Category Archives: Mythology

September 9, 2015 · 10:01 pm

BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART SIX

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Bukidnon people of the Philippines.

PART SIX

Modern-day view from the top of Mt Palaopao, created by Baybayan in this chapter.

Modern-day view from the top of Mt Palaopao, created by Baybayan in this chapter.

The divine ship called the Salimbal rose ever higher, bearing the demigod Baybayan and his hundreds of surviving followers toward Skyland, the home of the gods.

Eventually the craft entered the realm of the giants, three-eyed man-eating beasts with upturned lips. The giants shook the Salimbal and tried to reach their greedy hands through the windows but the kampilan and balarao swords that hung above those windows as if on hinges came to life and sliced off any hands that were thrust into the divine ship. 

Soon the giants were all left behind, howling in pain because of their amputated hands. From there the Salimbal journeyed on to the realm of the dragons, who emerged from the clouds within which they lived to attack the ship and the pilgrims inside. Continue reading →

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September 5, 2015 · 3:12 pm

BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART FIVE

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Bukidnon people of the Philippines.

PART FIVE

Philippines Baybayan 2The massive craft called the Salimbal at last arrived and landed on the mountaintop where Baybayan and his hundreds of surviving followers had gathered. The bells which had signaled its approach were saliyao bells, the same bells worn by Philippine dancers on their ankles and neck. 

Music from the Salimbal filled the air and sprites from the Skyland home of the gods hovered around the ship sent down by the supreme deity Magbabaya. The craft shone even more brightly than the sun itself and could be seen for miles around.

One by one Baybayan invited his disciples to approach the entranceway to the divine craft. Two kampilan swords hung above that doorway and as each of the pilgrims sought entrance to the Salimbal the swords remained motionless for the truly pure of spirit. When any disciples who were judged unfit to reach Skyland tried to enter the craft the kampilans would turn on their hilts like on hinges and slice that would-be passenger in two.   Continue reading →

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September 2, 2015 · 7:49 pm

BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART FOUR

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Bukidnon people of the Philippines.

PART FOUR

Philippine IslandsThe demigod Baybayan led his hundreds of followers up the mountain atop which would land the Salimbal – the divine craft sent down from Skyland by the supreme deity Magbabaya. The Earthly realm, in its fundamental evil, made a concentrated effort to lure Baybayan’s followers away from their quest. The impure world sought to prevent as many of the demigod’s followers as possible from reaching the land of the gods.

First all the rocks then the very ground itself turned to gold, to tempt the followers into staying behind to collect the gold and live the comfortable and pleasant life of the wealthy. Some of Baybayan’s disciples yielded to this temptation and stayed behind to accumulate wealth. Vile nature intensified its attack as even the leaves on the trees and the grass turned to gold in order to tempt away a few more of the disciples. Continue reading →

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August 31, 2015 · 9:22 pm

AINU GODDESS IRURA

Ainu WomanIRURA – This goddess was the psychopomp of the Ainu pantheon.

She and her dog would guide a dead spirit from their gravepost in this world to whichever afterlife the fire goddess Fuchi had decreed the soul should be sent to, either for reward or punishment. Continue reading →

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August 29, 2015 · 3:25 pm

BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART THREE

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Bukidnon people of the Philippines.

PART THREE

MindanaoWith Alisngaran’s wedding to his beloved postponed by the rising of the dual suns and the arrival of the mountain- sized boar called the Makadingding, that most valued disciple of the demigod Baybayan was filled with sorrow. Other couples among Baybayan’s hundreds of disciples had gotten married already. Baybayan assured Alisngaran that he and his woman could get married once arrived in Skyland, the home of the gods, but the loving couple were still despondent. 

Alisngaran and his intended bride announced they would rather stay on Earth among the unblessed rather than risk getting separated or getting killed unwed in the dangerous journey to Skyland. Baybayan was saddened by this but he agreed to let them stay behind and exempted Alisngaran from any further actions on his behalf.

