PHILIPPINE FOLK LITERATURE-The MYTHS
I. THE GODS: THEIR ACTIVITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS
13. A TALE OF TIMUNGAN* (Kankanay)
Long ago, in the old heroic age, when gods walked the earth, there were two famous brothers, the Timungan, whose deeds are often recounted at the cañaos of the people.
One day, these brothers took their handspades (sankah) and baskets (kayabang) and went out into their kaingin to dig camotes. They had nearly enough when one of the large Timungan happened upon an extra large camote. He kept digging around it until he had made quite a big hole. Then he called his brother to help. They both dug down deep into the earth following the camote until their excavation was very deep. And there they found a wide flat stone. Wondering what was underneath, they heaved and tugged until they turned it over to see it.
When the Timungan peered down into the hole, they were surprised to see that they were looking down into the Underworld (Aduongan): and there was a great house with many people about while the beating of ganzas informed the Timungan that a cañao was going on. So they were eager to join it. Then they took their rope tide one end securely to the stump of a tree and thus climbed down to the Underworld and hurried to the cañao.
The first attraction was the food, set out on banana leaves. As they were eating in the house, they were surprised to see that the people were different. They had tails, and were looking at them hungrily. The Timungan were frightened and tried to sneak away. They pretended to be staying, and taking off their breechclouts, they tied them on the door. They sneaked out the window.
However, Maseken the old man, who was head of the house noticed their going, gave chase and caught them. Then one of the brothers volunteered: "Do not kill us, as I want to marry your daughter." Maseken was pleased at this and ordered that the marriage ceremony (Mangilin) be celebrated. A hog was killed and the priest (Mambunong) prayed to the sky deities, requesting a successful marriage. Then he gave the couple water to drink together. After three days taboo, the couple went to the brook and bathed each other while repeating a short formula. Thus they were married.
After the marriage, Maseken took his new son-in-law hunting. They passed one of the four huge posts which hold up the earth from the Underworld. A great hog was scratching itself on the post and Maseken explained that this would cause an earthquake on the earth above.
Arriving at the hunting grounds, the son-in-law stayed on the trail while the others went below to stalk the game. They jumped upon an old carabao which ran up beside the son-in-law. He started to lasso her; but saw that she was really an old woman, their mother named Akodan. So he let her run by.--Then Maseken came puffing up, scolded his son-in-law for letting her go, and running after her, caught up with the old woman, and wounded her. Then the son-in-law said: We do not like to eat people." Maseken replied, "Return to the Earth if you do not like to eat people."
Maseken accompanied the Timungan brothers to where their rope hung and they all ascended to the Earth. They observed that the Sun had been shining in the Underworld so that it was now dark on Earth. However, it soon came up again.
Then Maseken asked for the rope and they made a hunting net (batung) with which to snare people. The two brothers said: Take this in order that you may eat," but Maseken declared that they should also give chickens or else they would catch the Earth people in the net. This is the origin of the Manhating ceremony, which is held when a person is bleeding in the nose and mouth. No doubt Maseken is after him. So the pries; (Mambunong) holds a chicken in one hand, while he sits in front of a L basket containing a rope and repeats the tale of the Timungan.
* Lurence L. Wilson, BMC, September 5, 1948, p.4.