PHILIPPINE FOLK LITERATURE-The MYTHS
COSMOGONY AND COSMOLOGY
16. FORMATION OF THE WORLD* (Pampango)
A long, long time ago, the universe was full of gods and goddesses. Of all these gods there existed one supreme god by the name of Mangetchay. He ruled the universe for several milleniums with great power.
These gods lived in the different planets, and their common temple was suspended in the air. These planets were far apart. It took hundreds of years to go from one planet to another.
The great god who ruled over them lived in the sun and his bride lived in the moon. Venus their daughter lived in a planet called after her name.
The supreme god sent for all his vassals to meet in great council to decide on a certain affair in the universe. The gods responded to the call and the elements were disturbed greatly by the swiftness of their chariots.
As soon as they gazed at the beautiful daughter of Mangetchay who was seated on her golden chair the gods were charmed at her beauty. Instead of deciding on the affair of the universe, the gods proposed marriage to the pretty goddess.
The great god was troubled and did not know on whom he should confer the hand of his daughter. Finally he decided that the question was to be settled by combat. The gods returned to their respective abodes and made the necessary preparations.
The encounter lasted for several thousand years and nearly all the gods perished. During the battle the daughter of Mangetchay died and consequently the trouble ended. The great god, after the combat, looked down and saw the earth of today to his great surprise. The earth was formed by the great masses of stones used in the fight. The great god, for his daughter's sake, blessed the world with trees and life.
* Alfredo Nicdao, "Pampangan Folklore," H. Otley Beyer, "Ethnography of the Pampangan People,"
Vol. 11, No. 36, pp. 20-21, in Vivencio R. Jose, Creation and Flood b4yths in Philippine Folk Literature" (M.A. Thesis, U.P., 1974), pp. 57-58.