Meanwhile the Makadingding was still running amok and killing everything in its path. With Alisngaran “retired” that left twelve remaining members of Baybayan’s inner circle of disciples. He sent that dozen into action, pitting their spears and kampilan swords against the enormous boar. As the battle raged three of them wound up getting devoured by the creature and three more were killed by the Makadingding’s tusks, tail and spiny quills.    Continue reading →

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August 26, 2015 · 11:47 pm

BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART TWO

Bukidnon political mapBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Bukidnon people of the Philippines. 

PART TWO

The demigod Baybayan had warned his 13 favorite disciples that a time of various trials was coming. When pressed for details he explained that the time in question would be heralded by the rising of two suns in the east.

Next an enormous boar with sharp quills all over its body would appear and blot out both suns with its gigantic form. The world would be plunged into darkness and many would die before the creature – called the Makadingding – could be slain. Continue reading →

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August 22, 2015 · 4:38 pm

BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH

Philippines Baybayan 1In the past Balladeer’s Blog has examined neglected epic myths from around the world. From Vietnam I dealt with A War Between Gods, from the Navajo pantheon I explored the saga of the war god Nayanazgeni battling the dark gods called the Anaye and I even examined the Dinka people’s epic about Aiwel Longar.

Epics from Inuit, Iroquois, Chinese, Korean and Bunyoro myths were also tackled.   

This time around I move on to the Philippines for a look at the epic myth of the demigod named Baybayan.

BAYBAYAN

This enjoyable and often action-packed tale comes from the Bukidnon people of the Philippine island of Mindanao. This story fuses native Bukidnon beliefs with elements of Vietnamese, Christian and Muslim myths.   

Baybayan’s mother, whose real name was considered too sacred to share with non-Bukidnons, was a beautiful and virtuous mortal woman. In Philippine myths the gods in Skyland found Earth women to be more beautiful than the goddeses in their celestial homeland. One of those gods frequently visited Baybayan’s mother in her dreams and had sex with her. (Exact godly parentage was never an obsession in Philippine or Vietnamese myths. It was enough to just refer to a hero as “the child of a god and a mortal woman.”) Continue reading →

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June 7, 2015 · 6:14 pm

MERINA MYTHS: RATOVOANA

satellite-madagascar-small.gif (250×339)RATOVOANA – This demi-god was the son of a deity and a Vazimba, Madagascar’s version of elves or Menehune. Ratovoana was born through the procedure known in the west as a Caesarean Section instead of the usual birth through the vaginal pathway. Such births were regarded with a certain supersitious awe in the ancient world and the children thus born were considered to be destined for great things.

In the myths of the Merina and other people of Madagascar such births were viewed as meaning that the figure thus born was “self-created” or “self-delivered”. These “self-created” beings are genuine rebels who often defy the supreme deity and therefore occupy a special place in the pantheons of Madagascar and I’ll deal with other such figures in the future. This entry will be limited to Ratovoana.  Continue reading →

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May 31, 2015 · 6:58 pm

MERINA MYTHOLOGY: THE GOD RAPETO

RapetoRAPETO – This gigantic deity falls into the global mythological category of “Divine Geographers” for his role in crafting and creating many landmarks throughout Madagascar. This makes him similar to Khong Lo in Vietnamese myths, Inugpasug in Inuit myths, Halmang in Korean myths and Moshiri in Ainu myths. A number of stories about the enormous Rapeto explain the origin of various geographical features throughout the land. His name was used to classify the Rapetosaurus, a dinosaur that used to inhabit Madagascar. Continue reading →

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May 28, 2015 · 8:48 pm

MERINA MYTHOLOGY: THE GODDESS RAFARA

Madagascar beautyRAFARA – The Merina goddess of motherly love and devotion. She had been forced into a marriage to an ogre and had borne him a daughter named Indesoka. One day Indesoka’s playmates, who were pure-blooded ogres instead of a hybrid like she was, tricked her into breaking her evil father’s silver jug.

Indesoka used her powers as a demi-goddess to cause a cave to appear in the side of a stone mountain and hid within that cave, sealing the entrance behind her so that the stone seemed smooth and undisturbed. Rafara’s powers are greater and she is able to find Indesoka. Continue reading →

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