Tag Archives: epic myths

September 12, 2015 · 3:16 pm

BAYBAYAN: PHILIPPINE EPIC MYTH PART SEVEN

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

PART SEVEN

Philippines Map 3With the menace of the giants and the dragons now behind them, Baybayan and his hundreds of surviving followers continued their journey toward Skyland, the home of the gods. The ship transporting them was the Salimbal, the divine craft sent down by the supreme deity Magbabaya.

The demigod Baybayan was looking back at the faraway Earth by way of his godly senses. He noticed the granary that his industrious disciples had filled with rice and did not want the precious food to go to waste.

Selecting a pair of the saliyao bells that lined the Salimbal, Baybayan threw them back to the Earth, transforming them into the very first male and female Maya bird. These birds and their young would feed on the rice in the granary. Since that day Maya birds have fed on rice from Philippine rice fields. (Until 1995 Maya birds were even the National Bird of the Philippines.) Suddenly danger reared its head.   Continue reading →

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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 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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January 27, 2015 · 9:37 pm

NEGLECTED MYTHICAL EPICS

Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are familiar with my examinations of obscure pantheons of gods. I’ve also covered several neglected epic myths from around the world. Here’s a guide to the ones I’ve covered:

Aiwel LongarAIWEL LONGAR

Pantheon: Dinka

Central Figure: Aiwel Longar

Synopsis: Aiwel Longar was the son of the Nile River god and was set adrift as a gift for the childless woman who found him. The young godling displays his divine nature from childhood onward and many years later when various plagues strike the land Aiwel Longar leads his faithful followers to a new promised land where they can live but which he is forbidden to enter. A miraculous crossing of the Nile is also featured in this ancient epic with a broad influence.  

FOR FULL STORY CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/2013/08/13/mythology-the-epic-of-aiwel-longar/

Lac Long QuanA WAR BETWEEN GODS

Pantheon: Vietnamese

Central Figures: The jungle and mountain god Tan Vien and Thuy Tinh, the god of the monsoon rains.

Synopsis: While on a safari with the semi-divine emperor Hung Vuong XVIII, Tan Vien saves the life of the rain deity Thuy Tinh. Thuy Tinh’s father, the sea god Long Vuong, welcomes Tan Vien to his undersea kingdom to thank him. Thuy Tinh and Tan Vien’s friendship grows as the jungle and mountain god is feasted and celebrated for weeks before being sent home with various supernatural gifts from the god of the sea.

When Hung Vuong XVIII’s daughter Mi Nuong is offered up to be courted Tan Vien and Thuy Tinh best all of the mortal suitors competing for her hand. Next follows a tragic conflict between the two deities, a conflict with long-lasting consequences. 

FOR FULL STORY CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/vietnamese-myth-2/ Continue reading →

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March 2, 2014 · 4:01 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: PART TWO OF HODADEION, THE GOD OF MAGIC

Iroquois longhouse lodge village

PART 2 – THE WASP-MEN – (Hodadeion was the son of the creator god Tharonhiawakon and a mortal woman, the same mortal woman who bore him Hodadeion’s siblings. Those siblings were Otgoe, the wampum god and Yeyenthwus, the future goddess of chestnut trees.)

Hodadeion ventured to the north despite his sister Yeyenthwus’ warnings. He came across a few more villages that were now deserted like his own and he realized how far-reaching was the reign of terror of the cannibalistic wizards who had decimated the population of Continue reading →

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March 1, 2014 · 2:42 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION, THE GOD OF MAGIC

Iroquois longhouse lodge villageIn the tradition of Balladeer’s Blog’s previous looks at neglected epic myths from the Navajo, Vietnamese, Dinka, Greek and Chinese pantheons I will examine the saga of the Iroquois god of magic Hodadeion. This will be done in the same style as my examinations of the Navajo war god’s battle with the Anaye, the war between the Vietnamese jungle and monsoon gods and the Chinese Divine Archer Yi’s adventures.

1. Hodadeion was the son of the creator god Tharonhiawakon and a mortal woman, the same mortal woman who bore him Hodadeion’s siblings. Those siblings were Otgoe, the wampum god who loved chestnuts and Yeyenthwus, the future goddess of chestnut trees.

Tharonhiawakon was gone for years at a time attending to other matters in the world and while Otgoe was a toddler and Hodadeion and Yeyenthwus in their teens an entire village full of cannibalistic humans led by a Continue reading →

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