started to eat away. She did not die and kept eating handfuls of the fruit. The villagers joined in with her and started to eat the fruit. The fruit was sweet and refreshing and they immediately loved it. To this day, the fairy’s pinch marks were left on the fruit and lazones is a well-liked fruit across the Philippines.

The Legend of the Ilang Ilang

Once upon a time, a couple lived near the foot of a mountain. As days and years passed, they could not have a child. They prayed to all their deities for a child, and one day Bathala, the supreme god, heard their call.

In the form of a handsome young man, Bathala said “You will have a daughter. But when she grows up, do not allow her to fall in love with any man. She will serve Bathala and the other deities.”

The couple thanked the man and replied, “Yes sir, we will not forget what you said.”

Not long afterwards, they had a baby girl as the young man said. They named her Ilang (ee-lang). She grew up into a radiant and lovely woman. Her beauty become known not only in their town but other places far and wide. The young datus and rajahs of far-away kingdoms heard of her beauty and desired her hand in marriage.

A stranger came to their town one day. It was Rajah Marahas, who came from a distant barangay. He had seen her once before and vowed to win her love. He tried to find where Ilang lived. He came to a large window of a home, and he saw her combing her long, black hair. He watched her, deep in admiration, before he realized he had to do something.

He tore off a wide banana leaf and wrote the following on it: “I am Rajah Marahas. Can I speak with you?” He then wrapped the leaf around a small stone and threw it through the girl’s open window.

Ilang was surprised and looked out of the window. Outside was a handsome stranger, and she smiled as the young man waved, then bowed his head to her.

He came back every night, though they did not speak to each other. He would gaze upon her window and at her because it was enough for the two to look at each other. Though his heart longed for more. He climbed into the window, and Ilang let out a scream. He covered her mouth and said, “I love you, Ilang. I know you love me too.” He was confused by her shaking her head, the tears that rolled out of her wide eyes. Unbeknownst to him, Ilang heard Bathala’s voice. The god knew that in Ilang’s heart, she had broken his rules.

Ilang vanished in Marahas’ arms. He called to her and panic enveloped him. But he then felt a cold wind touch his face, and a strong floral fragrance filled his nostrils. It made him think of Ilang. He saw a small plant growing into a tree, and flowers began to bloom on the tree that grew before his eyes. The flowers smelled the same as the cold wind’s scent.

He brought the tree back to his kingdom. He never married for he knew Ilang was with him when the flowers bloomed. He named the flowers ilang-ilang.

The Coleto and the Crow

Art by nikbuens.art

A long, long time ago, the crow was a white bird. The coleto was black as he is today, and he wore a crown of feathers ontop of his head.

One day the crow was practicing his call, “Caw – caw – caw!”

The coleto came over and taunted in his sing song voice, “If you were in a contest for singing notes out of tune, you would win.”

Irritated, the crow responded with “You are so tiny, by the time you realize it was raining, you would have drowned.”

The coleto responded hotly: “It’s true I’m tiny, but I can fly higher than other bird! I can outfly the eagle himself!”

“Sure you can, I could beat you with my eyes closed. I’ll race you.” the crow taunted.

The coleto puffed his chest, “You should learn how to pluck your feathers, suck in more air and learn how to sing before you challenge me to a race.”

The crow cawed in his rough voice back: “Sounds like you’re trying to get out of this.”

With a flourish of his wing, the coleto accepted: “Fine! This race starts now!”

The coleto counted to three and the two began their ascent. Up, up, up, they soared in the sky, circled each other and onlookers admired the beauty of their wings spread out, gleaming in the sun. Soon they lost sight of each other in a dark cloud and flew on separately.

The coleto knocked his head against the floor of the sky, and the crown of feathers on his head was shaved off. The crow flew too close to the sun that his white feathers were burnt black.

Frightened, they descended back to earth and forgot their challenge to each other. To this day, the coleto has no feathers on top of his head, and the crow’s feathers are completely black.