The Origin of The Coconut

It was the last day of the fast of Lapulapu -- a fast ordered by Bathala¹ through the messenger Liyongin. Gaunt, weary and weak, Lapulapu trekked the trail to Suong where his fast was to end. There, amidst the burning rocks, he wrestled with Impacto² from sunup till sundown until Impacto lay dying on the hot rocks.

"Lapulapu," Impacto whispered, "bury my dead body in the land of Abuno³ and when you see a tree spring from my grave, take care of it for such is the tree promised to you by Bathala for the nourishment and improvement of your people. Its juice will be sweet. Its meat will be wholesome. And every part will have its own utility.⁴"

Lapulapu did as he was told. And shortly after, a straight and palm-like tree emerged and bore fruit. Of course, Lapulapu was the first to taste of its fruit and beheld that it was good. So, when he went on a visit to Dalisay⁵, near the mouth of the Opon river, he brought along a mixture of ripe and unripe fruit. On the slippery Antubong⁶, he slipped and lost consciousness. The ripe fruit were carried by the tide out to the sea. The unripe ones, being heavier, were not carried by the tide and drifted nearby. Lapulapu, when he regained consciousness, was able to retrieve the young fruit but of the ripe ones he could not find a trace.

The bunch of ripe fruit found their way to the shores of Talisay⁷. There, a curious man removed the husk from one fruit and exposed the shell of the coconut. When he beheld the similarity of the coconut shell with a human skull, he was seized with fear of being put to death for death was the punishment of those who commit murder. He buried the fruit in the soil near his home and, after time passed, forgot about it. And it was thus that the spread of the coconut to other islands started.

NOTES:

1. Bathala was believed to be the supreme being and the creator of the world by pre-Spanish Filipinos who practiced an animo-deist religion. The material from which this story is taken used the name "Bathala" but it's more likely that Lapulapu used the name "Abba" to refer to the same being. "Bathala" is the name used by the Tagalogs while Cebuanos use "Abba". However, "Bathala" is the most commonly-used name. Not all pre-Spanish-era Filipinos believed in Bathala as there were already Filipinos at that time who practiced the Islamic faith. The word "Bathala" was so generally known that the early Christian missionaries and colonizers decided to retain it as the native translation of "God" ("Dios"). Confusion may arise since modern dictionaries often translate "God" (as in the "God of Abraham") as "Bathala" although one dictionary commented that "Bathala" is used in a vulgar sense. Normally, modern Filipino Christians translate "God" as "Diyos", which is derived from the Spanish "Dios".
2. "Impakto", in modern usage, is a generic term that is used to refer to any supernatural creature. Just as there are several kinds (or should I say "species"?) of creatures of the night so are there several kinds of impakto. It is possible that Lapulapu's opponent in the wrestling match was not named Impacto but rather was an unnamed impakto.
3. "Abuno", in modern usage, is often used to refer to any form of fertilizer. But in the old days, "abuno" refers to soil that can be used as fertilizer. An example would be soil over which birds build their nest. Over time, bird drippings as well as leaves and other organic material would accumulate on the ground and the soil can then be used as fertilizer. It is possible that by the phrase "land of Abuno", Impacto was referring to any land where abuno can be found rather than to a specific location named Abuno.
4. Every part of the coconut is useful. The trunk is used as wood. The leaves are used as roofing material. The husks of the coconut fruit can be used for kindling. The shell, cut in half, can be used as bowls. Of course, the meat is edible while the milk tastes good. Fermented coconut milk is also popular as an alcoholic drink.
5. "Dalisay means "pure" and "free from foreign matter".
6. "Antubong" is a word whose meaning has eluded me. If you know what it means, it would be greatly appreciated if you could e-mail me.
7. Talisay, in modern times, is a town on the island of Cebu. (Cebu is a larger island west of Mactan.) It is quite possible that this area or locality was called Talisay during the time of Lapulapu.